Doggie Habitrail

We have built a doggie habitrail in our house, doggie usage shown above.

This is how it is, your puppy is now 14 years old.  She's a joyful, happy, former tennis ball chasing soul (tennis balls have all been hidden now).  She has no idea she is 14, so when she gets excited and tries to jump around, she falls down.  When she tries to run, she falls down.  The fabulous tile floor the former owners installed is great for keeping the house cool and clean, but not great for 14 year old doggies when their heads bounce off the floor with a horrendous THUNK! 

Yeah, exactly - OWWW and oohhh, my poor doggie.

So, one day I showed the hubby these great little green tile squares that were in a Flor catalog and said, "We should build the dog a trail, so she can keep her grip when she gets excited.
He said, no way, they'd be tacky.
I said, but look, they are a great happy color green, they would go with the house.
He said, nope".

Two months pass; dog keeps wiping out, my heart aches. She on the other hand just brushes it off and stays happy, like the great dog that she is.

I'm in Sears, they are going out of business in our local mall and they have these industrial garage usage, puzzle piece put together floor tiles with edges.  Eh, not a happy green, but cushiony and probably good for traction and the occasional hip crash.  Plus anything I can later convert for use in the garage is good with me (we might have a garage bigger than our house, yeah - I know - cool!)

Price is right, 30% off, so we find ourselves lugging out four packages to the car.  I then come home and put my youthful puzzle skills to work, building the above habitrail.  I cut edges so the saw edged  bit's don't show, put a piece and half down where she likes to lay by the cupboard, build through the kitchen, living room, hallway and to the bathroom.

I stand back and admire my work and think - great job, hubby should be thrilled.

Hubby walks in, "What's this?
I say, a padded carpet trail for the doggie.
He says this is exactly what I didn't want, industrial carpet tiles in the house.
I say WHAT?  The stuff I showed you originally from the Flor catalog is anything BUT Industrial.
And he says, but this certainly is.
Yes - this is, but she was wiping out and she's not a surfer, the house should be safe for her".

What this proves is that I should have ordered the expensive cool happy green stuff from Flor, because really, the habitrail works well and my neighbor complimented us on it the other day (I should state his garage is also bigger than his house, so yeah - we agree this is cool).  And it proves my husband and I don't speak the same language - his mind went to industrial right away, while mine was in an interior design catalog....   

Either way - I think we may be on to something - geriatric doggie floor tiles, since they can't wear those alarm buttons to tell us "I've fallen and I can't get up"  at least there is a floor pad to catch her when she slips.... and if you listen, there's no more THUNK!