I have just started Jasper at a new training school and after telling the trainer on the phone how clever he is we got there and it had a wooden floor (his previous training school had a sand floor) and Jasper just lay down spread eagled and shaking and wouldn't move a muscle. His reaction really took me by surprise, he looked really scared. The trainer said that i had to be really confident with Jasper and make him conquer the fear he has. I took him back last week and he was slightly better, we managed to get him to walk round in a circle and near to the end of the class he did sit, lye down and give me his paw. Has anyone else come across this with there whippet?
Debbie

Not a Whippet but a Greyhound. He was doing all right until he made a move that caused his legs to thrash about. He avoided that part of the house for a long time but that's where the treats were located and he finally started tip-toeing around on it. I think dogs with long legs are more nervous on slick floors.

Thats interesting. I hope he starts to get better about it.

our girl dosent have that prob. we have wood floors so she pretty much good anywhere. i dont think she notices too much. but she hates to sit her butt on the grass

Also, make sure the nails are trimmed back so they don't slip around on the hard surface. Sometime the slipping experience on a hard surface will spook them from that moment on.

My last whippet refused to sit on hardwood. She would walk over to carpet to sit, if I gave her the command.

Sophie would sit on the little rug by the kitchen sink if I asked her to sit in the kitchen for a treat. Her front feet would slide forward on the tile otherwise. But now she sits anywhere and still slips on the surface but it doesn't phaze her.

zepher never had a problem with slick floors, his first experiance with the school hallways he learned to slide(self taught and he loves to do it).now thats what he does when he gets on slick serfaces.

All your whippets sound much braver than Jasper, he can be strange sometimes and if he doesn't like something he is a real wuss (or spoilt may be a better description lol). We took him to week 3 at the new training school the other day and he is getting better he actually walked in the hall this week with a little coaxing, i've had to carry him in the previous 2 weeks. The main issue he seems to have now is one of the walls, the only difference this wall has to the other 3 is that it has windows at the top, (i told you he can be strange!) he still skates sometimes on the wooden floor (his nails are well trimmed) but mainly when we walk towards this particular wall.
Debbie

Our Whippet-mix, Chewie, has had this problem since he was 1 year old from the shelter.

He does not care for anything hardwood, tiled, or slick floors. Although he's learned to tolerate it over the years (most of what he has to walk on is hard wood), he can still be a little spooked over making the jump from slick flooring to the carpet. Most people I've talked to online suggest his nails should be shorter, but they're trimmed fine and don't click.

I just consider this one of his lovable weirdo traits.