A significant portion of pet-owning households in South Korea raise small- and medium-sized dogs, which are vulnerable to joint diseases such as patellar luxation. Especially for dogs living mostly indoors, slippery hardwood floors or tiles can put a strain on their joints. Because of this, interest in pet-exclusive flooring materials, such as anti-slip mats, is high.

The problem was that it was difficult to objectively compare the safety of so-called "pet-friendly" flooring available on the market. While many products boast pet-exclusive or anti-slip features, there were no unified evaluation standards, leading companies to display performance using their own methods. Pet owners found it difficult to judge which products were actually safe.

To solve this problem, South Korea's first common standards for evaluating the anti-slip performance and hazardous substance safety of dog flooring have been established.

KOTITI Testing & Research Institute (President Kim Min, hereinafter KOTITI) announced on the 6th that it has recently enacted the group standard for "Dog Flooring (SPS-F-KOTITI 0002-7720:2026)."

A key feature of this standard is that it provides not only quality criteria for flooring suitable for dogs, but also test methods to verify them.

According to KOTITI, the new standard establishes an anti-slip resistance evaluation criterion for dogs by improving the measurement principles devised by researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

Anti-slip performance is categorized into three grades based on the "Coefficient of Slip Resistance for Dogs (CSRD)": Grade 1 is 0.40 or higher, Grade 2 is 0.35 to under 0.40, and Grade 3 is 0.30 to under 0.35.

The higher the number, the less slippery the product. Consumers can choose products tailored to their living environment, such as selecting Grade 1 for living rooms where dogs actively run and play, and Grades 2–3 for areas with less movement.

Measurement equipment was also improved to increase test accuracy. Moving away from manual operation, the equipment now uses a motor to maintain a constant pulling speed and measures force digitally.

Hazardous substance standards were also established, taking into account dogs' habits of licking floors or sniffing with their noses.

Formaldehyde emissions are limited to 0.015 mg/m²·h or less, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to 0.4 mg/m²·h or less. For PVC flooring materials, the content of phthalate plasticizers, which raise concerns for endocrine disruption, was set at 0.1% or lower.

Based on this standard, KOTITI plans to launch a certification business for dog flooring starting next year.

A KOTITI official explained, "Group standard certification is not mandatory, but it is a system that objectively verifies whether a product meets established quality and safety standards, helping consumers choose products with peace of mind."

They added, "We are currently undergoing procedures to register as a certification body and plan to complete preparations by the end of the year."

Previously, KOTITI enacted group standards for outdoor pet supplies such as leashes, collars, and harnesses in March. This flooring standard is the second group standard for pet products.

Going forward, KOTITI plans to expand certified items to include pee pads and cat litter in cooperation with the Korean Animal Hospital Association (Chairman Choi I-don). The enactment of standards and implementation of certification for both items are targeted for completion by the end of next year.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]