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Let’s Talk About Muddy Paws.

 muddy newf

This puddle found me. I did not find this puddle.

We’ve officially hit mud season here in Ohio.

I thought it was going to skip us this year but apparently that was just a teaser.

For those who aren’t familiar with mud season it’s more commonly called Spring.

April showers bring May flowers, right?

Right.

Well March and April showers also bring mud.

Mud equals muddy paws.

Muddy paws equal an aching back and a muddy house.

The house that I’m trying to Spring clean.

Over the years I’ve learned to not complain about it and just deal with it because in order to get to Summer I need to get through Mud Season.

mud face

Brown dogs DO show mud or are those just highlights?

 

I’m sure Mud Season varies based on what type of dog you have.

Mild. Dogs who don’t like to get their paws wet or get dirty. They do anything they can to avoid mud including peeing and pooping on the patio.  You lucky ducks you.

Moderate. Dogs who try to avoid med but accidents happens OR dogs who will wear booties but occasionally one falls off leaving one muddy paw. One muddy paw print is better than four. Suck it up buttercups.

Severe. Dogs who are attracted to mud. They see mud and it’s game on. I have 2 of these. They seek out the muddiest of mud puddles and shuffle right through it. Had they walked 2 inches to the left or right the mud could of been totally avoided. It’s a muddy life but somebody has to do it.

In order to deal with my severe mudders I use several techniques:

1. Command. “Give me your paw” is the most important command we have at this time of the year. Leroy’s super good at this and just lifts his paw when I go to wipe. Sherman’s a little more stubborn because he’s not a big fan of having his paws or legs touched. He likes to lie down ON his paws when I go to wipe which creates an issue. It’s the only time Sherman and I have a problem with each other.

2. Towels. Stacks and stacks of old towels. Preferably dark towels. Who wants to use white towels on a muddy dog? Gross. I don’t REALLY want to know how much mud is on their paws. Do you? Microfiber towels work great also.

3. Bucket. A bucket filled with warm water. Sherman prefers a warm paw dunk over a cold paw dunk. Dish pans work well also and aren’t as heavy as a bucket. They would probably be good for small to medium dogs.

4. Placement of mud suckers.  Large towels and throw rugs are lined throughout our mudroom and basement. It doesn’t look pretty but I don’t care. Every step they take on these, a little more mud gets wiped off and less shows up on my floors..

5. Trimmed paws and nails. Newfoundland paws are like sponges so the least amount of stray hairs on them the better. Long nails can be like little shovels where mud gets trapped so I try to keep those trimmed too. Except for Sherman’s funky nail. That one is a permanent shovel.

6. Wipe your own paw.  Sherman and Leroy are adults so they can take on some extra responsibility. Wiping muddy paws doesn’t have to be all on you. Give some of that responsibility to your dog. I learned this a few days ago when I accidentally dropped a treat before I wiped. The treat rolled under a towel. Sherman wanted the treat more than Leroy did so he was trying to paw at the towel to get the treat. I was surprised at how much mud he was able to wipe off all by himself.  We’ve had fun doing this. Go ahead. TRY IT. I double dog dare you.

S.J.-Janis-Company-Inc-960x500

Photo credit S.J.Janis Company-Inc

 

Muddy paws happen and besides cementing my whole backyard there is no way to avoid it so we just deal.

In a perfect world my mudroom would not have a pool table in it but a dog shower, a washing machine and dryer and someone who gives me a tip for every muddy paw I wipe. I would also love a little built in pool placed right in front of the door so the dogs have to step “in” before they come back inside. Of course it would have a remote control cover so they don’t have to step “in” when they go out and on mud free days. My husband hasn’t come through on this yet.

I’ve heard about some of the dog paw cleaning gadgets but of course they don’t come in size HUGE so I will never know if they work or not.

So what about you? How do you deal with those muddy paws? Somebody please tell me they have a decked out mud room so I can come try it out.

 

 

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Ace Pet Care in Austin

Monday 31st of August 2015

That caption for the first image is so adorable, but that is EXACTLY what the inner voice has to be saying:) And that second image would make an incredible addition to any dog-lover's home...wow. Nice article.

CATHY BENNETT

Monday 6th of April 2015

I spend quality time in the garage before coming into the laundry/mud room.

Monika

Thursday 2nd of April 2015

Sam will walk around puddles and despises the rain but invariably still gets mudded up even with a rain slicker. I hope it's helping keep his skin exfoliated and smooth because it's a real drag trying to clean him up between baths. He hates having anyone touch his feet and always looks as if I just beat him with a poor me look when I grab the micro-towels. ;) Recently found a micro rug for the back door and that seems to help a bit. BTW, that mudroom is to die for--so beautiful.

Sam Ivy

Thursday 2nd of April 2015

I love the first caption on your top picture, too funny. Thanks for the list of great tips. It sounds like you have quite a lot of experience with your mud-hounds. How often do you have to bathe them? Best of luck convincing your husband that your dream mudroom is a necessity. :)

Jodi

Thursday 2nd of April 2015

I'm a bitch and just hose them down outside. LOL As for the floors, well I'm just waiting until the rugs get dirty enough so I can get new carpet....:-)

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