When you’re owned by a Newfie, you realize early on in the relationship that there are no longer 4 seasons.
There are 2 seasons: Mud Season and Summer.
There is no spring or fall because those have been erased by mud.
If you’re lucky you might get a few weeks of winter which is when the ground freezes.
Most Newfie owners have accepted mud because even though we’ve done all the recommended solutions to reduce mud in our yards, our Newfies still find a way to create mud.
For instance, we recently added new sod to some trouble areas in our yard and as soon as wet weather came and Odin walked on it, the weight of his paws sunk through. In turn, we actually had more mud than before.
The Corgi could walk on the sod all day long and nothing.
So if you’re looking for some easy ways to decrease the amount of mud and that your dog is bringing into the house check out our tips below.
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Get a Doormat Designed for Muddy Paws
These mats are specially designed to absorb water, dirt, and mud so that the majority (depending on what type of dog breed you have) of your dog’s muddy mess stays in the mat and is not tracked onto your floor or carpet.
These products can vary in price but they are an easy option if you’re looking for a simple solution that does not require any training.
Keep in mind that the no doormat is going to absorb ALL the mud and dirt so you’re still bound to get some muddy paw prints on your floor if this your only choice.
A good option is the Gorilla Grip Original Indoor Durable Chenille Doormat.
It has a 4.5/5 star review on Amazon with one customer saying, “At first I didn’t think this was going to work. It looked like our bath mat. But after shaking it out to throw in the wash, it was full of tiny rocks and dirt! So it’s doing it’s job.”
Just make sure you measure the area that you’re going to place this in so that you get the correct size.
Wipe Your Dog’s Paws
Grab a towel, microfiber works best or an old beach towel, and get to wiping.
It’s how dog owners have done it for years and it works……, well it gets some of the mud off.
This is easier for some dogs more than others since there are a lot of dogs that don’t like their paws or legs touched.
It’s best to start doing this when your dog is a puppy, even if they don’t need their paws wiped.
Microfiber towels are a good choice because they are known to be quick-drying.
Teach Your Dog To Wipe His Paws
If you’re feeling super motivated and you have a smart dog, teach them to wipe their own paws.
It might sound crazy but many dog owners have had good luck teaching this little trick to their dogs!
Here’s the most common way people teach their dog to wipe their own paws:
Hide a dog treat in a towel or mat on the floor and let your dog see you do this.
As your dog sniffs out the treat on the towel, let them know that’s the behavior you want to see and reward them with an enthusiastic “yes!”
Repeat this several times for about a week and your dog should get the hang of it.
I’ve personally never had success with this but that’s not to say you won’t.
Trim Your Dog’s Hair and Nails
Mud sticks to whatever surface it can so the fewer surfaces that mud can grab onto, the less mud that is going to be tracked onto your floor.
Keeping the hair trimmed on the top and bottom of your dog’s paws will cut down on a lot of dirt and debris being brought into the house by your dog.
You can trim the hair on your dog’s paws at home with straight shears or clippers but if you’re not comfortable doing that or if your dog has ticklish feet, you can take them to the groomer for a quick trim.
Mud also loves to stick to long nails so trimming your dog’s nails regularly will help cut down on your dog tracking mud and dirt in the house.
Create a Muddy Dog Wash Station
Some dog owners are lucky enough to have the space to build a whole bath station for their dogs but if that’s not possible to do there are some easy ways to create a smaller version of a dog wash station.
If you have a small dog that is tracking a lot of mud in the house, use a cookie sheet with a rim and fill it with warm water.
Either have them walk through it or set them in the water and then dry their paws with a towel.
If you have a medium dog, use a bucket or even an empty plastic coffee container.
Simply dip their paws in the bucket and dry with a towel.
If you have a Newfoundland you make a DIY muddy paw wash station by using a big, rectangular plastic storage container and teach them to walk through it.
Create A Designated Paw Drying Area
If you don’t have a mudroom and your dog is walking right into the kitchen or entryway when they come inside, block off a designated area so that they can chill out for a few minutes.
You can block off an area using gates or a playpen and put towels and/or a mat in that area.
Wipe your dog off as best as you can and then let them stay for a bit.
You can prepare a frozen Kong or have a supply of toys in that area to keep them occupied for several minutes while their muddy paws dry.
When all else fails, just remember that you’re definitely not alone dealing with a dog tracking mud and dirt through the house.
Your yard will eventually dry up and your floors remain clean for more than an hour soon.
It’s only mud and thankfully, mud wipes off of floors (and walls) pretty easily.
Nic
Thursday 30th of December 2021
I use one of those kiddie pools from wal-mart and an sealed trashcan with doggie towels at the back door. It works if you remember to work it, I am thinking of adding a basin sink with some storage and a short hose to fill the pool! I feel like that would be great, we also have a Florida room so the mud does not bother me so much out there. I have a black mouth cur about 95lbs, he wreaks havoc on the soil. I also wonder about creating a dog run since they have torn up the yard. Looking for suggestions there, this was a great read pretty much just find creative ways of wiping their paws and make it a rewarding process.