How to Deal With a Dog's Dirty Paws

Dogs are a member of the family, granted a dirty member of the family if the yard is muddy. The pet cannot take its paws off when it comes inside the way you would take off your shoes. It is up to you to come up with mud and dirt prevention steps to limit the amount of dirt your dog tracks into the house and car.

Things You'll Need

  • Textured mud mat
  • Old towels
  • Paper towels
  • Grooming wipes
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a large, textured mud mat at the door. Make sure the mat is large enough to accommodating a prancing, tail-wagging pet. Place a stack of old towels or a grooming mitt next to the door. Make a point of catching the dog at the door and wiping its feet before the pet goes further into the house.

    • 2

      Add seat covers or an old blanket in the car for the dog to sit on. An extra set of towels or a roll of paper towels in the car will allow you to clean his feet before he hops in. Keep a trash bag in the car to dispose of the towels.

    • 3

      Keep your pet groomed. Grooming is especially important with long-haired breeds. Keep the dog's nails trimmed and the fur on its feet cut back to limit the amount of mud and dirt carried into the house. Teach the dog to sit while you clean its paws. A sitting dog makes your job easier and limits the mud flung on you. Keep a handful of treats near the mud mat as reinforcement treats to reward your pet for sitting.

    • 4

      Teach the dog to stay down. Your home is not the only thing to suffer when mud is in the forecast. Failure to teach the dog to sit can mean changing clothes often or going out in public with twin paw marks down your front. Whenever the dog goes to jump on you, hold your hand out in front of you, parallel to the floor and say "Down" with authority. Reward the pet for listening with a treat, petting or warm words of appraisal. Be consistent. The dog will not understand if you only try to make him stay down when it is muddy outside.

    • 5

      Limit access to the mud. If one area of the yard muds up more than the rest, fence it off. Take the dog on a walk on a sidewalk instead of letting it run free in the backyard or at a dog park. Instead of letting the canine come and go freely through a dog door, let it in and out, so you can clean the paws before letting the pet into the house.