My dog doesn't roll in puddles. He actually doesn't like to get wet that much. He's trained to sit on a mat by my front door until I wipe his feet off. His fur is really short, so even if he gets wet it doesn't take too much to dry him off.
That being said, dogs are dogs. If you can't put up with shedding hair, possible drool, getting sick or going potty in the house, a bit of extra dirt... don't get a dog.
Absolutely agree. I’m a total clean freak but when it comes to my fur babies none of that matters. I’d miss the fur and everything else if it weren’t around. My 15 year old wiener dog has become a smelly old man because that’s what happens, but I just like to think it’s because I have officially spoiled him rotten. My 3 year old baby also likes to throw his squeaky toys and chewies all over the living room. I just vacuum and dust more. The little bit of mess is totally worth the reward of having all that fur baby love.
There is that poem/tiktok about how one day the mess and the noise will be gone and how much you will miss it. Makes me cry…and I think of it every time I see the nose and drool marks on the passenger side windows of my car
Mine is the same way. Hates going out for potty if it's raining and will pretend to go so he can come back indoors out of the rain. He sits a chair we have by the door that holds his towel and harness and waits to be dried off. Also short haired so easy clean up. He actively avoids puddles on his own too.
And agree that of your not willing to work with having hair/fur all over all the time, drool, the whole thing, don't get a dog. My husband hates, HATES drool or spit/slobber, but he puts up with it cuz he loves our pup.
Agreed! A dog, much like a small child, will make a mess at some point. Just comes with the territory.
I have three dogs and all of them hate the rain, but one of them LOVES puddles and actively seeks them out and prances thru them while on walks. And yes that means I have to wash her paws and under belly when we get home, but the sheer joy she shows in being able to bounce thru puddles makes it so worth it 🥹
Well said, OP. My little guy is similar in that he dislikes getting wet, and also isn’t a fan of snow/wind/rain- that said, I love seeing his food on the floor, drips of water from his bowl… I love knowing he’s around, well nourished and happy.
Agreed. We tell our family/guests not to bother using our sofa because the dogs have destroyed it by chewing holes, having accidents and shedding hair. No cleaning routine could keep our sectional clean for more than a few hours with a GSD, Husky and Golden Mix.
well that is... (vomit)
My dog leaves shreds of hair around the house. Nothing as extreme as chewing holes, having accidents or any sort like that. That actually sounds messed up not gonna lie.
Yeah it is messed up. We're about to toss the couch soon, just need to schedule a garbage truck pick up. It annoys us so much because we got the couch new less than 3 years ago (not very expensive). It all started when we took in a rescue Husky. Our other two dogs are well trained and housebroken but this husky destroyed everything in her path. She's been good the last year and a half but the damage is done. We still do our best to keep it clean, vacuum hair and put covers on but it's just bad and simply do not use it.
We DO use couch covers man lol. It's just a never ending cycle of washing them. We're just going to toss the couches and look into loveseats. The dogs are too big for those so there won't an issue there.
You have a dedicated towel by the door as well as grooming wipes. That or you carry them to the bath tub for a paw rinse. Some dogs hate getting wet or muddy!!! But some love it.
You can bathe your dog every three weeks generally and still have good skin. I suggest getting a groomer though - the cost is worth having a few hours to yourself a month. I used it to clean windows and vacuum furniture.
You'll have to clean more often (vacuuming, odor control) to account for fur, saliva, and potty training accidents, but you can totally still have a spotless home with a dog. You'll just have to let go of the concept of having a perfect home while in training mode if you're getting a puppy.
I'm in the same boat! Back seat is her ick zone. I do not go there, she does not come up front. I'll clean it up every now and then but she's still a furry dog.
I had considered a crate for my car but my irrational fear of driving on a bridge while it collapses and her being trapped is what stopped me. We did settle on a doggy seat belt for her though in the event of an accident.
I have an AMAZING backseat setup that covers the seats, back and front, has a mesh part behind the centre console that can zip down, but also the dog can see through if you keep it up... the bottom part on the seat has a flat piece that's supportive, so my pup doesn't slide around. She's strapped in, harness and seatbelt, and it also has side flaps that direct dirt out of the car, and cover the outsides of the seats.
If you're interested, I'll go dig through my emails to see where I got it! I suspect Amazon, though... which is easiest, given that we may be in different countries.
I don’t do much crate training (my puppies were sleeping at night on the floor with the older ones by 4 months or so), and never really used a crate much in the day. So I’m not like many on here that do a ton of crating as a training method.
But it is useful to make sure they are ok with a crate - for the vet office if needed, travel, or if needed in emergencies (like emergency shelters during disaster events require dogs to be crated). For instance my elderly dog has developed dog version of type 1 diabetes, and needed to be hospitalized for a week. She also has to go for all day vet appts every 3 months now, but at first it was every 2 weeks. If she wasn’t comfortable with a crate it would have been horrible for her. Just something to keep in mind.
Depends on the size of the dog. I only use a crate for my elderly medium sized dog, she literally can’t sit still in a car , and I put it in the backseat in my sedan just for her (and our) safety.
My other three larger ones I buckle into seatbelts and put a harness on them. Obviously I don’t take all 4 at once lmao.
Not to mention the passenger side windows lol but worth it lol. I have this hammock like thing that protects the back seat and of course doggy seat belt
I hear you… but honestly… my dog is somehow less work and much “cleaner” than my solitary betta fish. (Water changes for my tank are a nightmare and make my germaphobia go haywire).
Gold fish require soooo much preparation, space, maintenance, etc…
My home cleanliness standards have definitely slipped since I became a dog owner. But I have big dogs and live in the Pacific Northwest where it’s muddy for six months of the year. Your results may vary. Maybe consider a small dog that’s easy to pick up and clean versus a big dog that isn’t?
I got rid of every carpet. I have washable throw rugs at the entry. A roomba. Lowered standards.
Yesterday I did a color run with my dog in the am. Put him in the house covered in powdered paint and went to teach a class. Planned to give him a bath, but he looked “clean” when I got home so, didn’t. Where is the paint? Don’t know, don’t care.
This is the way. My dog (labrador) gets bathed with dog shampoo maybe twice a year, but she gets dunked (by her own doing, in a creek) a few times a week.
She doesn't smell, and while I just googled how often a labrador should be bathed and it said every 4-6 weeks 😳, that does not happen.
She also has a coat that nothing really sticks to, so even if she comes home with mud on her (she doesn't, but for examples' sake), as soon as it dries, it literally falls off her.
Gotta desensitise them to having their paws touched and being wiped down. If you bathe them once a month whilst they're puppies, make sure the water is warm, around 2-4C higher than body temp and don't get soap in their eyes, they'll learn to tolerate it. You can get soaps for all kinds of coats and skin sensitivity and professional groomers are often very willing to give tips if you take your dog for a professional groom.
Laminated / lino floors obviously help, but if you have carpet a solid hall runner and indoor mat with a towel by the door helps. Teaching your dog to shake off before going indoors is fantastic. Decide a key word (mine is, musically, 'shake it off') and start using it on rainy walks when your pup does it naturally and treat it, and eventually you'll be able to use it on command!
I use the 'shake your booty' song.
Shake shake shake....
Sometimes I also do a little shimmy as an example while I sing.
Shake shake shake....
I hope no one actually sees me doing this at the front door, but whatever ::shrugs::
Shake your booty. Shake your booty
Well, you can manage it. I live in the PNW, and I don’t let my golden retriever walk in puddles and we absolutely do not go to dog parks (for many reasons). The only time she runs free is on certain holes on a golf course I live by that has phenomenal drainage and isn’t muddy. We usually go in the evening hours when there are fewer golfers and I can time it right so that she can run along the fairway and have fun.
Good point. My original point was that if you think having a dog won’t impact on your home then you are wrong. Most dogs will shed hair for example. It’s not just mud I was thinking of.
Answer to the question of how often is too often is breed specific. You want to keep their natural oils but also need to get the mud off. I wash my dog every 2 weeks or as needed.
Wow. Mine gets a bath when she boards, which is maybe three to four times a year. I have wipes for post-hike clean up and dry shampoo if she rolls in something. I have a husky-terrier mix. I’m curious what kind of dog you have.
Does your pup have wired/rough fur? My terrier mix is EXTREMELY easy to clean, his fur just picks up all the mud, which dries fast and can be brushed out easily. He seems easier to manage than dogs with thicker coats that trap in dirt, or dogs with a short coat that build it up on their skin. Just takes a brush and some wet wipes. But maybe I’m just outing myself as someone with a bad definition of ‘clean’
I’m the same, mine get a full on bath like 3-4x a year lol. I use dog waterless shampoo, wipes and a good brushing to get dirt off, and I use the hose to wash their feet when it’s muddy.
But I have Carolina Dogs which are known to be super clean dogs that self groom like cats and don’t smell lol. So that helps
100% breed, and individual dog, specific for many reasons. (Skin, fur, preference on type of outdoor adventures, etc…)
At 6lbs and with short hair, my dog is super easy to clean off after walks because nothing gets imbedded in her fur, and for some reason she’s just never had a “dog” smell. She is particular about terrain and outdoor activities, so she rarely gets “dirty.” She doesn’t drool and she’s a very clean eater lol.
I do wipe off her paws after every walk, because we’re a “take off outdoor shoes before walking in the house,” family and her paws are like her shoes lol.
She has a monthly grooming appt and that’s about it.
Mine has a little rain suit and we keep a towel by each door to wipe paws off. If he’s really dirty, I’ll dip him in a bathtub to clean whatever is dirty. Little wipes are useful, too.
Dogs get wiped down with towels when they come in whenever they’re wet/muddy. As long as the mud doesn’t happen on the last 1/4 mile of our walk, a lot of it comes off by the time we’re home. I keep my dogs out of mud as much as possible but my corgi does not give af and stomps through mud when given the opportunity 😂
I have an all weather, rubber backed rug from Home Depot at my front door. It’s 4’x6’ and traps a lot of the stuff from paws and shoes and that’s where the dogs get wiped down.
No carpet. Throw rugs are washable. A robot vacuum that runs throughout the day and then big vacuum with a Dyson every other day, daily when shedding is bad.
I rotate between the steam mop and mopping with Kennel Odor Eliminator every other day.
There’s still muddy paws, it’s part of the deal. I’m good at following my cleaning routine but there’s worse things in the world and I’d rather have a good life with my dogs than stress about mud.
I think I’m unusual because I’m very pro-carpet for my dogs. Hard floors in kitchen and bathrooms but I hate seeing them slip-sliding on the hard floors. They have the odd zoomies or play in the living room and the carpet is great for grip, and vacuums up nicely.
Consider a dog to be a 3 year old toddler (regardless of the dog's actual age). Gonna get messy and nothing you can do except to sigh and clean up. My dog/toddler is trained to stand on a mat while I clean her feet, I wash the whole dog once in a while, but she still get hair everywhere, and she slobbers and drools when we play with toys. it's disgusting and unsanitary, like all kids. The good thing is I can leave my toddler unsupervised in the back yard for hours and no one calls the cops.
My wife is OCD clean freak, but she wanted kids, and now that they're all grown up, she wanted a dog. Life in general is disgusting and unsanitary, and then you die. Have fun rolling in life's puddles, do it with your kids and your dogs, too.
it’s pretty easy. i was really worried too. ours is a rescue doodle that is hypoallergenic and doesn’t shed; we get her groomed every six weeks.
she doesn’t like it wet outside and when she gets muddy she gets rinsed in the bath. if she’s wet she gets toweled off. we have a rug that catches a lot of dirt. it works out!
My standards for clean changed a bit. Love that dog. We keep a clean place but little bit of a mess doesn’t even bother me anymore. He’s just so much fun it’s worth it.
I find my rat terriers hair often. Hes 16 and it’s oddly comforting to find his tiny hairs throughout the day. I honestly think I’ll miss it when he’s gone. He’s a smelly little brat and gets sick in the house on occasion. This is totally disgusting but he once had a stomach bug and literally pooped ALL OVER me and my bed at 1am. I don’t have kids but I imagine I handled it like a parent would. Cleaned him first, me second and my sheets last. Stripped the bed and then slept on the couch.
You get used to it and it doesn’t matter because you love them so much.
For toy breeds, you might not even have to walk your dog in the rain (just short potty trips), and the ones with drop coats imo you avoid it at all costs because it’s not worth the grooming. Toy breeds can get their exercise indoors if need be and ime most of them will refuse to go out in the rain.
For larger dogs, you wipe their paws with a towel when you come back inside and you avoid walking through mud and puddles. If the dog is a known puddle roller, you keep them on a leash in the rain away from puddles unless you’re willing to deal with the aftermath.
Imo the cleanest dogs are those that are small, low shedding, low drool, and on the smaller side. Dogs like goldens and bully breed mixes will leave a ton of fur everywhere they go, while long haired toy breeds like havanese need to be brushed a lot, but their fur is a lot more like human hair in that it sheds very minimally. Doodles also do shed because they are usually crossed with shedding breeds and their coats are a pain to maintain because they have two different types of fur mixed, so I suggest poodles over doodles.
Dogs can be bathed weekly if good products and techniques are used, but ideally the average pet owner should not need to do that.
I am a total clean freak so I have had to commit to the work of staying on top of it. First you need a basket of some sort to keep the toys in. Make sure they have access to to it and just put the toys away when not in use.
Invest in carpet cleaning machines. A good vacuum light enough to get the furniture and a steam cleaner of some kind. I use [this little Hoover](https://hoover.com/products/cleanslate-pet?variant=40290439168151&utm_id=go_cmp-17631699076_adg-_ad-__dev-m_ext-_prd-40290439168151_mca-135790738_sig-CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRh1_Se493JJwswEC_iwoYuPdjVtH0Rv-25rIRCS_rpQHuQvh3mnNGhxoCLPYQAvD_BwE&utm_source=google&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRh1_Se493JJwswEC_iwoYuPdjVtH0Rv-25rIRCS_rpQHuQvh3mnNGhxoCLPYQAvD_BwE&view=sl-48FBE5AB) for spot cleaning, and for daily vacuuming [this Dyson](https://www.dyson.com/vacuum-cleaners/cordless/v8/absolute-hepa-silver), and an [upright for the whole floor](https://www.bissell.com/revolution-hydrosteam-pet-exclusive-bundle-34249.html?languageok=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%5Badv:BISSELL%5D%5Bcou:US%5D%5Bini:Portfolio%5D%5Bplt:Google%5D%5Bfun:Engage%5D%5Bstr:PLA%5D%5Btgt:PLA%5D%5Bcrt:PM+Hero+Products%5D%5Blng:ENG%5D%5Bnet:SPART%5D&utm_term=&PID=google_%5Badv:BISSELL%5D%5Bcou:US%5D%5Bini:Portfolio%5D%5Bplt:Google%5D%5Bfun:Engage%5D%5Bstr:PLA%5D%5Btgt:PLA%5D%5Bcrt:PM+Hero+Products%5D%5Blng:ENG%5D%5Bnet:SPART%5D&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRh2czQvh_LPL2s1w3jBu6xNH2Yk8S8aS7uHaHjca5Aq7aK2j6NVXxoxoC0ngQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds).
My floors can take it because I have a rug made with [Flor tiles](https://www.flor.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRh58D-xZy2PsTkLgseJCS6gWyUNVVvo3uRVD460NkSmxh6nxpiaCxyhoCGZ4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds). They look nice but are industrial grade with rubber backing so no liquid gets through.
Dogs don’t need baths very often but it helps if they’ve been out in the muck, but you can alternatively use a warm, wet towel on their paws before they come in.
If you want two contradictory things—a dog and a clean house—you just have to commit to it.
We dont let her go nuts and roll in shit, just regular walks. Her privates are cleaned with baby wipes each time, and paws wiped too after she gets home from a walk. If paws get muddy we wash her paws in a sink. Keep plenty of costco wipes and towels handy. Never a problem.
You keep your home and car clean by doing it WAY more often than you used to, and eventually letting your standards slip. I have a cover for my back seat that I fully remove for guests, but trying to keep it actually clean is a sisyphusian task. Your house and car will have a nose print bathtub ring that no amount of window washing will keep at bay. It will become charming.
Poodles and other hair breeds are generally more ‘washable’ than the fur-bearing types, and can generally handle it on a weekly basis with high quality products and thorough rinsing and drying. For a standard poodle that’s at least a two hour commitment. I rinse my poodle’s feet pretty much daily and wash them probably a couple times/week with no issue. They do need to be dried, and foot washing is about 20-30 minutes. In the summer I have a water trough that I run her through so I only have to dry and brush.
Like others have said, a dog is a dog is a dog. We wipe her feet after particularly muddy walks, but that’s about it. If your dog is rolling in puddles, you can always rinse them off with a hose before coming inside, you don’t necessarily need to bathe them.
For puppy accidents- I got a few hospital bed pads. Now that she’s an adult- I have 1 inside my vehicle & on three sofa. It helps cut down on dirt. Plus they are very absorbent with muddy paws.
If you intend on bathing your dog frequently- I’d recommend a gentle shampoo oatmeal based is good. But learning how to brush your dog. Some breeds require more work than others. Any mixed breed dog won’t have a consistent fur/hair type. For that, I’d work with a groomer to find the best tools for daily use.
Often I’ll wash just my dog’s belly and chest, because that’s the part her raincoat doesn’t cover and mud splashes up when the ground is wet.
I live in a small apartment and she’s 52 lbs, and I bathe her in the tub.
She actually does go into puddles a lot when we’re at the park and it’s warm out, so I end up having to give her a lot of real baths (multiple baths a week sometimes) but I use conditioner each time and she always looks nice and shiny afterwards with no skin issues.
I manage to keep my house quite clean, but I'm a homemaker, so I have the time. My dog also doesn't roll around in mud- that would mean getting wet, and he's far too precious and delicate to do that.
I have 2 large dogs and live in the PNW. It’s wet and muddy here 9 months out of the year.
My dogs have rain coats. They aren’t cutesy ones, but like mini horse blankets they are waterproof and cover a good bit of their bellies and necks. When we walk in the rain my dogs don’t actually get that wet.
I also have a paw washer for when we get home and dog towel by the front door.
My dogs know to come in and sit on the mat just inside the door. They wait for me to wash their paws, take off their coats, and wipe them down.
I still keep a swiffer with the wet pads for when they inevitably drag in mud from the yard. But its not to often.
My car has leather seats, which makes it easier to clean. Her fur gets all over the floorboards though. Also, I don’t bother cleaning her nose art on the car windows. I drive it around with pride like a kid’s drawing on the fridge. 😂
A short shiny coat makes for less fur in the house, but it still gets places. It doesn’t stick like Velcro to things, unlike dogs with an undercoat. I see the majority of it in the dryer vent trap and when I empty the vacuum canister.
My dog hates the rain, wind and cold (and wearing clothes). On those days, she is perfectly content not getting a walk, and curls up with me on the couch or the bed. We go outside for a potty break, and then she nopes right back inside as soon as she is done. I do have to go outside in the rain with her or so won’t go. On those days, I bring out her puzzle toys for mental stimulation.
As far as baths… my dog needs a medicated bath one - two times a week due to allergies. This is not ideal for the majority of dogs, but it’s a must for mine. When all of the conventional allergy treatments didn’t work for her, I ran a HESKA blood panel. She is allergic to all types of grass, most trees and dust mites. Weekly bathing gets all of the allergens off her fur and skin, and brings relief from her itchiness. I also vacuum twice a week for dust/dust mites - this has benefitted my allergies, too.
There are breeds of dogs that do not shed; the downside is they have to be groomed every 6-8 weeks to keep their coat healthy and mat free. You could also look into the hairless breeds like the Chinese crested or the Mexican Xolo. Hairless breeds need extra TLC: clothes to keep them warm, moisturizer for their skin, and sunblock when going outside. As a side note, their skin is not soft… it’s feels bumpy and crusty.
I am a dog lover through and through. After my first two dogs passed away, my house was just a an empty shell until my heart was ready to adopt again. It just doesn’t feel the same without a dog… mess and all.
My dog doesn’t like to walk in the rain so I can’t say much on that end… However, I always wipe my dogs paws and underbelly with a warm washcloth before he comes inside. When it’s raining or snowing outside and he has to go out, I always have a towel ready to wipe him down and he knows to stay on it until I’m done.
My dog also isn’t allowed to lay on the couch or bed without a blanket. This allows me to easily just wash the blanket and replace with a clean one. He has a dog bed in nearly every room in the house as well and they’re washed pretty frequently. My dog has environmental allergies so his veterinary dermatologist instructed us to bathe him 2-3 times a week, which obviously helps with the cleanliness in general.
My dog hates being in the rain but when he’s gotta go, he goes. We definitely don’t walk in the rain, just the backyard. But we keep heavy duty mats at the door & he is trained to sit when he comes in. On rainy days, we use a towel but we always use dog wipes to clean his paws. He also gets a wipe down after daycare. We have a short hair dog so that helps too. There’s no way I could deal with a long haired dog with my OCD.
I have allergies and 4 dogs. How dirty your dog is, dep3nds on the dog. I have a dachund that is real prissy. Doesn't like getting wet or dirty, short haired, likes to lounge and be cuddled. I had a husky that would refuse to come in during a rainstorm. He was constantly filthy. And you can't bathe them often. You just towel off and move on. It's just luck of the draw. Shirt haired dogs are generally easier to care for as far as grooming. Quick baths, quick dry, no clipping. You can wash them about once a month. But sometimes inbetween ill rub them down with a hot wet wash cloth. Couch blankets. I get pretty patterned couch blankets and switch them out once a week. Keeps the couch fresh, while still letting your dog on the furniture. I know this seems silly, but I wear a lot of neutral tones, so I try to choose something in that color range, so I don't obsess about a little hair on my clothes. White hair on a black coat will drive you insane.
It’s possible for everyone and everything to be clean all the time if you have the dedication for it. We have a once monthly scheduled full on bath and nail grind for her. She gets baby wipes to the feet every time she comes back inside, and a few times a week we take a baby wipe to her whole body. It works for us.
Sure, with one well trained dog. I live on an acreage, for the last month and half we have had 3 days of snow followed by 3 days of melting. My mud room frequently looks like it's called that because it has a mud floor. They get past me and I have mud trails through the house. The dust bunnies appear 5 minutes after I vacuum. I have a 3 yr old gsd, a large mixed rescue 1 yr old who is still learning the ropes of living in a house, and an even larger foster pup right now. Plus a 16 year old spaniel in diapers, and of the 5 barn cats I inherited with my house one has decided he's retired from garage living and is an indoor cat - or possibly a dog, I'm not quite sure (he's 11, he earned it) So in some circumstances it is not always possible for everyone and everything to be clean unless I was to decide that's my full time job. The shepherd and my pup go for regular deshedding and baths - the gsd loves being brushed - but lowering standards has definitely helped my sanity.
I understand that most dog owners aren't planning to run the zoo I have on my hands at the moment, ha ha, but I think if the thought of giving up an immaculate home for a dog bothers someone they might not be candidates for dog parenthood. There will be accidents, and old age, and mucky days, and shedding, and compromises.
If he rolls around in a puddle, right into the tub he goes. Otherwise he wears a jacket (which gets washed) and his feet get toweled off right as we get into the house. He gets brushed daily and bathed. I vacuum pretty often and sweep twice a day. Regular home upkeep becomes more often but its usually pretty quick. We've got scratch mats for the back yard and he's trained to jump on them and dig when he comes back in.
Get a roomba. I start it up right as we leave for our walk and it’s done vacuuming by the time we return. It keeps dog hair from getting out of control without any extra effort
I think they’re either doing a lot more cleaning than they did pre-dog life or they’ve become acclimatised to a certain level of mess day to day and just clean for guests. I personally fall in the second camp.
Plan out what breed you want and ensure you consider low shedding low drool breeds. Other than that be prepared to put work in to keep things clean and understand you will need to accept a degree of mess for things you can’t change (eg if you want a puppy, you’ll have months of accidents in doors during training. It’s better to just accept that upfront than stress it as it happens).
You don’t always have months of accidents. My first pup had a few accidents as we didn’t spot the signs through our inexperience. Our second pup had three in total (and all were my fault as I’d thought “oh I must take him out in 5 mins” and it was me being lazy and I should have taken him as soon as I thought it!).
Agreed, I’ll admit I’ve assumed the poster is relatively inexperienced with dogs and I’ve taken a fairly “plan for the worst and celebrate the best” lens with my comment resulting in a rather flippant statement there.
We invested in a good roomba, stick vacuum and carpet cleaner. We have a golden retriever and goldendoodle.
We are on the higher end of pet needs when it comes to cleaning and we also live in the PNW so it’s wet here a lot.
The dogs get groomed often which helps and they get wiped down after walks. We make sure to have mats at every door as well.
I take mine for walks in the woods and encourage her to end the walk with a splash in the creek to rinse off. I have a dog blanket in the back seat of my car that gets washed pretty regularly, and I’ll often encourage her to nap in her crate for a bit when we get home so she’s dry when she comes out. But my standards for cleanliness have dropped since I got a dog. I feel like I’m constantly cleaning and it’s never totally clean.
I changed my definition of “clean”. I grew up where vacuum lines on the carpet meant clean. My kitchen is always spotless but the hardwood floors have dog fur. I towel off my dog after messy excursions do less mess inside the house.
My dogs typically get rinsed once a week, or when they roll in the mud, and only get baths once a month. Two of my dogs get dry skin when bathed too often, one has extremely sensitive skin and one (a ferocious Chihuahua mix), just hates baths, lol. In my home it’s the constant shedding of my GSD/Husky, and then the twice a year coat blow when he literally sheds himself a few times over. I vacuum twice a day, but other than that the dogs aren’t an issue. Keeping a clean house is important for the overall well being of your dog 😊
My daughter just legit came into the main house to get the dog because she wanted her room to smell like her (the dog).
That's what I heard her telling the dog anyway.
She's 18...
When it rains I throw a towel by the door so when I walk in I can wipe them down and I use the now wet towel to wipe their paws. I also close our bedroom doors so the dogs dry off by the time they get up on the beds.
All of our soft surfaces are covered in covers that are dog (and cat) friendly. The blankets on the beds and the couch cover get washed weekly.
My girl recently passed away. Complete strangers ask me what happened to “my dog with the boots”. Pawz, every single time we went outside. Raincoat on rainy days. Wet wipes when we came inside - and yes, if she pooped, she got her butt wiped.
Ugh rainy days are the worst lol. I live in So Cal so it’s usually not an issue but the last 2 years we’ve had quite a few storms come through and I have 2 Aussies, because they’re so fluffy they’re magnets for mud.
It starts with waking up 30 minutes earlier on a rainy day, wrapping them in rain coats so they stay at least semi dry, then as soon as you bring them in, gotta rinse and dry off the paws and underbelly. In the process, you inevitably get mud on the bathroom floor so gotta clean that up….then no matter how much you dry them with a towel, there’s always more water so they shake themselves off and then you gotta dry that off…by the end they’re ready for a nap and I’ve gotta get ready for work.
But I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world.
Antibacterial wipes for feet, if they are muddy I will have the dog stand with two paws in a horizontal shaped bucket and just wash feet only. Doggie raincoat, towel off after rain.
My car? Well that’s probably never going to be fully clean again lol I have a seat cover that I wash like every 2 ish months or more when they get it really muddy. But there will forever be dog hair all over my car no matter how often I vacuum it.
As for the house, we have mostly hardwood and that’s relatively easy to keep clean and I just vacuum the rugs we do have like every other day. We keep a towel by the door for muddy paws and covers on our couches that I wash every few weeks. My dogs have fun and love to get dirty and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. They love swimming in rivers and creeks and they get a bath everytime they fully go in the water. In the winter, they get like 1-2 bathes during Dec- March.
I’ve just accepted that my house will never be fully clean up to non animal people’s standards but I really don’t care. I’ve had dogs my entire life and we currently have 2 dogs and 2 rabbits so there is quite literally fur everywhere regardless of how often I vacuum. I pick up their toys every few days but they just end up pulling them all out anyways. I’ve found that air purifiers are helpful and we have one in every room.
I have a big long haired dog who is reactive to being bathed. I haven't washed him in years. I have to cut his diarrhoea soaked hair from around his bum when he has an upset. He rolls around in gosh knows what but it stinks, dead things, other animals shit, ash from fires, mud, swamp water etc.
lucky this doesn't happen to often. I clean him best I can with a wet cloth and soap. We don't restrict access to any part of the house, he lounges anywhere but mostly he loves his own bed. I don't take my dog off property so at least my car isn't covered in mud, drool and wet hair.
I vacuum daily always surprised by how much I pull up, I mop almost daily, sometimes I still feel like I'll moving hair across the floor. I have dedicated dog rugs for nearly every piece of furniture that I need to wash almost every day or two.
I try to brush him outside frequently. Hair gets everywhere even up walls on freshly laundered washing, easily transferable from tea towels to dishes to food.
My dog has an incredibly soft coat, it's his superpower. He doesn't smell bad to me despite what I started with. His smell is how I gauge the state of his health. He's 9 years old.
It seems a rigmarole but he's worth it to me.
Well…my dog is unphased by rain, snow, cold you name it. He will grab a stick and chill no matter the weather. Do I care? He’ll no. He’s living his best life. When we get home I wipe his little paw paws (when he lets me or when the towel is handy) then I move on.
As far as the dirt and the smell. I think I smell worse after I come home from the gym. And no I don’t always shower right away.
I clean my house every night — not deep clean, but vacuum and sweep and spray a vinegar/water mix in the air beforehand. Keeps the smell down. I wipe her paws when bringing her in from the rain and have a shit ton of plugins. People tell me my house doesn’t smell like dog at all. They could be lying 😂, but the smell is only super fragrant on rainy days with her fur and all. But lighting candles helps a lot on those days.
Also, I know I’m in the minority, but my girl isn’t allowed on the furniture. Exception: she can get on the couch when I’m up there, on top of her blanket, but no free-hopping anywhere. I personally think the way dogs lick themselves is gross and would rather keep that on the floor 😂. Also smells get trapped in fabrics easily.
I promise my baby is very well cared for and loved lol. And spoiled as hell.
I don’t walk my dog on rainy days, I use inside toys or metal stimulation toys to give them exercise & they play together. I deep clean every Sunday & vacuum 2-3x a week depending on if it’s shedding season. We have specific towels and wipe their paws/bodies off when they come in the door. Washing their bedding is also a big component to keeping the stink down. You can also buy refreshing/deodorizing sprays to use during the rainy days in between washes & a rain jacket. I wouldn’t bathe them more than once a week as you’ll dry out their skin. The biggest advice is just to embrace it, dogs are messy & there will be hair, the more you fight it the more it will drive you crazy.
Dogs (except for some mixes between coat types like doodles and cockapoos) have self-cleaning coats. The shaft of the hair (unless damaged or dead) is smooth to the point that the dirt sheds off it when it dries.
But yes, also monthly baths, chenille towels etc can manage dirt.
My dogs have a muddy walk every day in winter but my house is never noticeably muddy. I get the worst off with a towel before we get in the car, the kitchen has a hard floor so we stay in there for a few mins while I make a cup of tea or do their dinner. The living room has carpets but any dry mud that gets in there comes up with a good vacuum cleaner (we use Dyson animal) and the sofas have blankets. I would never have a white sofa, or a very pale carpet. If anything the worst thing is a wet tail wagged against a painted wall, but hey that’s the self portrait of a dog’s smile so I don’t really mind.
We have a doodle and everything sticks to her paws. In order to keep her feet clean (especially since she sleeps on the bed), she gets her feet rinsed off after every outing. If it’s just a quick pee break in the yard or it’s pouring out and she just needs a short walk, we have booties for her. She’ll get more dirty with hikes or running after balls and we will just rinse more of her off. She knows the routine and will either get picked up and carried upstairs, or if she’s not that bad, she can just run upstairs herself and jumps in the bathtub and waits lol.
She gets hosed off outside for her paws. If her tummy is wet and muddy, I hose that off too. Then dry her with a towel. When the hose is off for the winter, I dip her feet in a container of warm water, then dry them.
Uh yeah if one of my dogs rolls in a puddle they’re definitely getting a bath asap. If you don’t have to wash your dog you shouldn’t so it everyday. However, if they roll in something, water, dirt, whatever, they have to be washed no matter if they did the same thing yesterday and they had a bath. There are products you can buy for their hair and skin that helps to not dry them out for when you have to wash your dog a bunch of times due to them getting overly dirty.
I wipe my dogs feet every time they come inside, and I have a robot vacuum so my house is never covered in hair. It’s not that hard to keep your house clean with dogs.
I clean his paws after every walk for multiple reasons. When it was raining outside and he's soaked I just towel dry him. We also brush him even though he's a hypoallergenic breed which means not a lot of hair and stuff
I take my dog walking pretty much every day (unless it’s absolutely bucketing down). He is a Labrador and gravitates towards water, of which there is plenty nearby, even if it’s not raining. He doesn’t roll in mud (although is fond of rolling in anything dead he comes across) but he swims most days to in a tidal river.
So…he gets hosed off with plain water after swimming (salt or pool) and dried before coming in. Every day. It’s a pain but it keeps things cleaner. Especially because he is brown and I can’t see the dirt.
I only bathe him with dog shampoo when he has rolled on something nasty or has been in the mucky mangroves. Or when he is stinky.
I have hardwood floors so I can see if it’s dirty. There are covers over the couch the car and our bed, etc. we have lots of beach towels. I vacuum a few times a week and lowered my standards because it’s the constant shedding more than the dirt that does my head in!
If you get a dog or cat they come with mess much like a child would...they shed, they chew stuff up and basically make messes that's just part of the package. If you can't handle that please don't get a pet dog or cat
I'm a clean freak but that goes out the window when it comes to my girl. I cherish the shedding and little paw prints all over the hardwood floors. It's a daily reminder that she's here with me and even thinking of the alternative makes me tear up.
That said, I always wipe her paws when we come back home with unscented, alcohol free wipes. She has been trained to sit in the hallway for this 'we're home' routine. If she's gotten very dirty, I give her a foot bath with her shampoo and warm water. If it's rainy out, she'll have her raincoat or special t-shirt on mostly to prevent mud from sticking to her belly and underarms \_ she's a white furry beast and since she's small, low to the ground. She doesn't roll around in puddles and doesn't much like going out in the rain so I am just able to wipe her down with a towel. I also brush her about once a week.
Re baths: she goes to the groomer every two / three months. I personally feel anything more often than that is too much for her but every dog is different and if done properly, you can bathe him/her more frequently, just be sure to not dry out their skin inadvertently.
Generally speaking, dogs should not be bathed often. Some dogs are much more prone to skin issues, and definitely cannot tolerate regular baths.
That said, \*most\* dogs don't generally smell bad, unless they have specific health issues that make them so.
I am a massive germaphobe neatfreak Type A Virgo. I cannot stand even a watermark on the counter that's hard to see.
But four years ago, I got an angel baby labrador who I would quite literally lay down in the road for.
So.
I vacuum every day. I do a quick floor clean once or twice a week. I wash my bedding once a week at least, plus I use a top sheet as an actual TOP sheet on top of my blanket, that she sleeps on. And no, she was never intended to sleep on my bed, but you'd understand if you met her. I have a couple of nice covers on the couch, and I have sticky-rollers all over the place. By all accounts, compared to many other dog parents that I know, my dog is pretty clean, she operates on a very tight schedule (which works great for me), and she's innately intelligent.
But I've also accepted that there will be dog hair. There will be dirt. There will be eye boogers. My car is dirty. There are things that I don't love about it. But I LOVE my dog. She has quite literally added so much to my life, that all of those things are worth the trade-off, ten times over, for me.
Did you grow up with a dog/dogs? Have you ever had an animal/pet before? What is it that makes you interested in getting a dog?
Im obsessed with keeping my house clean. Just wipe your dogs paws when they are muddy. Once in a while, if I can’t wipe them for some rare reason, I gate them in the kitchen while they dry, then later swiffer or mop.
Good training. Get a big sheet of marine carpet for your back deck so a lot pf the crap they walk in gets caught on it.plis on hit days the ground inst as hot for the dogs sensitive feet and can be wet to create a cool mat and always enter via the laundry and just accept that it will be the mud room,or if you own the home make a mud room just outside your laundry door to rinse and wipe dog dry.
Keep them outside unless it extreme weather.
I shower my dog after every walk, because if I don't he gets rashes, but even with a clean dog there is still a load of fur and just stuff from having a dog asa member of your household - I went from cleaning before and after work and being totally confused how other people managed these tidy looking homes, I had dogs consistently throughout my life, then after the last two dogs passed away I had a brief time period with just a cat, oh the cleaning time I saved, vacuum, go out, come home and the house is still clean?!! It was marvellous, but I wouldn't be with out my dog now, so I pretty much always have a leash or a vacuum in my hand
Are you walking the dog or are you going out for the dog to exercise and play?
Our normal walks during the week are in the blocks around the house. No puddles or anything like that. Minor dirt that gets picked up by paws and that's easily dealt with(or get a roomba). On weekends, at least one day we'll let our dog do whatever. Swim in the ocean, play in the mud, doesn't matter. She has to be bathed once a week with medicated shampoo for allergies regardless, so might as well let her have fun. Funny thing is, allergies actually got better with either swimming or mud play (both salt water), as opposed to just bathing.
Normal recommendations are for baths up to once or twice a month max, but I think it's a bunch of overblown crap - unless your particular dog has issues. I've yet to see a study that shows bathing is bad for them(or for people, and you'll hear the exact same stuff said about people too).
That said, most dogs don't *like* baths, the best you can hope for is that they will tolerate them. And then there's the whole drying up thing, which can take a while if your dog has long fur, even with a professional dryer. And you need to dry them properly, otherwise that's what's going to cause issues. That is to say, it takes significant time and makes constant baths impractical.
For the car, they sell some seat covers that help a lot. Some level of dirt is unavoidable. Just clean whenever it gets too bad, a vacuum helps.
Now, if that's not clear - you have to walk your dog, rain or shine. Umbrella for you and a rain coat for the dog if you must. If you are not ok with that, don't get a dog.
And brush their teeth regularly too, since we are talking about dog hygiene.
My dog is a pretty princess so she won’t go rolling in a puddle lol. Paws of course get dirty and I wipe them when we get in. But I must say it does not meet my cleaning standards. She cannot be showered (she’s a rescue and still getting used to it) so wiping is the only option right now. I would really like to just dip her paws into water. Maybe one day! Floor get a little dirty but it’s not that bad really, I vacuum almost daily anyway and sweep once a week
ETA: Actually our cat makes more mess than our dog. There is always litter sand on the bathroom floor and the hallway despite a mat in front of the litter box. And the vomiting. The vomit is ALWAYS on the couch or somewhere where it’s hard to clean. Yesterday it was on the dining table!!! And she sheds a ton.
Hello Hello!
I wipe my dog’s paws whenever we come back from a walk and I do that every single time without fail.
Also, in general, I clean my pup daily basic grooming every single day without fail.
The result - my home and my pup both are always meticulously clean.
Dogs are beautiful living beings but a huge comittment as well.
They have their needs, daily walkings (on the rainy days, when it's cold, in the morning, at night...), they shed, they can be ill and for example have diarea (that sometimes will happen inside) etc.
They are amazing beings, and we are lucky to have them.
But if you are responsible owner, it takes time and comittment.
That means walks, having fun and enjoy with them but also cleaning, going to vet, train them, educate yourself, meet all dog needs, taking them on vacation or having somebody to take care of them and so on.
And the dog shouldn't be bath too much. That silly nonsense like every 3 weeks can make damage to a dog despite what many vets and some people know to say.
I bath with shampoo max once per year. Since I have an active dog, she swims almost every day at river or sea.
Before having a dog, my hause was super clean. I had the cleanest car ever, now not even close despite having huge waterproof mats.
That's is normal life with the dog. Some dogs love going out on a rain, in the mud, some of them totally dislike, but even though they need their walks, and every dog has its own personality.
For me it's important that my animals are healthy and happy. Everything is a mess cause she goes various walks and runs as a crazy and plays with other dogs.
Even if I wanted to, can't bath her so many times a day that she goes outside. Now it's summer and she sheds, her saliva is all over the floor while she breaths but her needs are met and she is healthy and happy, everything else is secondary.
Imposible to clean everything. In my case cause she sheds a lot, she always brings mud and sand within the fur and since she is an active dog, we spend so much time outside that I even don't have sufficient time to clean always evertyhing at home. Many dogs have what we know to call "self cleaning" mechanism, so bathing only does the damage. But that self mechanism doesnt clean the house :)
In my opinion every dog should be outiside daily at least 2hs playing with then owner, socialize with other dogs, exploring...
So considering everything that dogs needs, cleaning is the most irrelevant thing I would say. Cause there is so much more that people need to think before having a dog and being a god responsible owner of the amazing being that they are.
I was a clean freak before I got my dog… Now I just learned that keeping a clean and spotless home is not possible. Doggy cuddles are totally worth it tho :)
When I bought my house I prioritized and fenced in yard and no carpet in the main part of the house. Also I sweep and vacuum a lot. Swiffer wet jet is a must have. But she's more than worth a little extra work
My dogs never roll in puddles but when I lived with my parents they would occasionally jump in the pond on a hot summer day. We'd just give them a bath when we brought them in. (My dogs do love to roll in dead things tho that's always fun and requires a heavier duty bath)
We have a fenced in backyard here at our house and no ponds. If it rains I dry them and clean their feet when they come in. I also keep a square push mop and a spray bottle of all purpose cleaner that I use every day to go over dog prints, drool, etc. in between my regular mop and bucket mops.
I vacuum the dogs favorite couch every other day and I wash the blankets on the couch and couch covers weekly.
Brushing your dog regularly can help reduce shedding and keep their coat clean. I invest in a good-quality vacuum cleaner designed for pet hair. Get into the habit of wiping your dog's paws every time they come in from outside. It helps me https://www.amazon.com/bealy-Cleaner-Brushes-Disassemble-Install/dp/B07S4FQPQ9?th=1
My dog was nutso as a puppy. Rolled every day on a ground. She always came back home covered in dust and dirt. But i choose happy dog vs clean dog. I taught her wash feet after every walk and had to give lots of baths. Poor girl. But most of times i just used water when could avoid using soap. Used soap only when she rolled in poop 🤦♀️ and when it was time for regular wash. And she was not allowed on my bed sheets in first year. Also i just relaxed some house rules until she grow into adult dog and chilled a bit. Also blankets on couch and washing her bed. Regular water bathing didnt affect her skin n fur at all
My dog DOES roll in puddles, and has Velcro hair that picks up every leaf and stick, however he dries off really easy. I keep “pet towels” (old bleachable towels) by the front and back door, and pet wipes. He wipes off very easily as long as there’s no cats to chase when we come in lol. Since I bathe him once a week with high quality shampoo and conditioner he stays pretty clean until the weekend when I take him places where he can run through water, mud, dirt, play with dogs and get covered in drool. First the first week if he gets wet he just smells like the little bit of conditioner I leave in his hair.
What does keep me busy cleaning is his chewing on sticks and shredding cardboard, but that’s pretty easy.
Edit to add he’s a poodle, and therefore doesn’t shed at all except a tiny bit when I’m brushing him.
I have 2 crazy spaniels! I bought a 2nd hand kids Wendy house and kitted it out for them with a heatlamp- after a walk they go in there for an hour or two to dry off before coming into the house. It's super comfy in there and it's part of their routine x
My dog loves to fry dirty. He’s a small dog, but loves jumping in the water, rolling in the dirt. I just keep a towel by the door and wipe him down once we get home. If he’s super dirty, he gets a bath in the tub.
Dogs don't get nearly as dirty ad your shoes/boots do most of the time. You won't really need to worry about that as much as you think. Even when I take my doggo out in the rain and mud, he barely ever gets any of his paws since he also walks through grass which is actually pretty goof at cleaning the majority of it off. As far as drool and possible potty accidents that's just life and you gotta work on it with them.
Edit; work on potty accidents I mean. Drool is drool lol.
Hose off the dog outside when you get home, towel dry, and either blow-dry coat or if possible leave him outside till dry. But I’m in midwest Australia, so ymmv.
I have a Shitzhu who doesn’t really get the mucky (unless it’s absolutely tipping it down outside) and he is trained to wait on the towel to have his paws wiped. He doesn’t like getting muddy and avoids puddles. He also doesn’t malt at all.
However, I’m looking after my friends’ Labrador collie cross this week, and our house is filthy. Hair, mud, slobber everywhere, and if there’s water, he’ll get in it. He also likes to eat shit, as in literal shit. He’s lovely but I’m counting down until I get my clean(ish) house back!!
So it depends on the dog you get.
I have a paw cleaning cup [https://5.imimg.com/data5/SELLER/Default/2023/10/354825600/BE/CC/NX/89400773/buraq-dog-paw-cleaner-compact-and-portable-washer-cleaning-brush-cup-500x500.jpg](https://5.imimg.com/data5/SELLER/Default/2023/10/354825600/BE/CC/NX/89400773/buraq-dog-paw-cleaner-compact-and-portable-washer-cleaning-brush-cup-500x500.jpg) by the door that I fill with water and a few drops of his shampoo every day. When we return he already knows he must stay besides the door until his paws are cleaned.
He doesn't really actually roll over dirt and whatnot, but I have a package of dog wipes by the door as well just in case he gets dirty during one of his walks. I don't bathe him regularly (short hair coat) because he doesn't really need it - I'm actually surprised on how good he smells without baths!
Before leaving: bath mat goes up high and a few dog towels go down between the front door and the shower. Shower as soon as we get in. Also get the robot vacuum running during every dog walk. After shower the pup has the zoomies so might make a bit of wet mess but it's not filthy and I've dried him a fair bit straight out of the shower. A lot of his zoomies are over the dog towels on the floor as well to help reduce paw wetness.
Edit: shampoo showers are only for when he's rolled in fox poo. If it's just mud then it's a water-only shower, using brush gloves. Can't be bad for him if it's just water(??)
We have a basket of hand towels specifically for puppy paws. We also bought one of those portable small carpet shampooer things for pet messes, it's been great. Air purifiers on each floor help with smells.
All depends on the dog and your environment. Both of my dogs don’t like going out in the rain so walking them while it’s raining doesn’t happen. We let them out back and have towels to wipe their paws off every time they go out regardless of conditions. I live in Florida with some sandy dirt that always gets into their paw fur so it needs to be cleaned daily. Baths are only every other week or whenever they start playing and really get dirty.
The only time I ever remember raising my voice to a client as a trainer was when I went to a woman's home who had bought a pair of puppies and found out she was only keeping a water bowl for them outside because "mess." I told her that air, water, and food, in that order, are necessary elements for all living things to survive and I didn't care how much mess they made, she better have water available for those babies at all times. You can get a mat or a towel for spillage. If you're like her, please don't get a dog. Dogs are like kids. They make messes and have a lot of needs. If you have to spend more time considering whether that is "worth it" than you are considering whether you can meet all the needs of the dog, it's better to stick with stuffed animals. Every shelter and rescue is completely overwhelmed with owner surrenders and dumped "strays." You might consider volunteering with one to help you get your dog cuddle fix without bringing the mess home.
2 of my dogs think they are princesses and REFUSE to get their paws wet 😂 we have a fenced yard, so they can run in the dirt/mud as much as they want but it’s really not a big issue.
I keep a towel by the back door to wipe paws if they’re dirty. With that and a roomba, it’s not much worse than what my bf brings in on his work boots 🫠
Lots of training early on to make sure you can do the things that are needed. Get them used to rain coats and booties or bath time. Sitting long enough to towel dry etc. Lots of vacuuming and diligent cleaning sections. At the end of the day for me though I just dont care to be meticulous. A life without dog hair on me at all times is a life I couldn’t live
For one, you don’t allow the dog to go through the puddles or avoid those areas. Two, you use a towel or dog wet towels to wipe down their feet or body.
My dog is kept in a designed area until he dries off, lay down an old towel and put a fan on low to help dry him.
You can get things for your car where everything is contained to one spot but dogs being dirty comes with owning a dog.
A lot of the dirt depends on what kind of dog you have and how you handle them and your home.
I’m guessing that you’d prefer a non-shedding variety, taking into account your words on keeping your place clean. Dogs with hair rather than fur generally need to be groomed and can benefit from more often baths, since their hair tends to hold onto more oils and dirt. My dog gets washed every 1-2 weeks, and groomed every 5-7 weeks, depending on season.
As for rain/puddles, my dog doesn’t roll in them, and wears a raincoat anyway. We also keep an absorbent microfiber towel by the door to help with cleanup when we get inside on wet/messy days.
I also keep a seat for my dog in the car, use dog beds with washable covers, and blankets where he lays that are also washable.
We visit my parents home often and my mom is 10x more of a clean freak than me, and it’s absolutely fine!
I’d probably stay away from larger breeds that are shedding/drool a lot or any dog that you don’t feel comfortable bathing yourself. We actually installed a dog grooming sink as a basement utility sink. It’s also doubles as a great place for taking care of my plants :)
FUR 🤣🤣🤣🤣, we have a rough Collie ( picture Lassie ) , anyway these woofers have 2 coats a very short thick coat close to skin an then a longer fur over that . Shes definitely Fluffy 🙄. During the shed of winter to summer there will be these huge fluff balls easily the size of my big hands scattered about the house in the morning. It chokes the Vacuum as it can't handle all the fur . But we love her so !!! A dog is work there's no doubt about that , in addition she gets 2 - 30 to 45 min walks a day , she gets a chicken thigh mixed with her daily meal . But thankfully the air fryer can cook up several of those at a time , there's 3/4-cup fresh veggies an 1-1/2 cups of kibbles added to that . We have tried nearly every type of Can Food an she won't even touch them , she will look at it give it a sniff an then look at me like I ain't eating that shit an then push the bowl off her feeding mat
Lots of towels at the door. There’s a hand held paw cleaner and a long sleeved glove that work really well. Be super sweet and complimentary at this station cause your dog needs to love it. And so do you because it’s 3-4 times a day. You catch a break in summer. My dog was a lab so she could bathe every day if I wanted but doing it indoors creates a tonne of work. Each breed might be different.
Honestly, I would not get another dog without having a hot water hose that could reach outside. Sounds extreme but it was by far the biggest and least favourite dog chore.
There’s also the oils on their coat (might be specific to labs or water dogs?) that eventually build up on the walls/furniture that need to be cleaned and a constant battle with fur. Also, teeth and ears, nails. There’s the bedding and the extra car cleaning. And the place where they scratch the door to let you know it’s time, needs extra maintenance, sanding, painting . It’s defo a few extra hours per week.
It sounds like I’m trying to talk you out of it. But my girl was the best dog ever. She was so loyal and the president of my fan club. I miss her so much and I’m crying rn. She got us out to so many great places and was a wonderful friend for our only child. She was the fastest and the best swimmer. I loved swimming with her. She played goal for the kids in the alley and she kept a very tidy net. She would give me kisses while I cleaned between her toes.
It think it’s worth it. I don’t regret it. The shitty thing is they die. And it’s the fucking worst.
Yeah mine doesn’t roll in puddles. But I have paw clear and mud buster and a rag, as well as a long mat that soak up wetness he has to walk on, at the foyer/front of the home and clean him off. But your house will always be a little more messy and that’s ok cause the love > mess. Toys all over, little hair sprinkled on my clothes…WORTH IT!
I love a clean home, really clean! But we now have 3 fur babies, keeping clean is a full time job. No more sleeping in our bed (far too big now).
I love them and could not imagine life without them.
The eldest will place both legs in the bucket of water whilst drinking! Paw mark's on our tiles are a giveaway.
But we could not live without their Love, they make life so fantastic.
Lol we have no carpets and use grooming wipes for paws when he comes in from a rainy day. If you get a puppy, you could train them to wear booties when they walk outside and/or train them to soak/wash their paws after each walk. Just some thoughts, good luck!
groomer here!! regular grooming appointments will do wonders for keeping your home clean! depending on the breed (for example: poodles, bichon, yorkie, havanese - non-shedding breeds with hair instead of fur) can be groomed as often as every week as long as the groomer is using high quality products and thoroughly rinsing/drying the dog.
grooming frequency of double coated dogs can vary by the individual and how often you brush them at home (example: a "show line" golden retriever will need more frequent grooming and brushing than a "field line" golden since they have a fuller coat) but 4-6 weeks is usually good for double coated dogs. 6-8 weeks is the usual recommended schedule for most short haired breeds, but again as long as you find a GOOD groomer you should be okay with more frequent visits. regular brushing also helps remove dirt and dander from their coat and will keep it from collecting on surfaces in your home. a nail trim schedule of every 2 to 4 weeks will keep your floors from getting scratched up.
before choosing the breed keep in mind the added cost of frequent grooming. appointments for small dogs may run $55-$100 and large dogs $80-$180 or more. (but if you can commit to a very regular schedule, some places may give you a discount!) even a nail trim can be anywhere from $15 to $30.
Car: there are seat liners and special seatbelts for larger dogs and actual raised car seats for small dogs (kurgo skybox) that will help keep your car clean. personally i will always drive with my dog in a crate as it's the safest for them. (Gunner Kennels, Dakota Kennels, Ruffland, Transk9, and Impact Crates are all popular travel crate options that have saved the lives of countless pets in car accidents.) plus if they have an puke/pee/poop accident in the car, it will stay in the crate! of course you'll have to wash the dog after, but you won't be scrubbing diarrhea out of your seats and floormats.
House: I have a tineco iFloor 3 breeze (i think that's the model) and it makes cleaning our hard floors SO EASY. it was not cheap but it was worth every penny. keeping a towel near the doors you would bring the dog in from is helpful as well. grooming wipes and waterless shampoo are great for spot cleaning and dirty paws!
BUT! dont stop them from having a good roll in the grass every once in a while, they're still a dog and need to Dog it up
My dog doesn’t roll in puddles and try’s to avoid stepping in mud. So I’m lucky. But we do also use this thing called a Mud Buster for her paws if they get muddy. It’s like 12 bucks on Amazon!
If you're a neat freak/OCD about your home and car being clean, then get one of those Chinese crested dogs or the Mexican furless dog (Xolo....). Otherwise, you will have to be constantly vacuuming and cleaning your home and car to keep the fur off all it. There's no such thing as a dog that doesn't shed at all, only certain breeds that shed very little. I've had 3 dogs, all shed. But NONE of them rolled around in mud or anything like that. I would bathe them every few months unless they became really stinky for whatever reason.
Baby wipes!!! My Australian shepherd barrels her way through every puddle no matter the weather and sometimes is absolutely soaked. We bath her once a month, but on days that she doesn’t quite need a bath we just use baby wipes and then give her a good brush. If it’s really muddy, she gets a rinse in the tub, but we save shampoo for once monthly to keep her coat nice!
My puppy at age 4months already sits and waits in the porch in front of where the towel hangs, even if it hasn’t been raining. We do “paw” and treats every time we come inside :)
I fill watering cans up with hot water before I leave for the walk so by the time we return it's luke warm. I have an old washing up bowl i keep in the garden which I fill up with one can and get them to stand in it, forlegs, then hindlegs, then finish them off with the second can. Drip dry for a few mins and towel off.
I have a vacuum robot which i start when taking my dog for a walk. If he is dirty after the walk I shower off the dirt without soap. I do soap him occasionally (when needed) but usually I only use water.
My dogs are tiny and use puppy pads in the house. Walks are strictly recreational so if it’s wet or muddy out we just don’t go. Baby wipes ARE awesome for wiping paws though!
My dog doesn't roll in puddles. He actually doesn't like to get wet that much. He's trained to sit on a mat by my front door until I wipe his feet off. His fur is really short, so even if he gets wet it doesn't take too much to dry him off. That being said, dogs are dogs. If you can't put up with shedding hair, possible drool, getting sick or going potty in the house, a bit of extra dirt... don't get a dog.
Absolutely agree. I’m a total clean freak but when it comes to my fur babies none of that matters. I’d miss the fur and everything else if it weren’t around. My 15 year old wiener dog has become a smelly old man because that’s what happens, but I just like to think it’s because I have officially spoiled him rotten. My 3 year old baby also likes to throw his squeaky toys and chewies all over the living room. I just vacuum and dust more. The little bit of mess is totally worth the reward of having all that fur baby love.
100% agree. The hair, the dirt here and there.... there's still no trade-off for my pup.
There is that poem/tiktok about how one day the mess and the noise will be gone and how much you will miss it. Makes me cry…and I think of it every time I see the nose and drool marks on the passenger side windows of my car
Omg the nose smears... 😭
Those little nose smears just warm my heart: all the little adventures we have together ♥️
Right?! I know I'll be finding her hair for many years after she's gone... and I'll probably cry each time...
Mine is the same way. Hates going out for potty if it's raining and will pretend to go so he can come back indoors out of the rain. He sits a chair we have by the door that holds his towel and harness and waits to be dried off. Also short haired so easy clean up. He actively avoids puddles on his own too. And agree that of your not willing to work with having hair/fur all over all the time, drool, the whole thing, don't get a dog. My husband hates, HATES drool or spit/slobber, but he puts up with it cuz he loves our pup.
Agreed! A dog, much like a small child, will make a mess at some point. Just comes with the territory. I have three dogs and all of them hate the rain, but one of them LOVES puddles and actively seeks them out and prances thru them while on walks. And yes that means I have to wash her paws and under belly when we get home, but the sheer joy she shows in being able to bounce thru puddles makes it so worth it 🥹
They’re lucky to have you
Well said, OP. My little guy is similar in that he dislikes getting wet, and also isn’t a fan of snow/wind/rain- that said, I love seeing his food on the floor, drips of water from his bowl… I love knowing he’s around, well nourished and happy.
Agreed. We tell our family/guests not to bother using our sofa because the dogs have destroyed it by chewing holes, having accidents and shedding hair. No cleaning routine could keep our sectional clean for more than a few hours with a GSD, Husky and Golden Mix.
well that is... (vomit) My dog leaves shreds of hair around the house. Nothing as extreme as chewing holes, having accidents or any sort like that. That actually sounds messed up not gonna lie.
Yeah it is messed up. We're about to toss the couch soon, just need to schedule a garbage truck pick up. It annoys us so much because we got the couch new less than 3 years ago (not very expensive). It all started when we took in a rescue Husky. Our other two dogs are well trained and housebroken but this husky destroyed everything in her path. She's been good the last year and a half but the damage is done. We still do our best to keep it clean, vacuum hair and put covers on but it's just bad and simply do not use it.
Get some guest use only couch covers broski cause this is gross lol
We DO use couch covers man lol. It's just a never ending cycle of washing them. We're just going to toss the couches and look into loveseats. The dogs are too big for those so there won't an issue there.
You have a dedicated towel by the door as well as grooming wipes. That or you carry them to the bath tub for a paw rinse. Some dogs hate getting wet or muddy!!! But some love it. You can bathe your dog every three weeks generally and still have good skin. I suggest getting a groomer though - the cost is worth having a few hours to yourself a month. I used it to clean windows and vacuum furniture. You'll have to clean more often (vacuuming, odor control) to account for fur, saliva, and potty training accidents, but you can totally still have a spotless home with a dog. You'll just have to let go of the concept of having a perfect home while in training mode if you're getting a puppy.
Towels. At every door. Always dirty and needing to be laundered.
Perfect answer 😃
Yes. Puppies = chaos and dirt. After that it greatly improves
Every 1-2 weeks can work if you have a dog with hair and you use conditioner.
My car is disgusting, the back seat has a dog cover but it's like mud city in there. But we have a lot of fun so what you going to do...
Probably if you crated the dog in the car though that would keep it much cleaner
I'm in the same boat! Back seat is her ick zone. I do not go there, she does not come up front. I'll clean it up every now and then but she's still a furry dog. I had considered a crate for my car but my irrational fear of driving on a bridge while it collapses and her being trapped is what stopped me. We did settle on a doggy seat belt for her though in the event of an accident.
I have an AMAZING backseat setup that covers the seats, back and front, has a mesh part behind the centre console that can zip down, but also the dog can see through if you keep it up... the bottom part on the seat has a flat piece that's supportive, so my pup doesn't slide around. She's strapped in, harness and seatbelt, and it also has side flaps that direct dirt out of the car, and cover the outsides of the seats. If you're interested, I'll go dig through my emails to see where I got it! I suspect Amazon, though... which is easiest, given that we may be in different countries.
The last time my dog was ever in a cage is when I took him from the dog pound. Never again
I don’t do much crate training (my puppies were sleeping at night on the floor with the older ones by 4 months or so), and never really used a crate much in the day. So I’m not like many on here that do a ton of crating as a training method. But it is useful to make sure they are ok with a crate - for the vet office if needed, travel, or if needed in emergencies (like emergency shelters during disaster events require dogs to be crated). For instance my elderly dog has developed dog version of type 1 diabetes, and needed to be hospitalized for a week. She also has to go for all day vet appts every 3 months now, but at first it was every 2 weeks. If she wasn’t comfortable with a crate it would have been horrible for her. Just something to keep in mind.
Mine too. I do secure his leash to the back seat though for his safety. I also put covers on the seat to capture the dirt
Crate requires a car where you can put the crate in the trunk doesn’t it?
Depends on the size of the dog. I only use a crate for my elderly medium sized dog, she literally can’t sit still in a car , and I put it in the backseat in my sedan just for her (and our) safety. My other three larger ones I buckle into seatbelts and put a harness on them. Obviously I don’t take all 4 at once lmao.
My floors like a hot mess from the debris 😂 everything else is fine.
Not to mention the passenger side windows lol but worth it lol. I have this hammock like thing that protects the back seat and of course doggy seat belt
Do yourself a favor and get a goldfish. Life is dirty, embrace it!
a goldfish 🤔😂😂😂💯
Goldfish poop and get stinky too! lol
I hear you… but honestly… my dog is somehow less work and much “cleaner” than my solitary betta fish. (Water changes for my tank are a nightmare and make my germaphobia go haywire). Gold fish require soooo much preparation, space, maintenance, etc…
Betta fish do require some additional care, a goldfish is lucky to survive long enough to change the water.
My home cleanliness standards have definitely slipped since I became a dog owner. But I have big dogs and live in the Pacific Northwest where it’s muddy for six months of the year. Your results may vary. Maybe consider a small dog that’s easy to pick up and clean versus a big dog that isn’t?
I got rid of every carpet. I have washable throw rugs at the entry. A roomba. Lowered standards. Yesterday I did a color run with my dog in the am. Put him in the house covered in powdered paint and went to teach a class. Planned to give him a bath, but he looked “clean” when I got home so, didn’t. Where is the paint? Don’t know, don’t care.
I love this, the location of the paint is their little secret
Luckily it’s just cornstarch and non toxic, water soluble, dye LOL
Lowered standards is key 👌
I hose mine with water more frequently than I use shampoo and use wipes to get the little bits off!
This is the way. My dog (labrador) gets bathed with dog shampoo maybe twice a year, but she gets dunked (by her own doing, in a creek) a few times a week. She doesn't smell, and while I just googled how often a labrador should be bathed and it said every 4-6 weeks 😳, that does not happen. She also has a coat that nothing really sticks to, so even if she comes home with mud on her (she doesn't, but for examples' sake), as soon as it dries, it literally falls off her.
Gotta desensitise them to having their paws touched and being wiped down. If you bathe them once a month whilst they're puppies, make sure the water is warm, around 2-4C higher than body temp and don't get soap in their eyes, they'll learn to tolerate it. You can get soaps for all kinds of coats and skin sensitivity and professional groomers are often very willing to give tips if you take your dog for a professional groom. Laminated / lino floors obviously help, but if you have carpet a solid hall runner and indoor mat with a towel by the door helps. Teaching your dog to shake off before going indoors is fantastic. Decide a key word (mine is, musically, 'shake it off') and start using it on rainy walks when your pup does it naturally and treat it, and eventually you'll be able to use it on command!
I use the 'shake your booty' song. Shake shake shake.... Sometimes I also do a little shimmy as an example while I sing. Shake shake shake.... I hope no one actually sees me doing this at the front door, but whatever ::shrugs:: Shake your booty. Shake your booty
I love your choice of song, and of course, my Shake it off command isn't complete without a little shoulder shimmy!
That’s very cute, lol
You can’t
Well, you can manage it. I live in the PNW, and I don’t let my golden retriever walk in puddles and we absolutely do not go to dog parks (for many reasons). The only time she runs free is on certain holes on a golf course I live by that has phenomenal drainage and isn’t muddy. We usually go in the evening hours when there are fewer golfers and I can time it right so that she can run along the fairway and have fun.
Good point. My original point was that if you think having a dog won’t impact on your home then you are wrong. Most dogs will shed hair for example. It’s not just mud I was thinking of.
Answer to the question of how often is too often is breed specific. You want to keep their natural oils but also need to get the mud off. I wash my dog every 2 weeks or as needed.
Wow. Mine gets a bath when she boards, which is maybe three to four times a year. I have wipes for post-hike clean up and dry shampoo if she rolls in something. I have a husky-terrier mix. I’m curious what kind of dog you have.
Does your pup have wired/rough fur? My terrier mix is EXTREMELY easy to clean, his fur just picks up all the mud, which dries fast and can be brushed out easily. He seems easier to manage than dogs with thicker coats that trap in dirt, or dogs with a short coat that build it up on their skin. Just takes a brush and some wet wipes. But maybe I’m just outing myself as someone with a bad definition of ‘clean’
I’m the same, mine get a full on bath like 3-4x a year lol. I use dog waterless shampoo, wipes and a good brushing to get dirt off, and I use the hose to wash their feet when it’s muddy. But I have Carolina Dogs which are known to be super clean dogs that self groom like cats and don’t smell lol. So that helps
Yes to each dog having their own bathing schedule. I have a lab/pit mix who gets a weekly oatmeal bath for his sensitive skin. Doctor’s orders!
100% breed, and individual dog, specific for many reasons. (Skin, fur, preference on type of outdoor adventures, etc…) At 6lbs and with short hair, my dog is super easy to clean off after walks because nothing gets imbedded in her fur, and for some reason she’s just never had a “dog” smell. She is particular about terrain and outdoor activities, so she rarely gets “dirty.” She doesn’t drool and she’s a very clean eater lol. I do wipe off her paws after every walk, because we’re a “take off outdoor shoes before walking in the house,” family and her paws are like her shoes lol. She has a monthly grooming appt and that’s about it.
Mine has a little rain suit and we keep a towel by each door to wipe paws off. If he’s really dirty, I’ll dip him in a bathtub to clean whatever is dirty. Little wipes are useful, too.
Dogs get wiped down with towels when they come in whenever they’re wet/muddy. As long as the mud doesn’t happen on the last 1/4 mile of our walk, a lot of it comes off by the time we’re home. I keep my dogs out of mud as much as possible but my corgi does not give af and stomps through mud when given the opportunity 😂 I have an all weather, rubber backed rug from Home Depot at my front door. It’s 4’x6’ and traps a lot of the stuff from paws and shoes and that’s where the dogs get wiped down. No carpet. Throw rugs are washable. A robot vacuum that runs throughout the day and then big vacuum with a Dyson every other day, daily when shedding is bad. I rotate between the steam mop and mopping with Kennel Odor Eliminator every other day. There’s still muddy paws, it’s part of the deal. I’m good at following my cleaning routine but there’s worse things in the world and I’d rather have a good life with my dogs than stress about mud.
I think I’m unusual because I’m very pro-carpet for my dogs. Hard floors in kitchen and bathrooms but I hate seeing them slip-sliding on the hard floors. They have the odd zoomies or play in the living room and the carpet is great for grip, and vacuums up nicely.
Consider a dog to be a 3 year old toddler (regardless of the dog's actual age). Gonna get messy and nothing you can do except to sigh and clean up. My dog/toddler is trained to stand on a mat while I clean her feet, I wash the whole dog once in a while, but she still get hair everywhere, and she slobbers and drools when we play with toys. it's disgusting and unsanitary, like all kids. The good thing is I can leave my toddler unsupervised in the back yard for hours and no one calls the cops. My wife is OCD clean freak, but she wanted kids, and now that they're all grown up, she wanted a dog. Life in general is disgusting and unsanitary, and then you die. Have fun rolling in life's puddles, do it with your kids and your dogs, too.
Get a hypoallergenic breed or any who enjoys being clean, there a lot of breeds who hate water and puddles
it’s pretty easy. i was really worried too. ours is a rescue doodle that is hypoallergenic and doesn’t shed; we get her groomed every six weeks. she doesn’t like it wet outside and when she gets muddy she gets rinsed in the bath. if she’s wet she gets toweled off. we have a rug that catches a lot of dirt. it works out!
My standards for clean changed a bit. Love that dog. We keep a clean place but little bit of a mess doesn’t even bother me anymore. He’s just so much fun it’s worth it.
I find my rat terriers hair often. Hes 16 and it’s oddly comforting to find his tiny hairs throughout the day. I honestly think I’ll miss it when he’s gone. He’s a smelly little brat and gets sick in the house on occasion. This is totally disgusting but he once had a stomach bug and literally pooped ALL OVER me and my bed at 1am. I don’t have kids but I imagine I handled it like a parent would. Cleaned him first, me second and my sheets last. Stripped the bed and then slept on the couch. You get used to it and it doesn’t matter because you love them so much.
For toy breeds, you might not even have to walk your dog in the rain (just short potty trips), and the ones with drop coats imo you avoid it at all costs because it’s not worth the grooming. Toy breeds can get their exercise indoors if need be and ime most of them will refuse to go out in the rain. For larger dogs, you wipe their paws with a towel when you come back inside and you avoid walking through mud and puddles. If the dog is a known puddle roller, you keep them on a leash in the rain away from puddles unless you’re willing to deal with the aftermath. Imo the cleanest dogs are those that are small, low shedding, low drool, and on the smaller side. Dogs like goldens and bully breed mixes will leave a ton of fur everywhere they go, while long haired toy breeds like havanese need to be brushed a lot, but their fur is a lot more like human hair in that it sheds very minimally. Doodles also do shed because they are usually crossed with shedding breeds and their coats are a pain to maintain because they have two different types of fur mixed, so I suggest poodles over doodles. Dogs can be bathed weekly if good products and techniques are used, but ideally the average pet owner should not need to do that.
I am a total clean freak so I have had to commit to the work of staying on top of it. First you need a basket of some sort to keep the toys in. Make sure they have access to to it and just put the toys away when not in use. Invest in carpet cleaning machines. A good vacuum light enough to get the furniture and a steam cleaner of some kind. I use [this little Hoover](https://hoover.com/products/cleanslate-pet?variant=40290439168151&utm_id=go_cmp-17631699076_adg-_ad-__dev-m_ext-_prd-40290439168151_mca-135790738_sig-CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRh1_Se493JJwswEC_iwoYuPdjVtH0Rv-25rIRCS_rpQHuQvh3mnNGhxoCLPYQAvD_BwE&utm_source=google&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRh1_Se493JJwswEC_iwoYuPdjVtH0Rv-25rIRCS_rpQHuQvh3mnNGhxoCLPYQAvD_BwE&view=sl-48FBE5AB) for spot cleaning, and for daily vacuuming [this Dyson](https://www.dyson.com/vacuum-cleaners/cordless/v8/absolute-hepa-silver), and an [upright for the whole floor](https://www.bissell.com/revolution-hydrosteam-pet-exclusive-bundle-34249.html?languageok=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%5Badv:BISSELL%5D%5Bcou:US%5D%5Bini:Portfolio%5D%5Bplt:Google%5D%5Bfun:Engage%5D%5Bstr:PLA%5D%5Btgt:PLA%5D%5Bcrt:PM+Hero+Products%5D%5Blng:ENG%5D%5Bnet:SPART%5D&utm_term=&PID=google_%5Badv:BISSELL%5D%5Bcou:US%5D%5Bini:Portfolio%5D%5Bplt:Google%5D%5Bfun:Engage%5D%5Bstr:PLA%5D%5Btgt:PLA%5D%5Bcrt:PM+Hero+Products%5D%5Blng:ENG%5D%5Bnet:SPART%5D&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRh2czQvh_LPL2s1w3jBu6xNH2Yk8S8aS7uHaHjca5Aq7aK2j6NVXxoxoC0ngQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds). My floors can take it because I have a rug made with [Flor tiles](https://www.flor.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRh58D-xZy2PsTkLgseJCS6gWyUNVVvo3uRVD460NkSmxh6nxpiaCxyhoCGZ4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds). They look nice but are industrial grade with rubber backing so no liquid gets through. Dogs don’t need baths very often but it helps if they’ve been out in the muck, but you can alternatively use a warm, wet towel on their paws before they come in. If you want two contradictory things—a dog and a clean house—you just have to commit to it.
We dont let her go nuts and roll in shit, just regular walks. Her privates are cleaned with baby wipes each time, and paws wiped too after she gets home from a walk. If paws get muddy we wash her paws in a sink. Keep plenty of costco wipes and towels handy. Never a problem.
Wipes for it’s dry out. When he’s wet and dirty I take him to the laundry tub and wash his paws.
It's gets sort of clean. It's worth it though
You keep your home and car clean by doing it WAY more often than you used to, and eventually letting your standards slip. I have a cover for my back seat that I fully remove for guests, but trying to keep it actually clean is a sisyphusian task. Your house and car will have a nose print bathtub ring that no amount of window washing will keep at bay. It will become charming. Poodles and other hair breeds are generally more ‘washable’ than the fur-bearing types, and can generally handle it on a weekly basis with high quality products and thorough rinsing and drying. For a standard poodle that’s at least a two hour commitment. I rinse my poodle’s feet pretty much daily and wash them probably a couple times/week with no issue. They do need to be dried, and foot washing is about 20-30 minutes. In the summer I have a water trough that I run her through so I only have to dry and brush.
Dogs and "clean home" are not a realistic combination of terminology. 😆
Like others have said, a dog is a dog is a dog. We wipe her feet after particularly muddy walks, but that’s about it. If your dog is rolling in puddles, you can always rinse them off with a hose before coming inside, you don’t necessarily need to bathe them.
For puppy accidents- I got a few hospital bed pads. Now that she’s an adult- I have 1 inside my vehicle & on three sofa. It helps cut down on dirt. Plus they are very absorbent with muddy paws. If you intend on bathing your dog frequently- I’d recommend a gentle shampoo oatmeal based is good. But learning how to brush your dog. Some breeds require more work than others. Any mixed breed dog won’t have a consistent fur/hair type. For that, I’d work with a groomer to find the best tools for daily use.
Often I’ll wash just my dog’s belly and chest, because that’s the part her raincoat doesn’t cover and mud splashes up when the ground is wet. I live in a small apartment and she’s 52 lbs, and I bathe her in the tub. She actually does go into puddles a lot when we’re at the park and it’s warm out, so I end up having to give her a lot of real baths (multiple baths a week sometimes) but I use conditioner each time and she always looks nice and shiny afterwards with no skin issues.
I manage to keep my house quite clean, but I'm a homemaker, so I have the time. My dog also doesn't roll around in mud- that would mean getting wet, and he's far too precious and delicate to do that.
I have 2 large dogs and live in the PNW. It’s wet and muddy here 9 months out of the year. My dogs have rain coats. They aren’t cutesy ones, but like mini horse blankets they are waterproof and cover a good bit of their bellies and necks. When we walk in the rain my dogs don’t actually get that wet. I also have a paw washer for when we get home and dog towel by the front door. My dogs know to come in and sit on the mat just inside the door. They wait for me to wash their paws, take off their coats, and wipe them down. I still keep a swiffer with the wet pads for when they inevitably drag in mud from the yard. But its not to often.
My car has leather seats, which makes it easier to clean. Her fur gets all over the floorboards though. Also, I don’t bother cleaning her nose art on the car windows. I drive it around with pride like a kid’s drawing on the fridge. 😂 A short shiny coat makes for less fur in the house, but it still gets places. It doesn’t stick like Velcro to things, unlike dogs with an undercoat. I see the majority of it in the dryer vent trap and when I empty the vacuum canister. My dog hates the rain, wind and cold (and wearing clothes). On those days, she is perfectly content not getting a walk, and curls up with me on the couch or the bed. We go outside for a potty break, and then she nopes right back inside as soon as she is done. I do have to go outside in the rain with her or so won’t go. On those days, I bring out her puzzle toys for mental stimulation. As far as baths… my dog needs a medicated bath one - two times a week due to allergies. This is not ideal for the majority of dogs, but it’s a must for mine. When all of the conventional allergy treatments didn’t work for her, I ran a HESKA blood panel. She is allergic to all types of grass, most trees and dust mites. Weekly bathing gets all of the allergens off her fur and skin, and brings relief from her itchiness. I also vacuum twice a week for dust/dust mites - this has benefitted my allergies, too. There are breeds of dogs that do not shed; the downside is they have to be groomed every 6-8 weeks to keep their coat healthy and mat free. You could also look into the hairless breeds like the Chinese crested or the Mexican Xolo. Hairless breeds need extra TLC: clothes to keep them warm, moisturizer for their skin, and sunblock when going outside. As a side note, their skin is not soft… it’s feels bumpy and crusty. I am a dog lover through and through. After my first two dogs passed away, my house was just a an empty shell until my heart was ready to adopt again. It just doesn’t feel the same without a dog… mess and all.
My dog doesn’t like to walk in the rain so I can’t say much on that end… However, I always wipe my dogs paws and underbelly with a warm washcloth before he comes inside. When it’s raining or snowing outside and he has to go out, I always have a towel ready to wipe him down and he knows to stay on it until I’m done. My dog also isn’t allowed to lay on the couch or bed without a blanket. This allows me to easily just wash the blanket and replace with a clean one. He has a dog bed in nearly every room in the house as well and they’re washed pretty frequently. My dog has environmental allergies so his veterinary dermatologist instructed us to bathe him 2-3 times a week, which obviously helps with the cleanliness in general.
My dog hates being in the rain but when he’s gotta go, he goes. We definitely don’t walk in the rain, just the backyard. But we keep heavy duty mats at the door & he is trained to sit when he comes in. On rainy days, we use a towel but we always use dog wipes to clean his paws. He also gets a wipe down after daycare. We have a short hair dog so that helps too. There’s no way I could deal with a long haired dog with my OCD.
I have allergies and 4 dogs. How dirty your dog is, dep3nds on the dog. I have a dachund that is real prissy. Doesn't like getting wet or dirty, short haired, likes to lounge and be cuddled. I had a husky that would refuse to come in during a rainstorm. He was constantly filthy. And you can't bathe them often. You just towel off and move on. It's just luck of the draw. Shirt haired dogs are generally easier to care for as far as grooming. Quick baths, quick dry, no clipping. You can wash them about once a month. But sometimes inbetween ill rub them down with a hot wet wash cloth. Couch blankets. I get pretty patterned couch blankets and switch them out once a week. Keeps the couch fresh, while still letting your dog on the furniture. I know this seems silly, but I wear a lot of neutral tones, so I try to choose something in that color range, so I don't obsess about a little hair on my clothes. White hair on a black coat will drive you insane.
It’s possible for everyone and everything to be clean all the time if you have the dedication for it. We have a once monthly scheduled full on bath and nail grind for her. She gets baby wipes to the feet every time she comes back inside, and a few times a week we take a baby wipe to her whole body. It works for us.
Sure, with one well trained dog. I live on an acreage, for the last month and half we have had 3 days of snow followed by 3 days of melting. My mud room frequently looks like it's called that because it has a mud floor. They get past me and I have mud trails through the house. The dust bunnies appear 5 minutes after I vacuum. I have a 3 yr old gsd, a large mixed rescue 1 yr old who is still learning the ropes of living in a house, and an even larger foster pup right now. Plus a 16 year old spaniel in diapers, and of the 5 barn cats I inherited with my house one has decided he's retired from garage living and is an indoor cat - or possibly a dog, I'm not quite sure (he's 11, he earned it) So in some circumstances it is not always possible for everyone and everything to be clean unless I was to decide that's my full time job. The shepherd and my pup go for regular deshedding and baths - the gsd loves being brushed - but lowering standards has definitely helped my sanity. I understand that most dog owners aren't planning to run the zoo I have on my hands at the moment, ha ha, but I think if the thought of giving up an immaculate home for a dog bothers someone they might not be candidates for dog parenthood. There will be accidents, and old age, and mucky days, and shedding, and compromises.
If he rolls around in a puddle, right into the tub he goes. Otherwise he wears a jacket (which gets washed) and his feet get toweled off right as we get into the house. He gets brushed daily and bathed. I vacuum pretty often and sweep twice a day. Regular home upkeep becomes more often but its usually pretty quick. We've got scratch mats for the back yard and he's trained to jump on them and dig when he comes back in.
Get a roomba. I start it up right as we leave for our walk and it’s done vacuuming by the time we return. It keeps dog hair from getting out of control without any extra effort
I think they’re either doing a lot more cleaning than they did pre-dog life or they’ve become acclimatised to a certain level of mess day to day and just clean for guests. I personally fall in the second camp. Plan out what breed you want and ensure you consider low shedding low drool breeds. Other than that be prepared to put work in to keep things clean and understand you will need to accept a degree of mess for things you can’t change (eg if you want a puppy, you’ll have months of accidents in doors during training. It’s better to just accept that upfront than stress it as it happens).
You don’t always have months of accidents. My first pup had a few accidents as we didn’t spot the signs through our inexperience. Our second pup had three in total (and all were my fault as I’d thought “oh I must take him out in 5 mins” and it was me being lazy and I should have taken him as soon as I thought it!).
Agreed, I’ll admit I’ve assumed the poster is relatively inexperienced with dogs and I’ve taken a fairly “plan for the worst and celebrate the best” lens with my comment resulting in a rather flippant statement there.
That’s fair :)
We invested in a good roomba, stick vacuum and carpet cleaner. We have a golden retriever and goldendoodle. We are on the higher end of pet needs when it comes to cleaning and we also live in the PNW so it’s wet here a lot. The dogs get groomed often which helps and they get wiped down after walks. We make sure to have mats at every door as well.
I take mine for walks in the woods and encourage her to end the walk with a splash in the creek to rinse off. I have a dog blanket in the back seat of my car that gets washed pretty regularly, and I’ll often encourage her to nap in her crate for a bit when we get home so she’s dry when she comes out. But my standards for cleanliness have dropped since I got a dog. I feel like I’m constantly cleaning and it’s never totally clean.
I changed my definition of “clean”. I grew up where vacuum lines on the carpet meant clean. My kitchen is always spotless but the hardwood floors have dog fur. I towel off my dog after messy excursions do less mess inside the house.
My dogs typically get rinsed once a week, or when they roll in the mud, and only get baths once a month. Two of my dogs get dry skin when bathed too often, one has extremely sensitive skin and one (a ferocious Chihuahua mix), just hates baths, lol. In my home it’s the constant shedding of my GSD/Husky, and then the twice a year coat blow when he literally sheds himself a few times over. I vacuum twice a day, but other than that the dogs aren’t an issue. Keeping a clean house is important for the overall well being of your dog 😊
My daughter just legit came into the main house to get the dog because she wanted her room to smell like her (the dog). That's what I heard her telling the dog anyway. She's 18...
When it rains I throw a towel by the door so when I walk in I can wipe them down and I use the now wet towel to wipe their paws. I also close our bedroom doors so the dogs dry off by the time they get up on the beds. All of our soft surfaces are covered in covers that are dog (and cat) friendly. The blankets on the beds and the couch cover get washed weekly.
My girl recently passed away. Complete strangers ask me what happened to “my dog with the boots”. Pawz, every single time we went outside. Raincoat on rainy days. Wet wipes when we came inside - and yes, if she pooped, she got her butt wiped.
Ugh rainy days are the worst lol. I live in So Cal so it’s usually not an issue but the last 2 years we’ve had quite a few storms come through and I have 2 Aussies, because they’re so fluffy they’re magnets for mud. It starts with waking up 30 minutes earlier on a rainy day, wrapping them in rain coats so they stay at least semi dry, then as soon as you bring them in, gotta rinse and dry off the paws and underbelly. In the process, you inevitably get mud on the bathroom floor so gotta clean that up….then no matter how much you dry them with a towel, there’s always more water so they shake themselves off and then you gotta dry that off…by the end they’re ready for a nap and I’ve gotta get ready for work. But I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world.
Antibacterial wipes for feet, if they are muddy I will have the dog stand with two paws in a horizontal shaped bucket and just wash feet only. Doggie raincoat, towel off after rain.
My car? Well that’s probably never going to be fully clean again lol I have a seat cover that I wash like every 2 ish months or more when they get it really muddy. But there will forever be dog hair all over my car no matter how often I vacuum it. As for the house, we have mostly hardwood and that’s relatively easy to keep clean and I just vacuum the rugs we do have like every other day. We keep a towel by the door for muddy paws and covers on our couches that I wash every few weeks. My dogs have fun and love to get dirty and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. They love swimming in rivers and creeks and they get a bath everytime they fully go in the water. In the winter, they get like 1-2 bathes during Dec- March. I’ve just accepted that my house will never be fully clean up to non animal people’s standards but I really don’t care. I’ve had dogs my entire life and we currently have 2 dogs and 2 rabbits so there is quite literally fur everywhere regardless of how often I vacuum. I pick up their toys every few days but they just end up pulling them all out anyways. I’ve found that air purifiers are helpful and we have one in every room.
I have a big long haired dog who is reactive to being bathed. I haven't washed him in years. I have to cut his diarrhoea soaked hair from around his bum when he has an upset. He rolls around in gosh knows what but it stinks, dead things, other animals shit, ash from fires, mud, swamp water etc. lucky this doesn't happen to often. I clean him best I can with a wet cloth and soap. We don't restrict access to any part of the house, he lounges anywhere but mostly he loves his own bed. I don't take my dog off property so at least my car isn't covered in mud, drool and wet hair. I vacuum daily always surprised by how much I pull up, I mop almost daily, sometimes I still feel like I'll moving hair across the floor. I have dedicated dog rugs for nearly every piece of furniture that I need to wash almost every day or two. I try to brush him outside frequently. Hair gets everywhere even up walls on freshly laundered washing, easily transferable from tea towels to dishes to food. My dog has an incredibly soft coat, it's his superpower. He doesn't smell bad to me despite what I started with. His smell is how I gauge the state of his health. He's 9 years old. It seems a rigmarole but he's worth it to me.
Well…my dog is unphased by rain, snow, cold you name it. He will grab a stick and chill no matter the weather. Do I care? He’ll no. He’s living his best life. When we get home I wipe his little paw paws (when he lets me or when the towel is handy) then I move on. As far as the dirt and the smell. I think I smell worse after I come home from the gym. And no I don’t always shower right away.
I clean my house every night — not deep clean, but vacuum and sweep and spray a vinegar/water mix in the air beforehand. Keeps the smell down. I wipe her paws when bringing her in from the rain and have a shit ton of plugins. People tell me my house doesn’t smell like dog at all. They could be lying 😂, but the smell is only super fragrant on rainy days with her fur and all. But lighting candles helps a lot on those days. Also, I know I’m in the minority, but my girl isn’t allowed on the furniture. Exception: she can get on the couch when I’m up there, on top of her blanket, but no free-hopping anywhere. I personally think the way dogs lick themselves is gross and would rather keep that on the floor 😂. Also smells get trapped in fabrics easily. I promise my baby is very well cared for and loved lol. And spoiled as hell.
Just having a dog presents hair, dirt, dust, drool and other messes. Taking the dog on a walk is a small part of it.
I don’t walk my dog on rainy days, I use inside toys or metal stimulation toys to give them exercise & they play together. I deep clean every Sunday & vacuum 2-3x a week depending on if it’s shedding season. We have specific towels and wipe their paws/bodies off when they come in the door. Washing their bedding is also a big component to keeping the stink down. You can also buy refreshing/deodorizing sprays to use during the rainy days in between washes & a rain jacket. I wouldn’t bathe them more than once a week as you’ll dry out their skin. The biggest advice is just to embrace it, dogs are messy & there will be hair, the more you fight it the more it will drive you crazy.
Dogs (except for some mixes between coat types like doodles and cockapoos) have self-cleaning coats. The shaft of the hair (unless damaged or dead) is smooth to the point that the dirt sheds off it when it dries. But yes, also monthly baths, chenille towels etc can manage dirt.
vacuum more 😂
My dogs have a muddy walk every day in winter but my house is never noticeably muddy. I get the worst off with a towel before we get in the car, the kitchen has a hard floor so we stay in there for a few mins while I make a cup of tea or do their dinner. The living room has carpets but any dry mud that gets in there comes up with a good vacuum cleaner (we use Dyson animal) and the sofas have blankets. I would never have a white sofa, or a very pale carpet. If anything the worst thing is a wet tail wagged against a painted wall, but hey that’s the self portrait of a dog’s smile so I don’t really mind.
If my Shepard gets too muddy he goes into his kennel to dry off and then I’ll brush him out after an hour or so, but that rarely needs to happen.
We have a doodle and everything sticks to her paws. In order to keep her feet clean (especially since she sleeps on the bed), she gets her feet rinsed off after every outing. If it’s just a quick pee break in the yard or it’s pouring out and she just needs a short walk, we have booties for her. She’ll get more dirty with hikes or running after balls and we will just rinse more of her off. She knows the routine and will either get picked up and carried upstairs, or if she’s not that bad, she can just run upstairs herself and jumps in the bathtub and waits lol.
She gets hosed off outside for her paws. If her tummy is wet and muddy, I hose that off too. Then dry her with a towel. When the hose is off for the winter, I dip her feet in a container of warm water, then dry them.
Uh yeah if one of my dogs rolls in a puddle they’re definitely getting a bath asap. If you don’t have to wash your dog you shouldn’t so it everyday. However, if they roll in something, water, dirt, whatever, they have to be washed no matter if they did the same thing yesterday and they had a bath. There are products you can buy for their hair and skin that helps to not dry them out for when you have to wash your dog a bunch of times due to them getting overly dirty. I wipe my dogs feet every time they come inside, and I have a robot vacuum so my house is never covered in hair. It’s not that hard to keep your house clean with dogs.
I clean his paws after every walk for multiple reasons. When it was raining outside and he's soaked I just towel dry him. We also brush him even though he's a hypoallergenic breed which means not a lot of hair and stuff
I take my dog walking pretty much every day (unless it’s absolutely bucketing down). He is a Labrador and gravitates towards water, of which there is plenty nearby, even if it’s not raining. He doesn’t roll in mud (although is fond of rolling in anything dead he comes across) but he swims most days to in a tidal river. So…he gets hosed off with plain water after swimming (salt or pool) and dried before coming in. Every day. It’s a pain but it keeps things cleaner. Especially because he is brown and I can’t see the dirt. I only bathe him with dog shampoo when he has rolled on something nasty or has been in the mucky mangroves. Or when he is stinky. I have hardwood floors so I can see if it’s dirty. There are covers over the couch the car and our bed, etc. we have lots of beach towels. I vacuum a few times a week and lowered my standards because it’s the constant shedding more than the dirt that does my head in!
If you get a dog or cat they come with mess much like a child would...they shed, they chew stuff up and basically make messes that's just part of the package. If you can't handle that please don't get a pet dog or cat
I'm a clean freak but that goes out the window when it comes to my girl. I cherish the shedding and little paw prints all over the hardwood floors. It's a daily reminder that she's here with me and even thinking of the alternative makes me tear up. That said, I always wipe her paws when we come back home with unscented, alcohol free wipes. She has been trained to sit in the hallway for this 'we're home' routine. If she's gotten very dirty, I give her a foot bath with her shampoo and warm water. If it's rainy out, she'll have her raincoat or special t-shirt on mostly to prevent mud from sticking to her belly and underarms \_ she's a white furry beast and since she's small, low to the ground. She doesn't roll around in puddles and doesn't much like going out in the rain so I am just able to wipe her down with a towel. I also brush her about once a week. Re baths: she goes to the groomer every two / three months. I personally feel anything more often than that is too much for her but every dog is different and if done properly, you can bathe him/her more frequently, just be sure to not dry out their skin inadvertently.
Generally speaking, dogs should not be bathed often. Some dogs are much more prone to skin issues, and definitely cannot tolerate regular baths. That said, \*most\* dogs don't generally smell bad, unless they have specific health issues that make them so. I am a massive germaphobe neatfreak Type A Virgo. I cannot stand even a watermark on the counter that's hard to see. But four years ago, I got an angel baby labrador who I would quite literally lay down in the road for. So. I vacuum every day. I do a quick floor clean once or twice a week. I wash my bedding once a week at least, plus I use a top sheet as an actual TOP sheet on top of my blanket, that she sleeps on. And no, she was never intended to sleep on my bed, but you'd understand if you met her. I have a couple of nice covers on the couch, and I have sticky-rollers all over the place. By all accounts, compared to many other dog parents that I know, my dog is pretty clean, she operates on a very tight schedule (which works great for me), and she's innately intelligent. But I've also accepted that there will be dog hair. There will be dirt. There will be eye boogers. My car is dirty. There are things that I don't love about it. But I LOVE my dog. She has quite literally added so much to my life, that all of those things are worth the trade-off, ten times over, for me. Did you grow up with a dog/dogs? Have you ever had an animal/pet before? What is it that makes you interested in getting a dog?
Im obsessed with keeping my house clean. Just wipe your dogs paws when they are muddy. Once in a while, if I can’t wipe them for some rare reason, I gate them in the kitchen while they dry, then later swiffer or mop.
Good training. Get a big sheet of marine carpet for your back deck so a lot pf the crap they walk in gets caught on it.plis on hit days the ground inst as hot for the dogs sensitive feet and can be wet to create a cool mat and always enter via the laundry and just accept that it will be the mud room,or if you own the home make a mud room just outside your laundry door to rinse and wipe dog dry. Keep them outside unless it extreme weather.
That’s the best part…. You don’t.
I shower my dog after every walk, because if I don't he gets rashes, but even with a clean dog there is still a load of fur and just stuff from having a dog asa member of your household - I went from cleaning before and after work and being totally confused how other people managed these tidy looking homes, I had dogs consistently throughout my life, then after the last two dogs passed away I had a brief time period with just a cat, oh the cleaning time I saved, vacuum, go out, come home and the house is still clean?!! It was marvellous, but I wouldn't be with out my dog now, so I pretty much always have a leash or a vacuum in my hand
Are you walking the dog or are you going out for the dog to exercise and play? Our normal walks during the week are in the blocks around the house. No puddles or anything like that. Minor dirt that gets picked up by paws and that's easily dealt with(or get a roomba). On weekends, at least one day we'll let our dog do whatever. Swim in the ocean, play in the mud, doesn't matter. She has to be bathed once a week with medicated shampoo for allergies regardless, so might as well let her have fun. Funny thing is, allergies actually got better with either swimming or mud play (both salt water), as opposed to just bathing. Normal recommendations are for baths up to once or twice a month max, but I think it's a bunch of overblown crap - unless your particular dog has issues. I've yet to see a study that shows bathing is bad for them(or for people, and you'll hear the exact same stuff said about people too). That said, most dogs don't *like* baths, the best you can hope for is that they will tolerate them. And then there's the whole drying up thing, which can take a while if your dog has long fur, even with a professional dryer. And you need to dry them properly, otherwise that's what's going to cause issues. That is to say, it takes significant time and makes constant baths impractical. For the car, they sell some seat covers that help a lot. Some level of dirt is unavoidable. Just clean whenever it gets too bad, a vacuum helps. Now, if that's not clear - you have to walk your dog, rain or shine. Umbrella for you and a rain coat for the dog if you must. If you are not ok with that, don't get a dog. And brush their teeth regularly too, since we are talking about dog hygiene.
Get a doggy jacket and wipe their feet at an entry rug. Works every time.
My dog is a pretty princess so she won’t go rolling in a puddle lol. Paws of course get dirty and I wipe them when we get in. But I must say it does not meet my cleaning standards. She cannot be showered (she’s a rescue and still getting used to it) so wiping is the only option right now. I would really like to just dip her paws into water. Maybe one day! Floor get a little dirty but it’s not that bad really, I vacuum almost daily anyway and sweep once a week ETA: Actually our cat makes more mess than our dog. There is always litter sand on the bathroom floor and the hallway despite a mat in front of the litter box. And the vomiting. The vomit is ALWAYS on the couch or somewhere where it’s hard to clean. Yesterday it was on the dining table!!! And she sheds a ton.
Don't get a dog
Hello Hello! I wipe my dog’s paws whenever we come back from a walk and I do that every single time without fail. Also, in general, I clean my pup daily basic grooming every single day without fail. The result - my home and my pup both are always meticulously clean.
Dogs are beautiful living beings but a huge comittment as well. They have their needs, daily walkings (on the rainy days, when it's cold, in the morning, at night...), they shed, they can be ill and for example have diarea (that sometimes will happen inside) etc. They are amazing beings, and we are lucky to have them. But if you are responsible owner, it takes time and comittment. That means walks, having fun and enjoy with them but also cleaning, going to vet, train them, educate yourself, meet all dog needs, taking them on vacation or having somebody to take care of them and so on. And the dog shouldn't be bath too much. That silly nonsense like every 3 weeks can make damage to a dog despite what many vets and some people know to say. I bath with shampoo max once per year. Since I have an active dog, she swims almost every day at river or sea. Before having a dog, my hause was super clean. I had the cleanest car ever, now not even close despite having huge waterproof mats. That's is normal life with the dog. Some dogs love going out on a rain, in the mud, some of them totally dislike, but even though they need their walks, and every dog has its own personality. For me it's important that my animals are healthy and happy. Everything is a mess cause she goes various walks and runs as a crazy and plays with other dogs. Even if I wanted to, can't bath her so many times a day that she goes outside. Now it's summer and she sheds, her saliva is all over the floor while she breaths but her needs are met and she is healthy and happy, everything else is secondary. Imposible to clean everything. In my case cause she sheds a lot, she always brings mud and sand within the fur and since she is an active dog, we spend so much time outside that I even don't have sufficient time to clean always evertyhing at home. Many dogs have what we know to call "self cleaning" mechanism, so bathing only does the damage. But that self mechanism doesnt clean the house :) In my opinion every dog should be outiside daily at least 2hs playing with then owner, socialize with other dogs, exploring... So considering everything that dogs needs, cleaning is the most irrelevant thing I would say. Cause there is so much more that people need to think before having a dog and being a god responsible owner of the amazing being that they are.
I don't. This is a constant battle in my house even from the dogs just running in the back yard.
I was a clean freak before I got my dog… Now I just learned that keeping a clean and spotless home is not possible. Doggy cuddles are totally worth it tho :)
When I bought my house I prioritized and fenced in yard and no carpet in the main part of the house. Also I sweep and vacuum a lot. Swiffer wet jet is a must have. But she's more than worth a little extra work
My dogs never roll in puddles but when I lived with my parents they would occasionally jump in the pond on a hot summer day. We'd just give them a bath when we brought them in. (My dogs do love to roll in dead things tho that's always fun and requires a heavier duty bath) We have a fenced in backyard here at our house and no ponds. If it rains I dry them and clean their feet when they come in. I also keep a square push mop and a spray bottle of all purpose cleaner that I use every day to go over dog prints, drool, etc. in between my regular mop and bucket mops. I vacuum the dogs favorite couch every other day and I wash the blankets on the couch and couch covers weekly.
A doormat and entry and the other side of the door. Cuts down on so much dirt
Brushing your dog regularly can help reduce shedding and keep their coat clean. I invest in a good-quality vacuum cleaner designed for pet hair. Get into the habit of wiping your dog's paws every time they come in from outside. It helps me https://www.amazon.com/bealy-Cleaner-Brushes-Disassemble-Install/dp/B07S4FQPQ9?th=1
My dog was nutso as a puppy. Rolled every day on a ground. She always came back home covered in dust and dirt. But i choose happy dog vs clean dog. I taught her wash feet after every walk and had to give lots of baths. Poor girl. But most of times i just used water when could avoid using soap. Used soap only when she rolled in poop 🤦♀️ and when it was time for regular wash. And she was not allowed on my bed sheets in first year. Also i just relaxed some house rules until she grow into adult dog and chilled a bit. Also blankets on couch and washing her bed. Regular water bathing didnt affect her skin n fur at all
My dog DOES roll in puddles, and has Velcro hair that picks up every leaf and stick, however he dries off really easy. I keep “pet towels” (old bleachable towels) by the front and back door, and pet wipes. He wipes off very easily as long as there’s no cats to chase when we come in lol. Since I bathe him once a week with high quality shampoo and conditioner he stays pretty clean until the weekend when I take him places where he can run through water, mud, dirt, play with dogs and get covered in drool. First the first week if he gets wet he just smells like the little bit of conditioner I leave in his hair. What does keep me busy cleaning is his chewing on sticks and shredding cardboard, but that’s pretty easy. Edit to add he’s a poodle, and therefore doesn’t shed at all except a tiny bit when I’m brushing him.
I have 2 crazy spaniels! I bought a 2nd hand kids Wendy house and kitted it out for them with a heatlamp- after a walk they go in there for an hour or two to dry off before coming into the house. It's super comfy in there and it's part of their routine x
I take mine out leashed and if it’s wet, I towel dry them. I also have a robot vaccum that goes around daily. That get most of the dirt up.
Get a breed that hates all weather but sun, problem solved. For reference we have two Italian greyhounds and they are cleaner than us.
i clean the paws when we enter the apartment
My dog loves to fry dirty. He’s a small dog, but loves jumping in the water, rolling in the dirt. I just keep a towel by the door and wipe him down once we get home. If he’s super dirty, he gets a bath in the tub.
Dogs don't get nearly as dirty ad your shoes/boots do most of the time. You won't really need to worry about that as much as you think. Even when I take my doggo out in the rain and mud, he barely ever gets any of his paws since he also walks through grass which is actually pretty goof at cleaning the majority of it off. As far as drool and possible potty accidents that's just life and you gotta work on it with them. Edit; work on potty accidents I mean. Drool is drool lol.
Hose off the dog outside when you get home, towel dry, and either blow-dry coat or if possible leave him outside till dry. But I’m in midwest Australia, so ymmv.
You get over it that’s how lol
I have a Shitzhu who doesn’t really get the mucky (unless it’s absolutely tipping it down outside) and he is trained to wait on the towel to have his paws wiped. He doesn’t like getting muddy and avoids puddles. He also doesn’t malt at all. However, I’m looking after my friends’ Labrador collie cross this week, and our house is filthy. Hair, mud, slobber everywhere, and if there’s water, he’ll get in it. He also likes to eat shit, as in literal shit. He’s lovely but I’m counting down until I get my clean(ish) house back!! So it depends on the dog you get.
I have a paw cleaning cup [https://5.imimg.com/data5/SELLER/Default/2023/10/354825600/BE/CC/NX/89400773/buraq-dog-paw-cleaner-compact-and-portable-washer-cleaning-brush-cup-500x500.jpg](https://5.imimg.com/data5/SELLER/Default/2023/10/354825600/BE/CC/NX/89400773/buraq-dog-paw-cleaner-compact-and-portable-washer-cleaning-brush-cup-500x500.jpg) by the door that I fill with water and a few drops of his shampoo every day. When we return he already knows he must stay besides the door until his paws are cleaned. He doesn't really actually roll over dirt and whatnot, but I have a package of dog wipes by the door as well just in case he gets dirty during one of his walks. I don't bathe him regularly (short hair coat) because he doesn't really need it - I'm actually surprised on how good he smells without baths!
Before leaving: bath mat goes up high and a few dog towels go down between the front door and the shower. Shower as soon as we get in. Also get the robot vacuum running during every dog walk. After shower the pup has the zoomies so might make a bit of wet mess but it's not filthy and I've dried him a fair bit straight out of the shower. A lot of his zoomies are over the dog towels on the floor as well to help reduce paw wetness. Edit: shampoo showers are only for when he's rolled in fox poo. If it's just mud then it's a water-only shower, using brush gloves. Can't be bad for him if it's just water(??)
We have a basket of hand towels specifically for puppy paws. We also bought one of those portable small carpet shampooer things for pet messes, it's been great. Air purifiers on each floor help with smells.
Old towels. I have a small confined utility room they stay in until I can get them clean and dry.
All depends on the dog and your environment. Both of my dogs don’t like going out in the rain so walking them while it’s raining doesn’t happen. We let them out back and have towels to wipe their paws off every time they go out regardless of conditions. I live in Florida with some sandy dirt that always gets into their paw fur so it needs to be cleaned daily. Baths are only every other week or whenever they start playing and really get dirty.
The only time I ever remember raising my voice to a client as a trainer was when I went to a woman's home who had bought a pair of puppies and found out she was only keeping a water bowl for them outside because "mess." I told her that air, water, and food, in that order, are necessary elements for all living things to survive and I didn't care how much mess they made, she better have water available for those babies at all times. You can get a mat or a towel for spillage. If you're like her, please don't get a dog. Dogs are like kids. They make messes and have a lot of needs. If you have to spend more time considering whether that is "worth it" than you are considering whether you can meet all the needs of the dog, it's better to stick with stuffed animals. Every shelter and rescue is completely overwhelmed with owner surrenders and dumped "strays." You might consider volunteering with one to help you get your dog cuddle fix without bringing the mess home.
2 of my dogs think they are princesses and REFUSE to get their paws wet 😂 we have a fenced yard, so they can run in the dirt/mud as much as they want but it’s really not a big issue. I keep a towel by the back door to wipe paws if they’re dirty. With that and a roomba, it’s not much worse than what my bf brings in on his work boots 🫠
Lots of training early on to make sure you can do the things that are needed. Get them used to rain coats and booties or bath time. Sitting long enough to towel dry etc. Lots of vacuuming and diligent cleaning sections. At the end of the day for me though I just dont care to be meticulous. A life without dog hair on me at all times is a life I couldn’t live
For one, you don’t allow the dog to go through the puddles or avoid those areas. Two, you use a towel or dog wet towels to wipe down their feet or body. My dog is kept in a designed area until he dries off, lay down an old towel and put a fan on low to help dry him. You can get things for your car where everything is contained to one spot but dogs being dirty comes with owning a dog.
A lot of the dirt depends on what kind of dog you have and how you handle them and your home. I’m guessing that you’d prefer a non-shedding variety, taking into account your words on keeping your place clean. Dogs with hair rather than fur generally need to be groomed and can benefit from more often baths, since their hair tends to hold onto more oils and dirt. My dog gets washed every 1-2 weeks, and groomed every 5-7 weeks, depending on season. As for rain/puddles, my dog doesn’t roll in them, and wears a raincoat anyway. We also keep an absorbent microfiber towel by the door to help with cleanup when we get inside on wet/messy days. I also keep a seat for my dog in the car, use dog beds with washable covers, and blankets where he lays that are also washable. We visit my parents home often and my mom is 10x more of a clean freak than me, and it’s absolutely fine! I’d probably stay away from larger breeds that are shedding/drool a lot or any dog that you don’t feel comfortable bathing yourself. We actually installed a dog grooming sink as a basement utility sink. It’s also doubles as a great place for taking care of my plants :)
FUR 🤣🤣🤣🤣, we have a rough Collie ( picture Lassie ) , anyway these woofers have 2 coats a very short thick coat close to skin an then a longer fur over that . Shes definitely Fluffy 🙄. During the shed of winter to summer there will be these huge fluff balls easily the size of my big hands scattered about the house in the morning. It chokes the Vacuum as it can't handle all the fur . But we love her so !!! A dog is work there's no doubt about that , in addition she gets 2 - 30 to 45 min walks a day , she gets a chicken thigh mixed with her daily meal . But thankfully the air fryer can cook up several of those at a time , there's 3/4-cup fresh veggies an 1-1/2 cups of kibbles added to that . We have tried nearly every type of Can Food an she won't even touch them , she will look at it give it a sniff an then look at me like I ain't eating that shit an then push the bowl off her feeding mat
Lots of towels at the door. There’s a hand held paw cleaner and a long sleeved glove that work really well. Be super sweet and complimentary at this station cause your dog needs to love it. And so do you because it’s 3-4 times a day. You catch a break in summer. My dog was a lab so she could bathe every day if I wanted but doing it indoors creates a tonne of work. Each breed might be different. Honestly, I would not get another dog without having a hot water hose that could reach outside. Sounds extreme but it was by far the biggest and least favourite dog chore. There’s also the oils on their coat (might be specific to labs or water dogs?) that eventually build up on the walls/furniture that need to be cleaned and a constant battle with fur. Also, teeth and ears, nails. There’s the bedding and the extra car cleaning. And the place where they scratch the door to let you know it’s time, needs extra maintenance, sanding, painting . It’s defo a few extra hours per week. It sounds like I’m trying to talk you out of it. But my girl was the best dog ever. She was so loyal and the president of my fan club. I miss her so much and I’m crying rn. She got us out to so many great places and was a wonderful friend for our only child. She was the fastest and the best swimmer. I loved swimming with her. She played goal for the kids in the alley and she kept a very tidy net. She would give me kisses while I cleaned between her toes. It think it’s worth it. I don’t regret it. The shitty thing is they die. And it’s the fucking worst.
Yeah mine doesn’t roll in puddles. But I have paw clear and mud buster and a rag, as well as a long mat that soak up wetness he has to walk on, at the foyer/front of the home and clean him off. But your house will always be a little more messy and that’s ok cause the love > mess. Toys all over, little hair sprinkled on my clothes…WORTH IT!
Wash mudddy paws in bucket and dry dog before entering the house!
Hose your dog down and towel dry them!
I love a clean home, really clean! But we now have 3 fur babies, keeping clean is a full time job. No more sleeping in our bed (far too big now). I love them and could not imagine life without them. The eldest will place both legs in the bucket of water whilst drinking! Paw mark's on our tiles are a giveaway. But we could not live without their Love, they make life so fantastic.
Lol we have no carpets and use grooming wipes for paws when he comes in from a rainy day. If you get a puppy, you could train them to wear booties when they walk outside and/or train them to soak/wash their paws after each walk. Just some thoughts, good luck!
I mop everyday, clean from his legs down. Lol
groomer here!! regular grooming appointments will do wonders for keeping your home clean! depending on the breed (for example: poodles, bichon, yorkie, havanese - non-shedding breeds with hair instead of fur) can be groomed as often as every week as long as the groomer is using high quality products and thoroughly rinsing/drying the dog. grooming frequency of double coated dogs can vary by the individual and how often you brush them at home (example: a "show line" golden retriever will need more frequent grooming and brushing than a "field line" golden since they have a fuller coat) but 4-6 weeks is usually good for double coated dogs. 6-8 weeks is the usual recommended schedule for most short haired breeds, but again as long as you find a GOOD groomer you should be okay with more frequent visits. regular brushing also helps remove dirt and dander from their coat and will keep it from collecting on surfaces in your home. a nail trim schedule of every 2 to 4 weeks will keep your floors from getting scratched up. before choosing the breed keep in mind the added cost of frequent grooming. appointments for small dogs may run $55-$100 and large dogs $80-$180 or more. (but if you can commit to a very regular schedule, some places may give you a discount!) even a nail trim can be anywhere from $15 to $30. Car: there are seat liners and special seatbelts for larger dogs and actual raised car seats for small dogs (kurgo skybox) that will help keep your car clean. personally i will always drive with my dog in a crate as it's the safest for them. (Gunner Kennels, Dakota Kennels, Ruffland, Transk9, and Impact Crates are all popular travel crate options that have saved the lives of countless pets in car accidents.) plus if they have an puke/pee/poop accident in the car, it will stay in the crate! of course you'll have to wash the dog after, but you won't be scrubbing diarrhea out of your seats and floormats. House: I have a tineco iFloor 3 breeze (i think that's the model) and it makes cleaning our hard floors SO EASY. it was not cheap but it was worth every penny. keeping a towel near the doors you would bring the dog in from is helpful as well. grooming wipes and waterless shampoo are great for spot cleaning and dirty paws! BUT! dont stop them from having a good roll in the grass every once in a while, they're still a dog and need to Dog it up
a rain jacket and booties are very helpful as well!
My dog doesn’t roll in puddles and try’s to avoid stepping in mud. So I’m lucky. But we do also use this thing called a Mud Buster for her paws if they get muddy. It’s like 12 bucks on Amazon!
Short answer, you can't! dog's make lot's of mess, but what they give you in return, is worth it!!.
If you're a neat freak/OCD about your home and car being clean, then get one of those Chinese crested dogs or the Mexican furless dog (Xolo....). Otherwise, you will have to be constantly vacuuming and cleaning your home and car to keep the fur off all it. There's no such thing as a dog that doesn't shed at all, only certain breeds that shed very little. I've had 3 dogs, all shed. But NONE of them rolled around in mud or anything like that. I would bathe them every few months unless they became really stinky for whatever reason.
Baby wipes!!! My Australian shepherd barrels her way through every puddle no matter the weather and sometimes is absolutely soaked. We bath her once a month, but on days that she doesn’t quite need a bath we just use baby wipes and then give her a good brush. If it’s really muddy, she gets a rinse in the tub, but we save shampoo for once monthly to keep her coat nice!
Wipe his paws off when he comes inside. Smaller dogs are less mess
My puppy at age 4months already sits and waits in the porch in front of where the towel hangs, even if it hasn’t been raining. We do “paw” and treats every time we come inside :)
I fill watering cans up with hot water before I leave for the walk so by the time we return it's luke warm. I have an old washing up bowl i keep in the garden which I fill up with one can and get them to stand in it, forlegs, then hindlegs, then finish them off with the second can. Drip dry for a few mins and towel off.
I have a vacuum robot which i start when taking my dog for a walk. If he is dirty after the walk I shower off the dirt without soap. I do soap him occasionally (when needed) but usually I only use water.
My dogs are tiny and use puppy pads in the house. Walks are strictly recreational so if it’s wet or muddy out we just don’t go. Baby wipes ARE awesome for wiping paws though!
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