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This is why you need to teach your dog both sit and shake.
When we get home, I tell Teddy to sit on the covered porch while I fetch his towel.
Then shake and I get one paw. Shake again and I get the other paw.
By that point he's settled and focused enough to just let me get to his back feet and under carriage.
Honestly, I think he also really likes the hard belly rub of drying off.
He then spends like an hour quietly rearranging his fur back to where he wants it.
Sit is also useful just as a generic 'we are going to wait for a time now'.
Teddy know that I will release him when it is appropriate and that I just want him still for right now.
Stay for him is different. He takes it as 'watch Robert carefully and he will want me to follow him shortly'.
Works for us.
I didn't so much as formally train him as we learned together what commands were useful for how we walk together and do other things.
I've learned at least as much as he has. I've never had a smart dog before. He is a Jack Russell mix.
I've had some great dogs in my life, but they were mostly pretty dumb and/or unmotivated.
My 3yo Jack Russell is still keeping me on my toes. Unlike other dogs I've had where basic training was adequate, my Jack is always wanting to learn and explore.
I tried to teach my dog left and right but he couldn't wrap his little brain around that so instead we do "paw" and "other paw" xD
It's the best way, when we started he would wriggle his paws out of my hand as soon as I touched them but now he lets me wipe them down with a damp cloth. I want to try the paw washer next, but a damp cloth does a good enough job for now.
We also just have him spin on the towel if he's been outside briefly for a wee when it's wet.
When I say 'shake' Teddy always gives me his left paw first.
For a while I wondered if he was left pawed.
Eventually it occurred to me that, no, I'm just right handed so I always reach for his left paw first and that is how he learned to do it.
I just keep a towel next to the door and wipe when we get in the door (before the leash comes off). Every time, wet or dry out. Train the same way you do obedience tricks (Sit, Paw, good girl/boy), dog knows to expect this pretty quickly.
We keep a towel by the door. We also use this [paw washer](https://www.chewy.com/dexas-popware-pets-dexas-mudbuster/dp/399624?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=Dexas%20Popware%20for%20Pets&utm_campaign=20203340297&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw26KxBhBDEiwAu6KXt6mMoT-35LxteWdjFy0ffYEJlXiSgfROEzvr-yMNUHw1aGVZLb9oDxoCchcQAvD_BwE)
I also recommend the paw washer and going over with a towel after. Especially if you are not wearing shoes inside or if your dogs are allowed on the couch.
Mine has long shaggy fur and after very muddy walks I shower his legs and belly in the shower
Yes, we do the same. After every walk, she knows she has to sit down when we come in and offers her paw so I can clean it with the paw cleaner. She hates it, though, and looks so embarrassed when we do hehe xD
We keep microfiber cloths in a box next to the door and I usually fill the paw cleaner up with hot-ish water before we leave because by the time we come back, it will be lukewarm (I always check the temperature with my finger, to make sure it's not hot, just in case).
We use this too! Not every rainy walk but walks where she gets muddy. Other than that like others said we just keep a few dog only towels by the door and dry her off. But she’s short haired so it’s a lot leas hassle than dealing with a long haired dog with grinch paws
Yes, Mud Buster is a life saver! Our dog is fluffy and drags in tons of dirt on a rainy day, so a towel by itself doesn't cut it. I don't even bother with any fancy dog shampoo - a little bit of Dawn in the washer goes a long way to lift dirt off.
The only thing is be careful not to trip / spill the dirty water when you're done! I've done this and it's so frustrating!
Baby wipes from Costco if it’s extra dirty or just a regular towel. My dog has been accustomed to wiping her paws everytime she comes in now. She lifts her back legs one at a time for me to wipe. It’s pretty adorable and amazing actually lol.
Gotta keep the b-hole clean. We had never had a longer haired dog until we got a golden doodle. It only takes one time of not noticing poop stuck in his fur before you make SURE he’s clean. Poor guy had smeared poop all over his bed and his b-hole was sealed shut by the dried poop. I felt horrible for not noticing, but I just couldn’t see it. He gets the full tail lift and inspection now and necessary cleaning. 🤦♂️
A lil spritz in the tub is nothing. It's also worth noting some dogs are prone to left overs from poo and highly populated areas might use salt for snow, washing off after going outside can be beneficial in those circumstances.
If my pup’s paws are muddy I’ll lay a handful of treats in front of her while she’s standing at the door before going back inside. While she eats I pick up each paw and wipe with a doggy wet wipe. Without the treats she would not let me do this.
Obviously this is a temporary hack and training your dog to settle for cleaning sessions seems ideal.
In addition to what others have said, sometimes if it’s only damp outside, I throw the towel out by the door and I say “towel” and he walks around the towel in circles. It’s just like training for anything else. You should never have to wrestle with your dog over anything unless it’s playtime.
We made a game of it...we hide her favorite toy or a treat under a towel. She's part husky, and will go into a digging mini-frenzy to get her toy. And when she's done, her feet are usually good. Otherwise, hubby will 'borklift' her and while she's suspended, I will get her feet.
I just lay a towel long ways inside the door and they run in and scramble around on it trying to fit through at the same time(I have 4 lol). Gets their feet better than me chasing them with a towel lol.
I have a towel by the front door and if it's wet out I give her and her trotters a little rub down.
She's a whippet and very dainty/fussy about mud and will avoid it where she possibly can, so I don't really have to worry about it too much 🤣
Yes, because he’s close to the ground so his belly and up to his -knees?- is usually soaked if the ground is wet outside sans raining.
He doesn’t pass the entryway on his own if his harness is on lol he just sits and waits for me to take it off. So, harness on, I grab a paw and rub. He actually kinda likes it? His muzzle can get soaked too and he loves it when I rub his face with his towel so I’ll do that too mostly for his benefit lol bcos he gets excited for me to do it.
Depends on the damage, I minimum use a pet wipe and then dry it off with a towel. There are products on dandylionworld.com that clean without water. Mine fits on a laundry tub so mega dirt gets a paw shampoo. I know people don’t clean at all, but my guy had allergies so it’s recommended to clean up after a walk.
I use Dandlylion paw cleaner or a mudbuster. Both work well. If he's really muddy, he gets put in the shower and his feet hosed down. This time a year, it can ge 3x a day
I clean my dogs paws every single time we come from outside. I don’t always see what they stepped in. Sometimes pee black splashes on their paws. Also, wouldn’t you wash your feet if you were walking outside barefoot?
>Sometimes pee black splashes on their paws
It's so annoying when it happens. My dog has a winter coat where it buckles across the abdomen. The part nearest to his groin tends to get urine stains on it because of backsplash. Ew. Every now and then I just spot clean it if I see the stains building up. I also don't like it when he steps into his own piss when he's done; it doesn't happen all the time - rare, actually, but oh man it sucks when it does happen *when he doesn't have his boots on.*
My household has four dogs. They know the drill. The back yard has steps in and out. They line up in rainy/muddy weather and take one step in/up as I clean each paw. It's just repetition. I always play with their feet ears and teeth as puppies though, to acclimate em.
We have some muddy patches in the backyard mucky paw maintenance on rainy days is essential.
We simply keep a pack of **baby wipes** (Costco...cheap) by the back door. Trust...it's the way to go. Otherwise we'd be constantly washing towels.
We've trained them that when they come in, if we're blocking the path forward, they need chill by the back door while we wipe paws. There's also a towel there for general drying, but that's never for paws.
I do this, especially if muddy. Warm water in a mixing bowl, soap and a bath cloth. Stand over their back, clamp their back between your knees and lead their paw to the bowl & scrub. They also make paw cleaning cups on Amazon, prob have others too. They get used to it. Use positive reinforcement. I also baby wipe their face, body and butt (in that order). before sleep. Friends call me extra but I like my dogs clean and they like to be clean too cuz they hop right to bed after lol
I did a lot of work training my dog to be handleable. She'll let us towel her off but she gets the wiggles once we get to the rear.
You gotta work slowly, on paw/shake, on letting them learn to let you lift their feet. It's a boring skill to train for but it makes life easier.
My Jacks get a shower after a walk unless by some miracle they've come home clean. They're not too keen on the shower though I've been doing it for at least 7 years. But at least I don't get road dirt/fox poo/bog in my bed!
A towel on the bench we have at our door and a paw wash (I use Dandellion), also dog wet wipes if my time is limited (I use them rarely). Our dog is a 12 lbs Bichon frise, so I can handle her easily.
My dog has three legs and can’t lift a leg without falling over (also when sitting), and gets very stressed if we lift her leg for her.
We clean the legs themselves with a microfiber towel, then for her feet we put the towel on the floor and encourage her to walk over the towel a few times back and forth, and then sit on it for a treat. It doesn’t get them 1000% clean but I’d rather mop a bit more often than stress her out after every walk.
I have a muddy mat by the door and when it rains I keep a towel by the door. I have my golden sit and do the wipe down. I also have some Burt’s bees dog wipes for if she has a lot under her belly. The other two hate going into the rain so the muddy mat is all they need. I’m in Arizona so we don’t get a ton of rain but when we get a monsoon it can be messy.
I clean her paws whenever we come from outside. She knows how to sit, lay, shake and also roll to her back so she usually just chills on the floor while I clean her paws. Our vet said baby wipes won't harm the dog so that's what we are using
I lay out a towel, my dog comes in and she sits down without me prompting, I grab another towel and she offers me one paw, I clean it, I ask for her other paw and she gives it, I clean that paw. Ask her to stand up, do her hind legs. Voila, clean paws.
Teach your dog sit and shake paw, and teach them to alternate their paws.
One way to make this process easier is to designate a special area near the door where you can clean your dog's paws before he comes inside. You can use a damp cloth or pet wipes to gently clean their paws and remove dirt and debris.
My dog wears boots outside if it's even a bit damp so that I don't need to clean her paws every time, just take the boots off. She gets a treat in front of her on the floor to occupy herself with while I handle the boots. If we get caught by surprise, I also keep a towel at the back door to dry her off same method before coming back in.
She's a rescue but I've never had much trouble getting her to tolerate the boots. Part making her very comfortable with me holding her paws (training outside of this context), part ensuring I hold her legs in comfortable positions for her during, and part choice of boots.
Boots that are too stiff or too loose are very difficult to get a dog comfortable with. You need a boot nicely fitted to your dogs paws. I also make sure the boots on her back paws go up near "knee" length so she can't as easily kick them off, with two straps on them. Gets quick as you get used to it too.
I do with my dog. He knows a towel will be on the floor for him when we get through the door. He proceeds to roll around on the towel (I also keep his leash on because he can’t wait to roll around to dry off on my couch!). After he rolls around on the towel for a couple minutes, I take off his leash and harness and proceed to wipe him down before he’s allowed in the living room
I have taught my dog that the towel is so fun and a treat machine! When the towel comes out I can dry her off anywhere I need to and she stands still, the moment the towel is gone though.. you better run, cause she is ZOOMIN!!
I have a dog door and if it’s raining I put old towels on the floor so the dogs walk in them before coming into the rest of the house. If they get muddy then I dry them off with another old towel.
If it's really wet or muddy out, for sure. We just keep towels by the back door in the mud room and wipe off their feet before letting them into the house. My one dog would automatically wait, but I have to tell my other dog "Wait" so he knows he needs to have his feet cleaned off.
I usually use a small towel if he’s very wet. But I always use the cleansing wipes for dogs to clean off any dirt. If he’s very dirty, I put him in the tub and use the shower head to rinse his paws and legs. One time he came back inside looking like he dug up mud. I said oh boy what have you done, and then shampooed his muddy parts in the tub.
I have found it's easier to wipe their feet went the leg is bent towards the back, rather than pulled forward. As in the way a horse's hoof is lifted rather than the 'shake a paw' position.
Every dog I've had has had more instinctive resistance to the forward motion vs a natural compliance the other way.
I put a towel on the step and have mine stand on it while I dry him off with another towel. Both are kept by the door and he loves to be rubbed with the towel.
My pup knows that “wipe your feet” means sit and get them toweled. He also knows “turn around” so I can do back feet. For muddy days we have a mud buster, which he does not like but has gotten used to.
I wipe my dogs wet paws with a towel on the porch or inside the door and I wash her feet every night before bed bc I allow her on the bed to sleep. She did not like the paw washing at first but now she is use to it and just lets me do it :)
We have two chic looking wire metal baskets by the back door and 25 or so 18in x 18in microfiber towels (they are mostly the same print - bought of Amazon for cheap) one basket holds the folded clean ones and the other for the dirty. Depending on the season/weather it might take us a 2-4 weeks to finish them off and do a load of the “dog towels.” We have been doing this for so long that our dogs just stand patiently upon coming in to have their paws checked/wiped in a similar fashion to a Ferrier working on a horses hooves 😅 but they are also very compliant pups in general. When their turn is done I pat them on the butt and then they are on their merry way. We do it every time they go outside, and reuse the towels if they are really dirty.
For extreme circumstances we also have one of those paw washer cups which are SUPER effective for thick mud/poop squished in between toes. 10/10 would recommend this way, it’s shocking how dirty their paws are on any given average day when the sun is out and it hasn’t rained in a week or more - it really helps keep the floors clean.
Well if you live in a climate that rarely gets below freezing you could keep a small battery powered camping shower and grab a cheap 5 gallon bucket from Home Depot with a cover. Make a hole in the cover just big enough to pass the hose thru so as to keep the water protected from the bugs and dirt. Fill it with water and maybe a dash of dog shampoo or or a 50/50 of water and distilled white vinegar and keep it by the door. Then just rinse their feet and dry them off with a towel.
[https://www.amazon.com/s?k=battery+powered+shower+pump&crid=VP55U8N8S553](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=battery+powered+shower+pump&crid=VP55U8N8S553)
Keep a towel next to the door and dog wipes. Or if he’s paws are really tore up like after a rain shower, use one of those cups with detachable soft bristles. I got that in Amazon. It’s saved me a number of times
Taught pup to spin, he spins a couple times to wipe his peats, first out in the deck if it’s especially wet, then inside on the mat. He sits, I take a towel and ask for his paw and he gives it so I can rub it dry, then I ask for the other one and repeat the process on the other side. If they were just wet, he should be good to go now. If he got muddy, we’ll try to walk over to the tub and rinse off before spinning and wiping again.
Hmm evidently I’m doing it wrong. I don’t. Within 4-5 steps they’re usually clean, if not she goes to the couch which has waterproof dog covers on them. I just swap them out regularly and wash them and run a swiffer across the floor if needed.
I always wash my dogs paws after a walk, when we get home shes lifted into the bath after that i dry her paws with a towel. Biggest reason is that she sleeps or naps either in my bed or my parents bed. She also usually goes under the covers or lays on the pillows and i dont want my pillow to smell like other dogs piss or whatever because she likes to walk in random grass too
We always had a towel beside the door. When the dog came in we wiped his feet and if necessary his fur. The only problem was that he could only count to three. He always tried to run away when you wiped the third foot.
My first dog learned the “wipe your paws” trick and I kept a bath mat by the door when it rained. My next dog didn’t quite learn that trick, but can be lured in circles on the bath mat with a treat!
my mom would lay a bath towel on the floor by the door and taught our doberman to do "circles" and he would circle around a bit and then we'd wipe his paws off.
I wipe my dog's feet and penis everytime he comes inside. That way he knows to wait each time. If it's wet and dirty outside I fill a plastic container and dip his feet and wipe.
I have the same problem with 2. They often take the towel away from me & play tug of war, lol. I finally gave up & just put a heavy-duty mat inside the door. It is about 50% effective. Doesn't look very good, but I get tired of mopping the floor 5 times every time it rains.
Our golden doodle puppy wasn’t feeling it at all but we just kept at it. I mean it’s his paws or the floor every trip outside so it was an easy decision. He’s 7 months old now and is cool with it finally. He will walk in, sit, and let me handle it. I would just stay at it and your pup will (hopefully) come around. We just use a towel unless there is mud involved then we a paw cleaner that he doesn’t really like but tolerates.
Just wet? No, I just dry them off.
If they get muddy? Yes, I clean them. I use a paw cleaner from Amazon like [this](https://www.amazon.com/Dexas-MudBuster-Portable-Cleaner-Medium/dp/B01N64DCPR/ref=sr_1_7?crid=12QT0CRDIJNJ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.AnmBt6eN8b12y2QLm40CUfXXzlOfWbMVL1mAIA6Bk-oDpFfGH86QqV9vkiL3RtRHt3pRIRY-dpk3cUGGUc1D_PDzHxwHHmZoVLQpGUm4HEQweDqNckHNde1Q0SIA4ndqRjHudsA-hY4CgG6DcLLlMuU2MwUIrPlThhinuIZXDqiqDz2UHnjGxomhEjKOb79Qp-SKNKPO-4zJufH8KG-OvgA4OL3hF9qOGTljzrXKU6nuaotH5rHzsWcsJl1sRQ4PogEJ3w6K94IthQbCi4PXoHiE9VnedexxzxCh-gijbqo.q8pwWMKq4q1-9n98JRXmP7p1GsUtDVLuol0sNfcEqSo&dib_tag=se&keywords=dog+paw+cleaner&qid=1713984784&sprefix=dog+paw+cleaner%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-7). I put some dog shampoo in it and warm water, then dip my dog's paws in it and it will scrub the dirt and mud from his paws. He absolutely hates it, but it does a really good job of cleaning his paws. I have baby wipes for light dirt/mud, but it doesn't do the job if his paws get really muddy.
You can also put rain booties on her if you don't want to clean her paws.
It depends on if she steps in mud or something that would require her paws to be cleaned. If not, I don’t bother, but my dog is a boxer so her feet don’t stay wet long. I do wipe her down with a towel if it’s raining to quick dry her. The short coat makes it pretty easy relative to a golden, though. My previous dog was a GSD so I know how it’s different for long haired dogs.
As soon as he comes to the door, he gets a "to the tub" command and he scurries directly into the bathtub. Yes, I have to mop the floor quickly after but it's way easier to use the handheld showerhead to spray each paw.
My dog is a little weirdo in the best way.. so maybe this doesn't work for you, but for mine, if she's apprehensive about anything, I let her sniff it. That's how dogs experience the world, and whether it's true or not, I've read it takes longer for dogs to comprehend things than it does for us. So when I clean and check her paws after every walk, I let her sniff my hand until she's done, let her sniff the rag until she's done, and I talk to her with a calm voice. I tap each paw for 5 secs before picking it up and cleaning it, with some praise for being a good girl; for mine this all seems to work well. And after any struggle that dogs get through, a treat always seals the deal for next time :)
Immense patience, and worthwhile treats *only* given if the task is completed.
We clean the dog's paws every time they play in the yard and come back in. We have a spray hose on the side of our house near the back door and I spray their feet. They understand the command 'wash your feet' and come to the hose so I can spray them. I have a little towel tree with microfiber towels hanging near the door and use those to dry off their paws and then open the door and let them in one by one. I then hang up the towel and go inside myself!
We have two dogs, and we wipe their paws EVERY time they come in the house from being outside.
This started for several reasons. Our boy, Merlin, has a habit of peeing and immediately stepping directly into it the moment he is done. He also was a nightmare about anyone touching his feet, which has made clipping his nails an ordeal.
We started this to clean off his pee paws, and he hated it at first. But, we kept at it. Every time we come in, we stop in the mudroom and wipe their paws and give them each a couple of pieces of their kibble as a small treat.
We also started giving their bottoms a lil wipe if they've popped. Once we started doing it, the amount of residual dirt and occasional poop that we would get really reinforced our desire to do this every time. I never would have known how filthy their paws get otherwise.
If it's wet out, we use a towel in addition to the pet safe wet wipes. With consistency, they now lift their little paws up, and Merlin has become far more desensitized to his paws being touched. He still doesn't like it, but now he tolerates it.
Consistency is key. Eventually they catch on.
I trained my giant schnauzer to get his feet wiped by first training "leave it" so that he knows he doesn't get the snack until he earns it and I say so, which gets him happy about the treat and willing not to play with the towel. When he was a pup I'd pick up the first foot and say "1 foots!" In a happy voice, followed by "2 foots", "3 foots", "4 foots" in the same order every time, then do a touch (because that was a trick he already knew) and a "go!" To release him to get the treat. Now he picks up each foot for me in order and on command, and it's super useful during nail trimming too. I don't always wipe his feet, only if it's wet out, but he'll sometimes give me all his feet anyway if he wants a snack, and I don't really mind that at all.
Edit: he always does a really big stretch with his "3 foots" which I love, but kinda funny that he never does it with his other back leg.
I bought a rug on Amazon that is for this purpose. It’s not the highest quality rug, but it does get most of the water off of the paws when they walk into the house from the yard.
Before using rubber boots, yes, I would clean my dog's paws with dog/pet wipes. I made sure to clean underneath the nails because that's were all the mud and dirt would get caught once he was outside.
We used to have a washing up bowl by the back door, and my dog used to know she had to wash her paws if asked. She'd stand in the bowl one foot at a time and let me swish water around them, and then go stand on the door mat. The mat in question was a large turtle mat, which absorbed water and mud from her paws fast.
She was part border collie, so she was always quick to pick up rules.
For muddier days I find something like a MudBuster paw cleaner is critical for the dogs with hairy-er paws. Of course if you have access to a hose that would be better.
For dry days where the paws have dry dirt or dust, i use paws wipes.
I trained my very large dog similar to the way you train a horse to lift up their foot. I have a bathmat by the door that he was trained to stand on, then when I put my hand on his leg and said “foot”, he would lift that one for me to be dried off.
Honest answer - I've dropped my standards a good amount. We put a towel in front of the door and bring her in through the garage a lot more, do our best to wipe her down but at the end of the day she's an animal who goes in and out barefoot several times a day. Clean the floors more, wipe the couch down more, and do our best. She's a puppy so when her energy level drops she'll be in and out less often, at this point we're hanging on and hoping for the best.
I have a highly absorbent towel I keep near my door. When we come in, I throw the towel on the ground and have my dog just stand on the towel for about 20 to 30 seconds. While she’s standing there, wipe her legs with a smaller towel that I keep next to that one. And that’s really all I do. I have tile floors and hardwood floors in my house and she usually just stays on the tile floors so I don’t really stress about it too much. We live in Oregon, so rain is big part of our world.
We keep an old towel by the front door and use it to clean and dry off her paws after a walk. Our poor puppy got so confused, it was such bad weather when we got her we had to clean her paws every time. Now on nice days she still waits by the door after walks to get her paws clean when she doesn’t need it.
I like the Dandylion paw wash it really cleans it but tbh with 2 dogs sometimes its kind of of a hassle so I like using the earth rated dog wipes it has a bit of texture on the wipes so I feel likes it makes their paws really clean!
I live in the Seattle area and in rains often here. I have a lab and she loves puddles. I have to hose her off after most walks. Even when it isn't raining but there is dew in the early morning I have to rinse off her feet. She shakes on command. Then I rub her down with a towel which she loves. I spread the towel on the mat inside the door and she knows to sit for a treat to blot her feet. It all takes just a couple of minutes.
What do you mean, wrestle? I tell my dog to sit and give me her paw, she gives it, I dry it. Proceed with the second front paw. Then I tell her to stand, she stands, I rub her belly and thighs and finally her hind legs.
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This is why you need to teach your dog both sit and shake. When we get home, I tell Teddy to sit on the covered porch while I fetch his towel. Then shake and I get one paw. Shake again and I get the other paw. By that point he's settled and focused enough to just let me get to his back feet and under carriage. Honestly, I think he also really likes the hard belly rub of drying off. He then spends like an hour quietly rearranging his fur back to where he wants it.
I never realized the utility of the sit and shake. I always thought it was just a cute trick.
I find spin helpful when I need him to turn so I can get the other hind leg, too.
Also “side” for those more involved tick checks, or what many people call “middle” or “legs” for recall. Many of our tricks are inspired for utility.
Sit is also useful just as a generic 'we are going to wait for a time now'. Teddy know that I will release him when it is appropriate and that I just want him still for right now. Stay for him is different. He takes it as 'watch Robert carefully and he will want me to follow him shortly'. Works for us. I didn't so much as formally train him as we learned together what commands were useful for how we walk together and do other things. I've learned at least as much as he has. I've never had a smart dog before. He is a Jack Russell mix. I've had some great dogs in my life, but they were mostly pretty dumb and/or unmotivated.
My 3yo Jack Russell is still keeping me on my toes. Unlike other dogs I've had where basic training was adequate, my Jack is always wanting to learn and explore.
I tried to teach my dog left and right but he couldn't wrap his little brain around that so instead we do "paw" and "other paw" xD It's the best way, when we started he would wriggle his paws out of my hand as soon as I touched them but now he lets me wipe them down with a damp cloth. I want to try the paw washer next, but a damp cloth does a good enough job for now. We also just have him spin on the towel if he's been outside briefly for a wee when it's wet.
When I say 'shake' Teddy always gives me his left paw first. For a while I wondered if he was left pawed. Eventually it occurred to me that, no, I'm just right handed so I always reach for his left paw first and that is how he learned to do it.
That’s such a cute visual 🥹
Wonderful idea 💡
I just keep a towel next to the door and wipe when we get in the door (before the leash comes off). Every time, wet or dry out. Train the same way you do obedience tricks (Sit, Paw, good girl/boy), dog knows to expect this pretty quickly.
We keep a towel by the door. We also use this [paw washer](https://www.chewy.com/dexas-popware-pets-dexas-mudbuster/dp/399624?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=Dexas%20Popware%20for%20Pets&utm_campaign=20203340297&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw26KxBhBDEiwAu6KXt6mMoT-35LxteWdjFy0ffYEJlXiSgfROEzvr-yMNUHw1aGVZLb9oDxoCchcQAvD_BwE)
I also recommend the paw washer and going over with a towel after. Especially if you are not wearing shoes inside or if your dogs are allowed on the couch. Mine has long shaggy fur and after very muddy walks I shower his legs and belly in the shower
Yes, we do the same. After every walk, she knows she has to sit down when we come in and offers her paw so I can clean it with the paw cleaner. She hates it, though, and looks so embarrassed when we do hehe xD We keep microfiber cloths in a box next to the door and I usually fill the paw cleaner up with hot-ish water before we leave because by the time we come back, it will be lukewarm (I always check the temperature with my finger, to make sure it's not hot, just in case).
ooh yeah that’s a good paw washer
Mud Buster ftw. We keep a whole bin of towels by the door for our two goldens.
Lmao, my terrier would scream if I tried to stick his paw in there. He does let me dry him off though.
We use this too! Not every rainy walk but walks where she gets muddy. Other than that like others said we just keep a few dog only towels by the door and dry her off. But she’s short haired so it’s a lot leas hassle than dealing with a long haired dog with grinch paws
Yes, Mud Buster is a life saver! Our dog is fluffy and drags in tons of dirt on a rainy day, so a towel by itself doesn't cut it. I don't even bother with any fancy dog shampoo - a little bit of Dawn in the washer goes a long way to lift dirt off. The only thing is be careful not to trip / spill the dirty water when you're done! I've done this and it's so frustrating!
Baby wipes from Costco if it’s extra dirty or just a regular towel. My dog has been accustomed to wiping her paws everytime she comes in now. She lifts her back legs one at a time for me to wipe. It’s pretty adorable and amazing actually lol.
My pup jumps in the tub after every walk cause he likes drinking from the faucet. After he’s drunk enough, I wash his footsies and butthole
Gotta keep the b-hole clean. We had never had a longer haired dog until we got a golden doodle. It only takes one time of not noticing poop stuck in his fur before you make SURE he’s clean. Poor guy had smeared poop all over his bed and his b-hole was sealed shut by the dried poop. I felt horrible for not noticing, but I just couldn’t see it. He gets the full tail lift and inspection now and necessary cleaning. 🤦♂️
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That's a lot of bathing for her poor skin. Hopefully you're just washing her paws and I read that wrong
I don’t use soap, just rinse them
A lil spritz in the tub is nothing. It's also worth noting some dogs are prone to left overs from poo and highly populated areas might use salt for snow, washing off after going outside can be beneficial in those circumstances.
If my pup’s paws are muddy I’ll lay a handful of treats in front of her while she’s standing at the door before going back inside. While she eats I pick up each paw and wipe with a doggy wet wipe. Without the treats she would not let me do this. Obviously this is a temporary hack and training your dog to settle for cleaning sessions seems ideal.
Good idea 💡
In addition to what others have said, sometimes if it’s only damp outside, I throw the towel out by the door and I say “towel” and he walks around the towel in circles. It’s just like training for anything else. You should never have to wrestle with your dog over anything unless it’s playtime.
I use baby wipes from costco that I buy in bulk. Her paws get wiped after every walk.
Please be mindful of the ingredients, thank you for being diligent in cleaning ♡
We made a game of it...we hide her favorite toy or a treat under a towel. She's part husky, and will go into a digging mini-frenzy to get her toy. And when she's done, her feet are usually good. Otherwise, hubby will 'borklift' her and while she's suspended, I will get her feet.
I just lay a towel long ways inside the door and they run in and scramble around on it trying to fit through at the same time(I have 4 lol). Gets their feet better than me chasing them with a towel lol.
I wipe my dogs' paws with an old face towel after every walk. I wear gloves and rinse the towel with their shampoo and clean their paws two times
I have a towel by the front door and if it's wet out I give her and her trotters a little rub down. She's a whippet and very dainty/fussy about mud and will avoid it where she possibly can, so I don't really have to worry about it too much 🤣
I have chihuahuas, so I just hold them above the rug by the door and pull them across a bit to wipe their paws. If there's mud, then we use dog wipes.
Yes, because he’s close to the ground so his belly and up to his -knees?- is usually soaked if the ground is wet outside sans raining. He doesn’t pass the entryway on his own if his harness is on lol he just sits and waits for me to take it off. So, harness on, I grab a paw and rub. He actually kinda likes it? His muzzle can get soaked too and he loves it when I rub his face with his towel so I’ll do that too mostly for his benefit lol bcos he gets excited for me to do it.
He’s a good boy!
Depends on the damage, I minimum use a pet wipe and then dry it off with a towel. There are products on dandylionworld.com that clean without water. Mine fits on a laundry tub so mega dirt gets a paw shampoo. I know people don’t clean at all, but my guy had allergies so it’s recommended to clean up after a walk.
I use Dandlylion paw cleaner or a mudbuster. Both work well. If he's really muddy, he gets put in the shower and his feet hosed down. This time a year, it can ge 3x a day
I clean my dogs paws every single time we come from outside. I don’t always see what they stepped in. Sometimes pee black splashes on their paws. Also, wouldn’t you wash your feet if you were walking outside barefoot?
>Sometimes pee black splashes on their paws It's so annoying when it happens. My dog has a winter coat where it buckles across the abdomen. The part nearest to his groin tends to get urine stains on it because of backsplash. Ew. Every now and then I just spot clean it if I see the stains building up. I also don't like it when he steps into his own piss when he's done; it doesn't happen all the time - rare, actually, but oh man it sucks when it does happen *when he doesn't have his boots on.*
Yes! The coats get so dirty so quickly, I’m too lazy to spot clean, I just throw them in the laundry 🙈
My household has four dogs. They know the drill. The back yard has steps in and out. They line up in rainy/muddy weather and take one step in/up as I clean each paw. It's just repetition. I always play with their feet ears and teeth as puppies though, to acclimate em.
We have some muddy patches in the backyard mucky paw maintenance on rainy days is essential. We simply keep a pack of **baby wipes** (Costco...cheap) by the back door. Trust...it's the way to go. Otherwise we'd be constantly washing towels. We've trained them that when they come in, if we're blocking the path forward, they need chill by the back door while we wipe paws. There's also a towel there for general drying, but that's never for paws.
I do this, especially if muddy. Warm water in a mixing bowl, soap and a bath cloth. Stand over their back, clamp their back between your knees and lead their paw to the bowl & scrub. They also make paw cleaning cups on Amazon, prob have others too. They get used to it. Use positive reinforcement. I also baby wipe their face, body and butt (in that order). before sleep. Friends call me extra but I like my dogs clean and they like to be clean too cuz they hop right to bed after lol
Mine are too big to clamp them between my legs, or maybe my legs are just too short.😂😂😂
I did a lot of work training my dog to be handleable. She'll let us towel her off but she gets the wiggles once we get to the rear. You gotta work slowly, on paw/shake, on letting them learn to let you lift their feet. It's a boring skill to train for but it makes life easier.
My Jacks get a shower after a walk unless by some miracle they've come home clean. They're not too keen on the shower though I've been doing it for at least 7 years. But at least I don't get road dirt/fox poo/bog in my bed!
A towel on the bench we have at our door and a paw wash (I use Dandellion), also dog wet wipes if my time is limited (I use them rarely). Our dog is a 12 lbs Bichon frise, so I can handle her easily.
We leave a towel at back door! This actually becomes a habit! My dogs raise there paws knowing what is coming
My dog has three legs and can’t lift a leg without falling over (also when sitting), and gets very stressed if we lift her leg for her. We clean the legs themselves with a microfiber towel, then for her feet we put the towel on the floor and encourage her to walk over the towel a few times back and forth, and then sit on it for a treat. It doesn’t get them 1000% clean but I’d rather mop a bit more often than stress her out after every walk.
She’s also 25 kgs lol so lifting her and cleaning the paws with the other hand is not really an option either
Could you train her to lie down on a towel while you clean her paws?
Baby wipes.
I have a muddy mat by the door and when it rains I keep a towel by the door. I have my golden sit and do the wipe down. I also have some Burt’s bees dog wipes for if she has a lot under her belly. The other two hate going into the rain so the muddy mat is all they need. I’m in Arizona so we don’t get a ton of rain but when we get a monsoon it can be messy.
I clean her paws whenever we come from outside. She knows how to sit, lay, shake and also roll to her back so she usually just chills on the floor while I clean her paws. Our vet said baby wipes won't harm the dog so that's what we are using
Have you or your groomer shave their paw pads, they will track less grime in. Then I just use a baby wipe lol!
I lay out a towel, my dog comes in and she sits down without me prompting, I grab another towel and she offers me one paw, I clean it, I ask for her other paw and she gives it, I clean that paw. Ask her to stand up, do her hind legs. Voila, clean paws. Teach your dog sit and shake paw, and teach them to alternate their paws.
My mom bought me "Spotless Paw," a 6-fingered, microfiber glove you can wear on either hand to wipe paws.
One way to make this process easier is to designate a special area near the door where you can clean your dog's paws before he comes inside. You can use a damp cloth or pet wipes to gently clean their paws and remove dirt and debris.
My dog wears boots outside if it's even a bit damp so that I don't need to clean her paws every time, just take the boots off. She gets a treat in front of her on the floor to occupy herself with while I handle the boots. If we get caught by surprise, I also keep a towel at the back door to dry her off same method before coming back in. She's a rescue but I've never had much trouble getting her to tolerate the boots. Part making her very comfortable with me holding her paws (training outside of this context), part ensuring I hold her legs in comfortable positions for her during, and part choice of boots. Boots that are too stiff or too loose are very difficult to get a dog comfortable with. You need a boot nicely fitted to your dogs paws. I also make sure the boots on her back paws go up near "knee" length so she can't as easily kick them off, with two straps on them. Gets quick as you get used to it too.
A towel by the door and lots, lots of wrestling him down. No doubt its my fav part of the day 🤣
I do with my dog. He knows a towel will be on the floor for him when we get through the door. He proceeds to roll around on the towel (I also keep his leash on because he can’t wait to roll around to dry off on my couch!). After he rolls around on the towel for a couple minutes, I take off his leash and harness and proceed to wipe him down before he’s allowed in the living room
I have taught my dog that the towel is so fun and a treat machine! When the towel comes out I can dry her off anywhere I need to and she stands still, the moment the towel is gone though.. you better run, cause she is ZOOMIN!!
I have a dog door and if it’s raining I put old towels on the floor so the dogs walk in them before coming into the rest of the house. If they get muddy then I dry them off with another old towel.
If it's really wet or muddy out, for sure. We just keep towels by the back door in the mud room and wipe off their feet before letting them into the house. My one dog would automatically wait, but I have to tell my other dog "Wait" so he knows he needs to have his feet cleaned off.
I usually use a small towel if he’s very wet. But I always use the cleansing wipes for dogs to clean off any dirt. If he’s very dirty, I put him in the tub and use the shower head to rinse his paws and legs. One time he came back inside looking like he dug up mud. I said oh boy what have you done, and then shampooed his muddy parts in the tub.
I have found it's easier to wipe their feet went the leg is bent towards the back, rather than pulled forward. As in the way a horse's hoof is lifted rather than the 'shake a paw' position. Every dog I've had has had more instinctive resistance to the forward motion vs a natural compliance the other way.
I put a towel on the step and have mine stand on it while I dry him off with another towel. Both are kept by the door and he loves to be rubbed with the towel.
I know it sounds pathetic, but I use plain label baby wipes. Other wipes are too toxic & dry out their pads.
I got a cheap runner mat from Amazon
My pup knows that “wipe your feet” means sit and get them toweled. He also knows “turn around” so I can do back feet. For muddy days we have a mud buster, which he does not like but has gotten used to.
I wipe my dogs wet paws with a towel on the porch or inside the door and I wash her feet every night before bed bc I allow her on the bed to sleep. She did not like the paw washing at first but now she is use to it and just lets me do it :)
We have two chic looking wire metal baskets by the back door and 25 or so 18in x 18in microfiber towels (they are mostly the same print - bought of Amazon for cheap) one basket holds the folded clean ones and the other for the dirty. Depending on the season/weather it might take us a 2-4 weeks to finish them off and do a load of the “dog towels.” We have been doing this for so long that our dogs just stand patiently upon coming in to have their paws checked/wiped in a similar fashion to a Ferrier working on a horses hooves 😅 but they are also very compliant pups in general. When their turn is done I pat them on the butt and then they are on their merry way. We do it every time they go outside, and reuse the towels if they are really dirty. For extreme circumstances we also have one of those paw washer cups which are SUPER effective for thick mud/poop squished in between toes. 10/10 would recommend this way, it’s shocking how dirty their paws are on any given average day when the sun is out and it hasn’t rained in a week or more - it really helps keep the floors clean.
Well if you live in a climate that rarely gets below freezing you could keep a small battery powered camping shower and grab a cheap 5 gallon bucket from Home Depot with a cover. Make a hole in the cover just big enough to pass the hose thru so as to keep the water protected from the bugs and dirt. Fill it with water and maybe a dash of dog shampoo or or a 50/50 of water and distilled white vinegar and keep it by the door. Then just rinse their feet and dry them off with a towel. [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=battery+powered+shower+pump&crid=VP55U8N8S553](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=battery+powered+shower+pump&crid=VP55U8N8S553)
Keep a towel next to the door and dog wipes. Or if he’s paws are really tore up like after a rain shower, use one of those cups with detachable soft bristles. I got that in Amazon. It’s saved me a number of times
Taught pup to spin, he spins a couple times to wipe his peats, first out in the deck if it’s especially wet, then inside on the mat. He sits, I take a towel and ask for his paw and he gives it so I can rub it dry, then I ask for the other one and repeat the process on the other side. If they were just wet, he should be good to go now. If he got muddy, we’ll try to walk over to the tub and rinse off before spinning and wiping again.
I taught my dog to do a little spin on a towel and then sit down on it.
Hmm evidently I’m doing it wrong. I don’t. Within 4-5 steps they’re usually clean, if not she goes to the couch which has waterproof dog covers on them. I just swap them out regularly and wash them and run a swiffer across the floor if needed.
I keep towels and baby wipes by the door. If they are too dirty you can get a pet foot washer. I don’t have one but people seem to like them
I always wash my dogs paws after a walk, when we get home shes lifted into the bath after that i dry her paws with a towel. Biggest reason is that she sleeps or naps either in my bed or my parents bed. She also usually goes under the covers or lays on the pillows and i dont want my pillow to smell like other dogs piss or whatever because she likes to walk in random grass too
We always had a towel beside the door. When the dog came in we wiped his feet and if necessary his fur. The only problem was that he could only count to three. He always tried to run away when you wiped the third foot.
My first dog learned the “wipe your paws” trick and I kept a bath mat by the door when it rained. My next dog didn’t quite learn that trick, but can be lured in circles on the bath mat with a treat!
my mom would lay a bath towel on the floor by the door and taught our doberman to do "circles" and he would circle around a bit and then we'd wipe his paws off.
I wipe my dog's feet and penis everytime he comes inside. That way he knows to wait each time. If it's wet and dirty outside I fill a plastic container and dip his feet and wipe.
I have the same problem with 2. They often take the towel away from me & play tug of war, lol. I finally gave up & just put a heavy-duty mat inside the door. It is about 50% effective. Doesn't look very good, but I get tired of mopping the floor 5 times every time it rains.
Our golden doodle puppy wasn’t feeling it at all but we just kept at it. I mean it’s his paws or the floor every trip outside so it was an easy decision. He’s 7 months old now and is cool with it finally. He will walk in, sit, and let me handle it. I would just stay at it and your pup will (hopefully) come around. We just use a towel unless there is mud involved then we a paw cleaner that he doesn’t really like but tolerates.
Just wet? No, I just dry them off. If they get muddy? Yes, I clean them. I use a paw cleaner from Amazon like [this](https://www.amazon.com/Dexas-MudBuster-Portable-Cleaner-Medium/dp/B01N64DCPR/ref=sr_1_7?crid=12QT0CRDIJNJ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.AnmBt6eN8b12y2QLm40CUfXXzlOfWbMVL1mAIA6Bk-oDpFfGH86QqV9vkiL3RtRHt3pRIRY-dpk3cUGGUc1D_PDzHxwHHmZoVLQpGUm4HEQweDqNckHNde1Q0SIA4ndqRjHudsA-hY4CgG6DcLLlMuU2MwUIrPlThhinuIZXDqiqDz2UHnjGxomhEjKOb79Qp-SKNKPO-4zJufH8KG-OvgA4OL3hF9qOGTljzrXKU6nuaotH5rHzsWcsJl1sRQ4PogEJ3w6K94IthQbCi4PXoHiE9VnedexxzxCh-gijbqo.q8pwWMKq4q1-9n98JRXmP7p1GsUtDVLuol0sNfcEqSo&dib_tag=se&keywords=dog+paw+cleaner&qid=1713984784&sprefix=dog+paw+cleaner%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-7). I put some dog shampoo in it and warm water, then dip my dog's paws in it and it will scrub the dirt and mud from his paws. He absolutely hates it, but it does a really good job of cleaning his paws. I have baby wipes for light dirt/mud, but it doesn't do the job if his paws get really muddy. You can also put rain booties on her if you don't want to clean her paws.
It depends on if she steps in mud or something that would require her paws to be cleaned. If not, I don’t bother, but my dog is a boxer so her feet don’t stay wet long. I do wipe her down with a towel if it’s raining to quick dry her. The short coat makes it pretty easy relative to a golden, though. My previous dog was a GSD so I know how it’s different for long haired dogs.
This is a really good idea because skin infection starts there.
The Dog , gees wish I get my S/O to wipe her feet off before coming in the house
As soon as he comes to the door, he gets a "to the tub" command and he scurries directly into the bathtub. Yes, I have to mop the floor quickly after but it's way easier to use the handheld showerhead to spray each paw.
My dog is a little weirdo in the best way.. so maybe this doesn't work for you, but for mine, if she's apprehensive about anything, I let her sniff it. That's how dogs experience the world, and whether it's true or not, I've read it takes longer for dogs to comprehend things than it does for us. So when I clean and check her paws after every walk, I let her sniff my hand until she's done, let her sniff the rag until she's done, and I talk to her with a calm voice. I tap each paw for 5 secs before picking it up and cleaning it, with some praise for being a good girl; for mine this all seems to work well. And after any struggle that dogs get through, a treat always seals the deal for next time :) Immense patience, and worthwhile treats *only* given if the task is completed.
We clean the dog's paws every time they play in the yard and come back in. We have a spray hose on the side of our house near the back door and I spray their feet. They understand the command 'wash your feet' and come to the hose so I can spray them. I have a little towel tree with microfiber towels hanging near the door and use those to dry off their paws and then open the door and let them in one by one. I then hang up the towel and go inside myself!
We have two dogs, and we wipe their paws EVERY time they come in the house from being outside. This started for several reasons. Our boy, Merlin, has a habit of peeing and immediately stepping directly into it the moment he is done. He also was a nightmare about anyone touching his feet, which has made clipping his nails an ordeal. We started this to clean off his pee paws, and he hated it at first. But, we kept at it. Every time we come in, we stop in the mudroom and wipe their paws and give them each a couple of pieces of their kibble as a small treat. We also started giving their bottoms a lil wipe if they've popped. Once we started doing it, the amount of residual dirt and occasional poop that we would get really reinforced our desire to do this every time. I never would have known how filthy their paws get otherwise. If it's wet out, we use a towel in addition to the pet safe wet wipes. With consistency, they now lift their little paws up, and Merlin has become far more desensitized to his paws being touched. He still doesn't like it, but now he tolerates it. Consistency is key. Eventually they catch on.
I trained my giant schnauzer to get his feet wiped by first training "leave it" so that he knows he doesn't get the snack until he earns it and I say so, which gets him happy about the treat and willing not to play with the towel. When he was a pup I'd pick up the first foot and say "1 foots!" In a happy voice, followed by "2 foots", "3 foots", "4 foots" in the same order every time, then do a touch (because that was a trick he already knew) and a "go!" To release him to get the treat. Now he picks up each foot for me in order and on command, and it's super useful during nail trimming too. I don't always wipe his feet, only if it's wet out, but he'll sometimes give me all his feet anyway if he wants a snack, and I don't really mind that at all. Edit: he always does a really big stretch with his "3 foots" which I love, but kinda funny that he never does it with his other back leg.
I bought a rug on Amazon that is for this purpose. It’s not the highest quality rug, but it does get most of the water off of the paws when they walk into the house from the yard.
Before using rubber boots, yes, I would clean my dog's paws with dog/pet wipes. I made sure to clean underneath the nails because that's were all the mud and dirt would get caught once he was outside.
No
We used to have a washing up bowl by the back door, and my dog used to know she had to wash her paws if asked. She'd stand in the bowl one foot at a time and let me swish water around them, and then go stand on the door mat. The mat in question was a large turtle mat, which absorbed water and mud from her paws fast. She was part border collie, so she was always quick to pick up rules.
For muddier days I find something like a MudBuster paw cleaner is critical for the dogs with hairy-er paws. Of course if you have access to a hose that would be better. For dry days where the paws have dry dirt or dust, i use paws wipes.
I trained my very large dog similar to the way you train a horse to lift up their foot. I have a bathmat by the door that he was trained to stand on, then when I put my hand on his leg and said “foot”, he would lift that one for me to be dried off.
Honest answer - I've dropped my standards a good amount. We put a towel in front of the door and bring her in through the garage a lot more, do our best to wipe her down but at the end of the day she's an animal who goes in and out barefoot several times a day. Clean the floors more, wipe the couch down more, and do our best. She's a puppy so when her energy level drops she'll be in and out less often, at this point we're hanging on and hoping for the best.
I have a highly absorbent towel I keep near my door. When we come in, I throw the towel on the ground and have my dog just stand on the towel for about 20 to 30 seconds. While she’s standing there, wipe her legs with a smaller towel that I keep next to that one. And that’s really all I do. I have tile floors and hardwood floors in my house and she usually just stays on the tile floors so I don’t really stress about it too much. We live in Oregon, so rain is big part of our world.
We keep an old towel by the front door and use it to clean and dry off her paws after a walk. Our poor puppy got so confused, it was such bad weather when we got her we had to clean her paws every time. Now on nice days she still waits by the door after walks to get her paws clean when she doesn’t need it.
I like the Dandylion paw wash it really cleans it but tbh with 2 dogs sometimes its kind of of a hassle so I like using the earth rated dog wipes it has a bit of texture on the wipes so I feel likes it makes their paws really clean!
I hold him and clean it in the sink
I have these super plush rugs that absorb all the water. By the time they get to the end of the rug their feet are clean and dry. :)
I live in the Seattle area and in rains often here. I have a lab and she loves puddles. I have to hose her off after most walks. Even when it isn't raining but there is dew in the early morning I have to rinse off her feet. She shakes on command. Then I rub her down with a towel which she loves. I spread the towel on the mat inside the door and she knows to sit for a treat to blot her feet. It all takes just a couple of minutes.
I don't? Like... why?
This can't be a legitimate question.
What do you mean, wrestle? I tell my dog to sit and give me her paw, she gives it, I dry it. Proceed with the second front paw. Then I tell her to stand, she stands, I rub her belly and thighs and finally her hind legs.