Easy Hacks To Stop Dog Tracks

Depending on the season, or where you live, muddy paws can be a constant in your house. There’s nothing worse than cleaning the whole house only to look down at your pup’s paws and realize you’re in for a muddy mess.

But don’t fret just yet! There are some easy hacks you can try out to save you some time and stress when dealing with your dog’s love for tracking mud in the house.

Create a Paw Washing Station

• While your dog is playing outside, fill a bowl or container with some warm water
• Have a soft wash-cloth or sponge ready
• Get a few clean towels for drying off
• Lay a larger towel down to protect the floor where your dog will be stepping
• Have a spray bottle handy if it’s just a quick clean up
• You may also use this set up outside by replacing the bowl or container with a hose

Keep the Fur Around Your Dog’s Paws and Nails Trimmed

• Excess fur can keep mud clinging to your pup
• Reduce the amount of mud by trimming your dog’s fur regularly and at an appropriate length for their breed
• Dog’s nails cake up a lot of dirt and mud underneath, trimming them will reduce the build up

Use This Opportunity to Practice Commands

• “Paw” is a basic command most dogs learn that will be useful to clean up their muddy legs
• Dogs are also responsive to “sit”, “stay”, “come” which will help with practicing commands during wash time
• You may try rewarding your dog with a small treat after so they associate commands and paw washes positively

Bring Paw Wipes for On-The-Go

• When you’re traveling or on-the-go you likely don’t have access to a wash station so get some paw wipes for a quick and easy clean up
• Paw wipes will easily slip into your travel bag so you can make sure your dog or any messed they track up are cleaned

Covering Up Your Pup’s Paws

• Dog boots may seem silly, but if you live in a rainy and muddy area, they may be a good idea to prevent constant paw cleaning
• If you live in an apartment, try a carrier to transport your dog to make sure you don’t track any mud into the lobby
• If you don’t want to create or buy a paw wash station, you can pick up your dog in a towel and bring them to the bathroom to wash off their muddy paws

Living with a dog means mud tracks are almost inevitable, but with these hacks you can easily find better solutions to maintaining cleaning your pup’s muddy paws without risking their outdoor fun! Muddy prints are sometimes frustrating, but they remind us of all the happy times of our pooch’s playtime!