Muddy Paws

[Mike, Cedar and Reno]

It's still summer, but the rainy season approacheth here in the Pacific NW.  Cedar's paws are mud magnets.  Right now I just hose her off after the hikes we take every day.  I thought I would pick the brains of others who had gone through muddy paw syndrome.  That hair just attracts mud.  My golden retriever/yellow lab Maggie(lost her last Oct.) was pretty easy to do with the short hair on her feet.  I did have boots for her that I used when we hiked places with sharp rocks(obsidian), but they didn't stay on(Ruffwear boots).  I was wonder if anyone had a muddy paw secret.  Should I shear her feet.  That would make her look really weird.  I "muck-luck" feet the way they are, but if it makes daily life simpler.  What have others done to combat this?

 

Mike

[F, Calla & Luca]

I just towel the dogs off on the porch. If they are really bad I put them in their crates to dry off. The mud does literally fall off when dry. Some people use those paw dipping gizmos, there are discussions about them, but to me they seem like more work: )

Here's one discussion:

http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/has-anyone-tried-the?comme...

[Kathy]

Hi Mike -
Google "paw plunger".  Definite must have.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

I ordered one as well. Thanks for the idea!

[BG and Gavin]

I just dry Gavin's paws the best I can and have him lie on a towel in the kitchen until he is dry.  Then as F. has already stated, the mud just seems to disappear.  I don't get too worried about wet paws on the carpet anyway as when that dries it is easily vacuumed up too.

[Mike, Cedar and Reno]

I'll look the paw plunger up .. thanks.  I've always used the stack of towels at the back door.  I hike literally every day, rain or shine.  Short hair wasn't too big a deal, but the mud magnets on Cedar are a different story.

[Mike, Cedar and Reno]

Okay .. just got the "paw plunger" on ebay.  I like trying new things anyway.  I don't want to have resort to shaving the lower leg.

[Bonnie and Kona]

Because I have started grooming my own dogs, I took the advice in this group to buy a dog blow dryer. Every single morning, Owen gets muddy up to his knees. I either rinse his feet off and blow them dry or just use the dryer to blow the dirt out depending how bad it is. I am so grateful for this appliance. It has made life so much better with a piggy for a dog. (Our other doodle is pristine. Go figure?)

[Mike, Cedar and Reno]

What kind of dryer do you have?  Is it huge or like a regular hair dryer?  I've been grooming Cedar too although she's still pretty much a pup.  She does have lots of hair though and I've sheared her a couple of times(leave the hair at about 2" on the thick parts.  I haven't touched her lower legs except for the trimming around the feet.  I thought about a dryer for the rainy days this winter.  The trail I hike is a rain forest trail .. lots of moss and ferns, muddy in winter months.

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

Sounds like it is time for "Doodle Toes"

Poodles have "Poodle Feet" which in grooming terms means naked feet. I make my dog's toes naked and let the coat right behind the toes flop over. Sort of like a comb over, but gravity helps this one.

Make sure all the hair is trimmed out of the pad underneath the foot. Trim on top of the web and all around the toenails. This reduces muddy feet quite a bit. You can use a product to protect the pads. There are quite a few on the market.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

I live in the Pacific NW (Portland area) and I know what you mean about the muddy winters... especially LAST winter/spring. So wet... It was so bad that I NEVER let Lucy out in our fenced back yard without being on leash, otherwise she'd be just one big mud ball when she came in. In fact, for potty breaks, I took her out to the front side of our house where we have pea gravel. All her walks were done on the pavement (sidewalks throughout our neighboorhood), making cleaning feet relatively easy. For those times she got really muddy, she'd go straight into our downstairs shower stall for a good foot shampooing and rinse. We've installed a hand-held spray nozzle just for that purpose, as well as a groomer's noose that has a suction cup to attach to the shower wall (otherwise Lucy could run out of the stall when we'd least expect it). We also have a set of Muttluks (the tall version) and they stay on Lucy's feet quite well. The trick is not to buy them too big, and cinch the velcro up good and tight. I've only used those in snowy conditions though, and not in muddy conditions.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

A few more things... Lucy's mud doesn't just 'fall off' when dry. I think it has to do with the hair type (Lucy's is more wooly). Our carpets are dirtier than they've ever been from Lucy tracking in dirt (even though I clean her feet with a baby wet wipe every time after a walk... even in summer. The hardwoods are easy enough to clean, but the carpets are another story. The dirt doesn't just vacuum up. Keeping the hair short on the BOTTOM of the feet helps. I'll never shave Lucy's feet entirely. I think its too poodle-y.

[Mike, Cedar and Reno]

It does rain here, huh?  Maggie was pretty easy to keep clean with the short hair around the paws.  I've attached her picture of her.  She was a great dog, but so too is Cedar.  Cedar's light colored lower legs become black after a mud hike.  I did get the "Paw Plunger" & hope that helps with the chore of cleaning hair quickly.  Right now I use a stack of dog towels.  I think I may try the Ultra Paws boots.  They have double velcro straps.  Taking the boots off at the door, just like I have to do.  We walk anywhere from 1 to 6 miles every day.  It's a great trail & I'm about the only person who uses it ... muddy though.  A picture of the trail is attached also.  This was taken last fall about a block from my house.