When I bought my house a few years ago, before I worked for a pet insurance company, I spent a good deal of time choosing the perfect shade of laminate flooring for my kitchen and dining room.
It had to be dark to complement the cupboards, but not too red. And it couldn’t be too light, because then it would compete with the countertops. I settled on a lovely shade with a fancy name... and then I adopted a dog.
Ever since then, especially in the spring, my floors have been more of a Mud Bog Brown or a Dusty Gray. I’ve been at a loss when it comes to keeping them shiny and clean. Obviously, I want a happy dog, and leaving her inside all day isn’t the best option for good dog health.
Thankfully, our Facebook friends have some great tips. Here are five ways you can keep muddy dog footprints at bay:
1. Use lots of rugs
Rafaela of Colorado recommends laying down rugs anywhere muddy paws might land. We like this idea, especially if those rugs are machine-washable.
2. Hang on to the winter booties
In Missouri, Dallas lets her dogs continue to wear their winter booties into spring. As long as you can get those booties off between the muddy outdoors and your floors, there’s no floor or dog clean-up needed at all.
3. Baby your dogs
Lorali of Maryland recommends using unscented baby wipes to clean off muddy paws after every outing. Keep a tub of them by the door and your pups will not only have clean feet, but conditioned pads that are protected against cracking. Cracked paw pads can be a real dog health concern – left untreated, they may become infected and require veterinary care.
4. Double up
In Texas, Frankie has a welcome mat outside, an extra piece of carpet inside, and a carpet shampooer nearby just in case.
5. Look the other way
Jill from Idaho recommends ignoring the dirt till summer unless guests are expected, and jokes, “Then we’ll decide if they’re worthy of the time it takes us to clean up.” She does make a good point, though. How many hours a day can we be expected to mop our floors? Kristen seconds that, saying, “Mostly I just close my eyes.”
Whether you choose to clean daily or look the other way, you can feel good knowing your dog will be happier and healthier when allowed to run and play, even in the mud. Before you know it, we’ll all be chilling in front of air conditioners and wishing for cooler weather!