While the month of April has some wonderful attributes (like its lovely showers making way for the May flowers), the spring thaw and rain also deliver a lot of mud and mess. As pup parents, we know how much our pets love to get outdoors for a walk or play, but during the mud season, it can be a daily challenge to keep them- as well as everything they come in contact with -clean after an outing. But do not fret! While things may not be as pawfectly clean as we would like during this challenging time of year, check out our tips below to help make the mud season a little less messy (but still keeps the fun intact!).
Keeping dogs clean on a walk
For quick clean-ups on the go, take pet safe wipes with you wherever you go with your pup. Stash some in your car, store a supply at all main entrances of your home, and also in your carry bag during walks to quickly and easily clean your dog’s dirty feet and body.
If your dog comes home really dirty, giving them a thorough wash with dog friendly shampoo will have them squeaky clean in no time. Old towels are also handy for drying your dog after a bath, for an unexpected clean up, to put down under your pet in the car and protect your car seats, or as they step into the home.
Additionally, maintaining your pets’ nails can help prevent picking up even more mud and tracking it into the home.
Keeping your home and car clean after a muddy dog walk
Our pets are part of the family and we like to have them with us at all times, whether at home, on the road or on vacations, but muddy paw tracks are not as welcome. While at home, keep a small tray of water by the door to dip your pup’s paws as they come in.
An outdoor hose (on a gentle setting of course) can help when our pups have too much fun outside, or a small water spray bottle at the door can come in handy for a quick paw rinse or touch-up.
On the road, car cover seats work great to keep dirt at bay, or large towels can be tucked into the upholstery in a pinch as well.
Preventing your dog getting dirty on a walk
To make clean-ups as easy as possible, keep some preventative methods in mind. For rainy or wet day walks, choose paved or grassy terrain instead of a dirt path where paws are sure to sink deep into the mud. Use a sturdy collar and leash to keep control of your pup so they don’t charge off into the muck.
Alternatively, invest in a waterproof bodysuit that your dog can wear on wet/muddy walks. This will keep the majority of their body dry and mud free and the post walk clean up to a minimum.
Finally, this is where training can be key. If you can work together on your commands so they do NOT jump into the mud pit or swamp, that is a bonus. It also comes in handy during a clean-up time when they can kindly hand you their “paw”.
The Pawfit pet tracker actually features a unique command tool called Pawfit Voice to help with this. Use it to remotely recall your dog when you see them heading towards a mud patch by playing your personal command out the tracker’s speaker via the Pawfit app.
Keeping our pups clean will not only keep the muddy pawprints in the house at bay, but pets will be less likely to ingest bacteria they picked up outside on their paws, or create sore spots from excessive licking and cleaning. Clean-up time is also a good opportunity to give your pup’s paws a good check up. Of course, if you notice anything out of the ordinary (wounds or sores), it is best to contact a vet for further inspection. If you have any tips with pawsitive results to share with other Pawfit Pals, head on over to our Facebook or Instagram page.
