Muddy Mitts
It’s the mudball time of year for dogs! I have two brown dogs, when just a few months ago I had two black dogs!
While a bit of dirt never hurt the dog, it certainly doesn’t help you want to spend time with them! Try to at least wipe their paws off, and brush the mud out of their coats. The dampness of the mud can make your dog colder than you’d think when it’s lovely weather out. Mud cakes in my dogs’ paws and makes it hard for them to walk, so make sure you get it out quickly! I trim my dogs’ feet to make keeping them clean easier. Keep a towel by the kennels or in the car to save yourself some trouble.
It’s much easier to clean out of fur when the mud has dried to dust, and you can just brush it out. I’ve found a slicker or curry comb work best for my dogs. This also seems to be the worst time of year for burdock entanglements! Keep an eye out if your dog is prone to rambling in fields.
I’ve used all of the above except hoses- my hoses chronically have chew marks. I wonder why… but I’ve done the buckets and tubs for their muddy feet, as well as wiping dry with their paws.
Gotta love them!
I keep the hair trimmed between the dogs toes to lesson the amount of mud that sticks to their feet. I also use a bucket of warm water and have each of the dogs take turns standing with their front feet in the bucket. After I wash the front feet we move to the back feet. I do this outside on the deck. After they run up the steps to the back porch most of the water has run off their feet. Then I use a towel to dry the rest of the moisture. I hate the mud season!!!!!!
I agree, I don’t usually do this as much in the winter (to cold for me), but all summer long if they have been digging or in the mud, I have a hose just for them and if they are relly bad I have a 4 inch deep tub I can put them in. I have 2 schnauzers that have long furnishings and they are always after the moles in the spring and summer. This works the best for them.
When my dogs come in muddy (at least twice a day) I get the hosepipe and wash the mud off their legs and tummy. I then towel them well and lay newspaper on their beds in a heated room. Some think this is harsh in the middle of winter but hey they are quite happy to paddle in the freezing cold river so the tap doesn’t make any difference. They are much more comfortable to be clean and dried and rubbed down. I can then see if any debris is caught in their coat and any cuts they might have (which they don’t). Keeping them warm after is most important. If it’s raining hard I put a coat on them for going out to keep their backs dry, especially as one of them has 6 metal pins in his vertebra. They are very happy to run around just as fast with coats on. Rubbing them down also massages the muscles after a good romp and keeps the circulation going rubbing their legs.