We got a much needed heavy rain here a couple of nights ago and have had a muddy yard since. This Austin soil is something to get used to compared to Fl sand. It's heavy clay/rock and does not drain well and forget digging a hole for gardening.....that requires power equiptment! But back to my rant....Barnum and Bailey always bring some of the yard back inside with them during their dozen trips in and out each day but OMG mud sucks!!!! Of course, as puppies they don't just get muddy paws but do the full body roll:( I have a Rumba vaccum which helps but I think the next step is taking muddy paw print samples and getting Home Depot to match it for paint. They are ANIMALS!
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mud, Mud, MUD!
Welcome to the Dallas/Ft Worth/Austin black clay soil. It has to be the worst kind of soil for people with dogs and i've lived here my entire life :-( All my four-legged kids know they're not coming back into the house without first tolerating the "Foot Washing Ceremony" in a bucket of warm water, which can be a real back-breaker by the time you get to the last dog or two. the last time it rained, i was dog-sitting Suzy too, so that meant 20 muddy feet and 90 muddy toenails (yes, even muddy dewclaws) to wash each time they went out - ouch. i've considered concreting the yard and painting it green ;-) at this year's DaneFest, i noticed Lea had put down a layer of hay in the muddy parts of her yards - seems a really good idea! you can usually buy hay at any feed store so i plan to try it to and hope it will work. bales of straw should work too. it probably wouldn't entirely solve the problem, but anything that helps would be worth the price! if you decide to try this, please lmk if it works for you, and i'll do the same. Good Luck~!
doris
Hey that is a great idea...
...and I'm desperate! that would work well for me because I have one area that is a little lower and shadier. But ya know....the neighbors just may start talking.....'she really does have horses'! And the bucket of warm water is better than dry towel thing i've been doing which just smear the mud down deep into their fur.
hay/straw
use the straw, it should be cheaper. hay is what horses eat so it's more expensive.
we've always made our dogs (including fosters and weekend stayovers) get their feet wiped before they're allowed in the house. we also have a rug outside on the patio that traps some of the mess (it's a throw-away). our yard is mostly grass so we don't get a whole lot of mud but when they dig, they get the paws in the bucket treatment. and yes, you have to get between the toes and under the nails. especially if you're bad parents like we are and don't keep their nails short enough.
we use old beach towels too since they're easy to wash.
nobody said being owned by danes was going to be pretty, or good for you house lol.
just in case any of us start feeling sorry for ourselves, think about the louisianna herd. i'm pretty sure they're bound for sainthood.
cheap rugs
I went to biglots and bought cheap rug runners (I also got some at Factory2U) and layed them in the garage in front of the dog door... that way they have to trot down the rugs prior to coming in th ehouse.... I also bought those no skid rug pads... on bad days I lay them down with beach towels on them so when they come in they walk on that... it is easier to wipe their feet and just throw them in the wash....
I also think somebody here has boots for their dog????? Luna???? I could winn $1,000 for the video of me trying to get boots on Mocha
the long rug/ beach towel would work...
...well for me. I have a rather small one (they step over it) so I can see how a longer one would be more practical. I don't think my pups would be boot savvy.
lol
And the messes only get bigger as they do :)
kim
Mom to Furgus & Mazy!