Is there ANYTHING you can do to help prevent a muddy yard...

[Guest Anonymous]

I have 6 Labrador Retrievers that live in our house. We also have a fenced yard and a dog door installed to go straight outside into the fenced area. We always keep it closed now and just let them out when they need to go potty. Our house has always been dusty because it's all hardwood floors but now that we've had the fence installed there is nothing but dusty mud on everything and you have to dust the house daily and vacuum 2 or 3 x's daily.

Does anyone have any suggestions for the yard? It is a sloping fenced area of the yard, and they have to come around a corner and go up concrete steps to get in the house. Boy....do they fly around that corner too to get in the house, so its a mud hole on the corner.
We've been wanting to move for awhile, (a bigger house, more land).
Is everywhere we move doomed to be a mud "palace" with six big "babies"?

Thanks,
Stephanie

[ObedienceGrrl]

We only have two GSDs (big ones....120 and 110) and our yard gets to be a mud pit. But we have rules.

There is NO flying around anywhere to come in. They wait by the door....come in one foot at a time and get wiped off. NO exceptions. We have a beautiful brand new home. Only 6 months old. I refuse to have it look like crap because we have two large dogs.

I also vacumm at least once a day.....usually twice downstairs. I'm always wiping things down......but that's just me. I have to have it clean. I believe that I can have pets and have a clean house as well. We also have three indoor cats and are planning on adding another dog.

So try feet wiping....and stopping the running!!! No one runs up to the back door. And no one barges into the house without getting wiped off. Even coats get rubbed down if it is raining outside. I have a very large blue rug right in front of the door so after I get feet cleaned, we work on legs and bellies.

It's a process.....but it saves my house!!! And my off white carpet!

[Smooshie]

I have the exact same rule with my two Boxers. They know the drill. They come in one at a time and sit by the door to get their paws, legs, bellies and faces wiped. They actually enjoy getting toweled off now.My back entryway is all ceramic tile so I just sweep and damp mop it after they come in. The rest of the house stays relatively dirt free.
It would be a bit of a chore wiping 6 big dogs, but much less of a chore than having to dust/vacuum/ and mop your whole house several times a day. :D

[ObedienceGrrl]

I totally agree with Lyn that they do know the drill!

Now they offer paws, both front and back to me. I just have to squat down in front of them, and I get both front feet offered. Then I move to the back, and they lift up thier back feet for me. It probably took a few days for the front feet, and about 2 weeks to start offering the back.

Dogs are such creatures of habit! All they need is a routine and they will fall right in step!

[courtnek]

I also have hardwood floors. The back door is down a small flight of steps off the kitchen, and both the kitchen and the entryway are tiled. And yes, the dogs know to stand still and get wiped off as well. For the mud around the corners, I resolved that by digging it up and installing round patio bricks, like you'd see going across a lawn to get to an entrance. I have the same bricks on my front yard, going from the driveway to the front steps.
It actually looks nice, and it saves a lot of mud in the house, from both pets and kids.

[mouseatthebusstop]

I had my yard half flaged and half grass-the flags are nearest to the house-it saves a lot from being walked in

[imported_Debbie]

I hear you Jen, I've been paw wiping for years !!! When I first started doing it over 18yr. ago people thought I was nuts !!! :roll:
I have an enclosed back porch and when the dogs come in....before they're allowed entrance to the house they get their paws cleaned/dried off.
My old gal Nakita was so used to it she would lift her paws for wiping :angel: !!

My 3 grrlz now, know the drill (so to speak) and won't try and go in the house till they've had their paws wiped.

Gretchen is so cute cause even if I have the kitchen door open.....she won't go in till I've wiped her feet !!

I keep a nice big wicker basket out there filled with clean old towels, makes it very convenient and cuts down on dirty carpets(Butter Cream Frost) and furniture, which saves on my cleaning !! (I'm all for that !!) :lol:

[ObedienceGrrl]

Oh....and another tip....

I keep a box of baby wipes by the door!!

They are really nice to used for any muddy spots on the coat from rough play outside....and if you need some moisture for paws...there ya go!!

MUCH cheaper than the 'Doggy Wipes' you can buy in the store!!

[Guest Anonymous]

GREAT idea! I have the same problem. I have two dogs and they have all but completely detroyed the grass near the back door. My fenced area is L shaped, and the shorter part is along the back of the house and the door. I've been wiping their feet, but putting blocks or bricks down would really help the problem! Thanks for the great idea!

Amber

courtnek napisał(a):

. For the mud around the corners, I resolved that by digging it up and installing round patio bricks, like you'd see going across a lawn to get to an entrance. I have the same bricks on my front yard, going from the driveway to the front steps.
It actually looks nice, and it saves a lot of mud in the house, from both pets and kids.

[pyrless]

we have put patio bricks at the bottom of the stairs coming up the deck and that seems to help. patio bricking anywhere they tend to run, like along the fence, helps alot, as does that white gravel you can put out for paths and stuff. aside from that, we have fallen in love with wet swiffers and the bissell steam cleaner!