...to think clean floors and dogs are incompatible?

[BigDamnNCFail]

We've just moved house. For almost two years my lovely parents put up with me, DH, the two DCs, our two dogs and two cats (they also have a cat and dog). They have a large house and the dogs spent most of the time in the 'sun lounge' so all the living room floor had to content with was the cats and kids (granted that was more than enough considering autistic kids' tendencies to throw Cheerios around mid-meltdown). The soil there is also pretty sandy so dries quickly and doesn't really track much mud inside.

In the new house, however, the garden leads straight into the dining room/living room (open plan) with some weird painted wooden floor. The soil here is regular mud and it's been raining quite a but the last few days.

AIBU to think we're never going to have clean floors except for the five minutes directly after wiping a wet towel or cloth around the place halfheartedly with my foot mopping?

Do other people with dogs and no extra room to put them in manage to have clean floors and if so how? They're big dogs (German shepherd and husky) and within seconds the floor is just covered in mud when they come in from the garden.

[0hCrepe]

This is my muckster complete with impressively strong leaf gripping drool, also reflected in the shadow. Oh they're dirty little fur bags aren't they?

[BigDamnNCFail]

Since we've moved on to dog photos since last night (quite rightly, too), I took a few pictures this morning. Even though the whole thread is about mucky floors I couldn't bring myself to include the muddy living room/dining room so put the dogs in the hall for the photos.

The husky decided that was a grand place to sleep and wasn't impressed by my pestering her to stay awake for a photo and the German shepherd is always super anxious about having her photo taken.

[Greyhorses]

I have two GSD, two cats and a tiny house.
I usually chase them around with a mop for an hour or so then get bored and give up.
We have tiled and wooden flooring, no carpets.

The hair is shocking, an hour after mopping everything is covered again.

I'm also 36 weeks pregnant and my MIL keeps asking how I am going to keep the baby hair free...I have no idea

Good job I love them!

[mogloveseggs]

I keep an old tea towel by the kitchen door and try to grab the dog when he comes in. Still have to chase him round the kitchen to wipe his feet but ds loves to clean up the footprints so that's his job bless him
Here's the pain in question in his favourite spot (as soon as dh gets out he gets on ).

[MetalMidget]

We don't tend to have issues with our dog and the floors - he's a long haired breed that sheds hair the same as humans, but I think I lose more hair than him, judging by what I vacuum up/have to remove from the rollers. -_-

We did have a terrible patch a few years back before we turfed the lawn - we'd rotovatered it, then we had a few days of horrendous rain, which left the kitchen in a right state - fortunately only temporary! We're also lucky in that our dog will delicately mince around puddles and mud (although will throw himself ecstatically into fox poo, fortunately we don't have that in the garden...)

[Victoriaplum79]

4 dogs here, so we paved over the entire back garden which keeps everything much cleaner, it's easier to pick up poop and we can hose down the yard regularly.
The hairs inside well that's another story!!!

[chickenowner]

Since getting our lovely dog I have had to lower my cleaning standards considerably! I sweep our floors every day (downstairs is all either terracotta tiles or wooden floorboards) but they still are not clean for most of the time. It used to upset/annoy me, but I'm learning to let it go...

[Junosmum]

My mum hoovered twice a day and mopped once. Every. Flipping. Day.

[pearlylum]

Dogs bring in muck. One of the reasons I don't own a dog.

[FriskyFrog]

Hosepipe and towels by the back door. Dogs washed before they get in, then towel dried once in. Not let out of the kitchen till properly dry. Helps that they have short hair. Our house is clean. It's time consuming though.
Lots of old dogs towels needed, plus extra wash loads. Also, a wet wash vax is a necessity for when the process fails!
I care less about the tumbleweeds as they are easily hoovered up, I just won't have dirt.

[BigDamnNCFail]

Sounds like the only real solution is a lot of faffing around with towels etc. Might be more realistic once the boys are older and I have more time.

[SpringerS]

I mainly keep the dogs in the kitchen but I have springer spaniels and they are like muck magnets. They don't just destroy the floor but they shake and cover the cupboard doors, washing machine and fridge in mud spatters. I have to scrub them at least twice a week in wet weather. They also seem to fill the air with dried muck so if i don't dust for a couple of days, there is a film of dust over everything. And to make matters worse, my kitchen floor is tiled with deeply grooved cream tiles. I swear I have to channel Ruby from Upstairs Downstairs and get down on my hands and knees to scrub the dirt out. It's hell.

And lastly, despite the fact that the dogs are mainly kept in the kitchen, somehow their hair gets all over the rest of the house. I do love them but they make so much more work than my toddler.

[SpringerS]

On the plus side, studies do show that children who grow up in houses where dogs track mud all over the place have significantly lower incidences of allergies and 6 times less incidence of common childhood ailments like ear infections, sore throats, colds, etc. So as annoying as it is to have to constantly clean or live with dirt, it does actually have a positive impact on our children's health.

[almostthirty]

I bought a brilliant magic mat, but the dog ate it

[landrover]

Dog pics are fab!! I miss my dog but am indeed getting used to a cleaner house!! (Im guessing it doesn't smell like it used to either!!!) When the dog gets up and leaves a circle of dried dirt on the floor!

[hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman]

This is not a spaniel, it is a fecking sponge. Luckily the dogs have to come across quite a large patio before they come in the back door and we use a big turtle mat right by their dog flap which seems to solve most of the problem. Our collie is a bit of a little flower and doesn't like the feel of wet grass under her paws so mostly stays off the lawn in the winter months.

[BigDamnNCFail]

I bought a brilliant magic mat, but the dog ate it

I'm glad I'd just finished my tea before reading that or I fear I would have had a laptop covered in tea.

[Dunkling]

We're semi rural so lots of mud. and the back door leads directly into the family room.

We have trained our goldie to sleep off her walk lying on a huge bath sheet. She now knows what is expected of her as soon as she sees it is down, and stays on it until she is dry, and actually loves it.

Clean floors here!

[Dunkling]

.... and Bob The Cat joins her too!!

[SquidgeyMidgey]

I bought a brilliant magic mat, but the dog ate it

((Landrover))

My mucky-footed dog, hard at work...

[MissBeaHaving]

We've a decked area after the lawn but still end up with mud tracked through,had enough now so will be doing away with the lawn over the next few weeks.

Here's my solution for now ....

[MissBeaHaving]

Here's the other fella... Not such a big clean up job with him at least

[Madbengalmum]

Turtle mats and before dog comes in wipe her feet, i have very clean floors.

[Madbengalmum]

Heres my puppy too..

[TimeToMuskUp]

This is the fool spaniel who enjoys a regular roll in puddles, mud, fox poop and, if there's one available, cow pats. She is close friends with our local dog groomer because last time I tried to bath her in a human bath the house reached Def Con 4 and she still stank of shite.

We have a towel hanging at the back door and one of those absorbent mats, plus a stair gate on the utility room door so she stays in there til she's dry. Between her, the two DCs and 4 cats I have no hope, I'm looking forwards to when they all go to Hogwarts/Uni/Borstal.