To buy my dog shoes? Lighthearted

[FGSholdthedoor]

Sorry posting on here for traffic, I didn't know which topic would be better.

I have a small house and a small(ish) dog.
I've just had my fabric sofas professionally cleaned and I have also bought a new rug for the lounge as we are expecting a baby soon and the floor is tiled so needed something to cushion it.

Only problem is the dog at this time of the year! As the house is small the door to the back garden is in the lounge so the immediate mess/mud etc ends up in there once she comes back in from being let outside. Her favourite used to be to jump straight on the sofa and leave paw prints if she was wet/muddy but I've now stopped her from doing that. However I'm worried about her running straight in and over the grey rug that will soon turn black

AIBU to buy her wellies she has to take off once she gets back in?

YANBU for the comedy value alone.
My first name here was Dogs in Boots so I might be biased.
They are funny though.

Good luck with that. I have a dog with a sore paw here and NOTHING stays on.
Maybe a dirt catcher rug or put a towel down? I have a dog washing up bowl for washing feet! Either that or invest in a dog shower!

They're good suggestions @Wolfiefan showers out of the question I'm afraid as I'm not going to go outside everytime my dog wants to come back in from the garden to wash her paws (especially not with newborn).

Also struggling with keeping towels etc by the door as its a teeny tiny room and every bit of clutter makes it look terrible, I also have the image of a toddler getting their hands on and chewing up a dog towel 

I'm glad you like it @OstentatiousWanking and may I say what a great name !

Buy her slippers for indoors

I feel your pain. Giant breed. Garden looks like I'm trying to recreate the no mans land of ww era. She has a bandage on her foot and I'm trying to keep that dry and clean too.

I had our small garden completely decked for this reason.

Ddog used to do zoomies around the crappy bit of grass we had. Come in clarted in mud. Lived with it 6 months then had decking put down.

It's also a lot easier to keep free of dog mess. With the best will in the world and even watching for poos and picking up immediately the grass/mud got pretty shitty a few times after a tummy bug. Much easier with a hard surface.

@Soubriquet slippers for indoors that's brilliant!

Do you think she'd enjoy seasonal ones?

I bought our old westie slipper socks

He was old and arthritic and we had all wooden floors so I wanted to improve his stability a bit. He happily wore them and they worked so I'd do it.
That said our current boy sleeps upstairs with DD and comes to have his PJ's on before he goes to bed. He's a bit of a wimp for a terrier though 😂

I'd love dog wellies. I'd want a drawstring top so he couldn't piss in his own boots.

I'm pretty certain they don't make those in wolfhound sizes!!

I just wipe my dogs feet with an old towel when he comes inside, he is used to it and holds each leg up one at a time.

Something like this? But you'd have to catch him at the door.....

www.innerwolf.co.uk/dry-dog-bag.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInP-BlrLS1wIV7ZPtCh0bBgyUEAQYDiABEgI0G_D_BwE

You can train your dog to wipe its paws at the door

It is fairly simple and you can find videos on YouTube

You put a mat or towel by the door and hide treats under it, so the dog has to paw at the mat to Uncover it but wipes it’s feet at the same time

While it’s pawing, you give a ‘wipe’ command and soon enough, it will do it without a treat underneath

Turtlemats are your friend (shoes don't stay on) - if you can get DDog to stand on it for literally a few seconds after coming indoors the wet & dirt will be soaked up. And they can be washed & tumble-dried! If only I could also get cats to stand still...

I saw a great fat Labrador wearing what looked like tiny purple operating theatre overshoes on the heath the other day. Poor beast looked ridiculous.

We hose ours off before it’s allowed in.

@Sparechange Genius.

I suffer the exact same issue. I can see muddy paw prints on the wooden floor right now. The towel just walked over does nothing. But the treat thing might work. I'm sure I can still teach a 13 year old a new trick because I have done recently... he now knows to to polietly ask to get up on the bed.

*13 year old dog. Not son.

Could you put a baby gate/pen type thing around the door on the inside? Then when the dog comes back into the house it can't race straight onto the rug with muddy feet and you can have a towel ready for cleaning paws before release back into the house?

The Christmas boots are quite sweet though, but I've never known a dog to tolerate them.

We paved a section of the garden and only let the dogs onto that.

I am seriously considering getting my dog boots as it’s the second time this year he’s cut his paws on glass. He’s depressed being all bandaged up in the cone of shame.

I recommend fake grass for mud-free garden. My dog won’t use our garden as a loo, so we have a hose outside and a towel inside the door which takes care of park mud. Being a Labrador he doesn’t really mind the cold shower.

@Runssometimes if you can train him to wear them then these kind of things are very good:

www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/gf-pet-all-terrain-dog-booties-large

Dog walking boots are very much a thing. Great when it's icy to protect paws from grit and salt too. Might look a bit daft, but much better than a vets bill.

YANBU especially if your dog walks like (makes me laugh every time)

I have a mud magnetic of a Labrador. She does not get in the house until I am ready for her and waiting with an old towel to dry her off. If I was you I would have a big washable mat by the door then only let her come in when you are ready to wipe her down. Kept a hold of her collar until you are done then let go. When you have your baby sort it out before the dog is allowed in.