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We use Title mats which seem to work well and wash up nicely in the machine. We also have a stack of microfibre towels for her. Pretty much always two hanging over the kitchen radiator between now and spring.
So how do you get your dog to wipe its feet?
In all seriousness, what is the point of those over a standard barrier mat - all I see is a teenie-sized doormat? We just use a long one of these
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Barrier-Mat-Machine-Washable-Available/dp/B008JCFEYI/ref=sr_1_5?c=ts&dchild=1&keywords=Doormats&qid=1605017397&refinements=p_89%3ABarrier+Mat&s=kitchen&sr=1-5&ts_id=10709251 so there is plenty of space to get the dog in the house and keep her on the mat as we wipe her feet with an old towel.
When it's dry I vac it and once a year I blast it clean with a jet washer.
we have one of these things - paw washer they're blinking great and the dogs dont protest too much. Fill it with water, plunge in each paw a few times and they come out sparking, amazing how much crap comes off them. Pat down with a towel after and no more floor bits!
Are microfibre towels better than regular bath towels? Are they softer and kinder to the dog and get between all the crevices?
Our dogs normally covered in mud so has a rinse with the (warm water) hose then dried in the utility room which has a vinyl floor. Will a barrier mat help too?
I find the microfibre towels are usually thinner so do get between the toes better. They also drythe dog quicker and dry over the radiator quicker. Useful for a dog that gets three walks a day.
Our dog gets filthy this time of year any boggy, muddy, the stinkier water the better. My thinking is spray him down outside and get rid of the muck before he gets into the house. I dry him down with the large microfibre towels from Decathlon.
I picked this up yesterday Hozelock Porta wash I'm hoping it can double up for bike duties, I'll report back once it has arrived
We do it manually with a towel (what towel? literally any. we have a few on rotation, some nicer than others) to get the real muck off at the door. Then we close doors so the dogs can self isolate in the hard floor bit of the house (kitchen/hallway) until their paws test negative for muck, which usually only takes an hour or two.
warm hose!? ours get a standard icy blast, dont seem to mind...
then we have a couple of old towels on the go to wipe em down once inside - the back door is into a tiled utility room so not so bad... one of them barrier mats would be a good shout tho, coz they get shut in there to dry off if properly wet.
Outdoor mixer tap for ours. Not only nicer for the dog, but much nicer for me and the bikes.
paw washer
often found in teenage boys bedrooms
We just gave up and went back to the 200 year old stone floors, dry off in front of the log burner and sweep up later!
We are already in a similar place with the stonne floor etc, I dry them off when we come in, but if I can dry them off on a mat that soaks up some of it that will help. It's not an either or, its a both.
Ours has allergies that affect his paws. Also in the winter there tends to be a lot of pollutants and salts in the street etc. Sore sensitive paw pads mean he always tends to get grazes and problems from gravel, stones, thorns, grit etc. So, customarily, he gets plonked in shallow bath after a walk and paws quickly soaked/washed in water mixed with a little medicated shampoo, and then dried. It takes about 4-5 minutes all in. He very soon learned to lift his paws up one at a time to let me wash them.
If he was any bigger (he’s 10kg so gets carried to bathroom near the front door) then I’d buy an extra washing up bowl, put a little water in then train him to dip his paws before entering the house. Keep a dry handtowel nearby. It’s easy stuff. If he didn’t have paw problems and was just muddy I’d still use a simple paw-bath after walks to save on house cleaning.
Just do this, outside:
We often walk near streams so that’s the other alternative (finishing walk near a stream or big puddle)
Hoespipe outside for the worst of the mud, usually it's just on paws.
Microfibre noodle mat in the kitchen that dries paws quite well.
Dog stays in the kitchen on the noodle mat with some form of chew or Kong whilst they dry.
Could do with something for the four house cats when they come in from the 'garden' cat run. Can't see anything with water working, other than a trip to A&E for me.