Goldendoodle Paws and Mud
I love dogs. Always have. In fact, there isn’t a day of my life where I haven’t had a dog as a part of my family. However, I have never known wet and muddy paws to be such a big issue until I became a Goldendoodle mom to my beautiful Juno. Goldendoodles are a mix between a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. The result is a dog that has hair, not fur, and that hair acts like velcro. I even call her my Velcro pup sometimes for two reasons. One, she is always by my side and two, everything sticks to her!
Whenever we are outdoors, the environment just seems to cling to her and her fluffy Goldendoodle paws.
Goldendoodle Paws by Season
- In WINTER, it’s the snow. We come in and she has snowballs all over her paws, up her legs, and on her belly. According to other Goldendoodle owners, a metal whisk works magically to remove the snowballs from Goldendoodle hair. I bought one, but haven’t tried it yet. It’s been so cold that the snow isn’t wet enough to stick to her right now.
- In FALL, it is the leaves, twigs, dry grass, and other environmental debris. Whether Juno is running around in a field or just going for a walk in the neighbourhood, it seems like her hair just collects any loose dirt and foliage that has hit the ground.
- In SUMMER, it’s the sand from the beach. It adheres to her and it takes some work to get it out of her hair. I always ensure to be well-equipped with Cowboy Magic shampoo, detangular & shine, and conditioner. After my goldendoodle is nice and clean, I use my Chris Christensen slicker brush (very pricey but so worth it), and a metal comb to ensure her fur is beautiful and mat and tangle free.
- The WORST though, is the SPRING. When it rains, my backyard is left with these muddy areas that my Goldendoodle just loves to stand in, or on occasion, DIG!!! This is an absolute nightmare, as she then comes into the house with very muddy paws and legs. Of course, I could give her a bath, but she goes in and out of the house so many times a day, that I simply wouldn’t have time to do anything else. Plus, bathing a dog too often depletes its skin of essential oils and can affect its coat. It did take some trial and error, but I finally found a solution to the neverending muddy Goldendoodle paws of wet spring days.
My Four-Step Muddy Goldendoodle Paw Solution
You may be wondering how I deal with the mud that inevitably accumulates on my Goldendoodle’s paws without having to dunk her into the bathtub each and every time she comes in from the muddy outdoors. My solution is a multi-step one that I will share with you here.
- First, I keep Juno’s hair cut short during wet and muddy seasons. It is much more difficult to clean long or shaggy hair than it is to clean hair that has been clipped short. If you prefer a shaggier look, make sure, at the very least, to have your Goldendoodle’s paws manicured shorter so they are neat and tidy. Otherwise, mud will easily accumulate in the long hair between the pads of the feet and be really tricky to extract.
- My holy grail of all things amazing for Juno is the MUD BUSTER. I love this product. It truly is a lifesaver for getting my Goldendoodle’s paws and legs clean. If you haven’t tried one, I strongly urge you to give it a try. The Mud Buster is a tall BPA-free cup with gentle silicone bristles that removes the dirt and mud into the cup instead of into your house. To use, add a little water, insert a muddy paw, do the twist, and repeat for 3 more paws. Depending on how dirty each paw is, you may wish to refill it with fresh water between paws. The Mud Buster comes in different sizes, so choose the one that is suitable for your dog. In fact, I use the Mud Buster so often that my Goldendoodle Juno automatically lifts a paw when she sees that I have it ready to clean her. I strongly suggest you pick up this product. It is an absolute game-changer!
Pro-tip – The Mud Buster works brilliantly for melting snowballs off Godlendoodle paws and legs in the winter. It is also great for Goldendoodles that are allergic to grass.
3. I usually use the Mud Buster prior to Juno coming indoors. This way I can have Juno’s Dog Gone Smart Dirty Dog Doormat waiting for her once she is inside. This mat is a dream at soaking up the water from wet paws. The Dirty Dog Doormat has a GSM absorption rate of 3000, whereas the competitors only have a GSM absorption rate of 900-1500. The doormat is rugged, durable, and has a non-slip backing which makes drying Juno’s clean, wet paws really easy. Juno has been trained to stand on the mat while I take the time to towel dry each foot and ankle, while the Dirty Dog Doormat works at absorbing much of the moisture between the pads and bottom of her paws.
Pro-tip: I also use the Dirty Dog Doormat after baths. It’s the perfect bath mat to have on the floor when taking a wet Goldendoodle out of the tub!
4. My final step in making sure Juno’s paws are clean and dry is to use my Dirty Dog Shammy. The original Dirty Dog Shammy is ultra-absorbent and made of microfiber. The quick-drying towel has convenient hand pockets for wet dog handling and grip. It is perfect for after a bath, a walk in the rain, or a swim in the lake. I use it after the Mud Buster because it’s so absorbent and it dries Juno’s clean paws in record time. The Dirty Dog Shammy is made from the same materials as the Dirty Dog Doormat. In addition, it dries 8 times faster than a standard towel. The super-soft microfiber is easy on fur and skin and the two handles make drying off your Goldendoodle really easy. Also, it is machine washable!
Final Thoughts
There’s no doubt that a Goldendoodle requires more care when it comes to grooming. Whatever the season, keeping a Goldendoodle’s hair clean and dry is imperative in preventing it from matting and tracking debris into the house. For wet or muddy Goldendoodle paws, my four-step approach is effective and fast. Along with tidily groomed paws, my Goldendoodle’s wet and muddy paw recommendations are must-have products that I wouldn’t want to be without.
Happy Tail Wags xo
Money can buy you a fine dog, but only love can make him wag his tail.
Kinky Friendman
Our friends at the horse farm had a Goldendoodle. I certainly noticed that if my Rotties get dirty, it stays mostly on the surface of their fur and mostly comes off by itself when it dries. On their Goldendoodle buddy, though, tI seems to penetrate all the way to the skin and into the hair.
LOVE the Mud-Buster! They also work great for dogs with allergies to grass – a quick foot bath before bed each night does wonders with itchy paws!
Brilliant idea! Thanks for sharing. I think I will add it to the post so others can learn from this as well. Thank you.
I LOVE the idea of a metal whisk for snowberries! I’m definitely adding that to my toolkit. My dog, Henry, is a rescue cockapoo, and everything sticks in his fur too. Those shammy mats are amazing and a great saver for muddy and dirty feet. I always have a towel in my car and by the door, just in case there’s too much dirt or water or Henry. 🤣
Let me know how the whisk works for you!
Cool products! I have a papillon with super long fur. EVERYTHING sticks too it! Although I’m always a bit hesitant to spend money on new products to try with him now that he’s 13 and pretty set in his ways. I’d love to try the mud buster cup with him, but I doubt he’d be cooperative.
These are great tips that I think will work well for my Maltese. I’m going to buy her a small mud buster cup.
The Mud-Buster is a game-changer.
My girl Phoebe has the same kind of hair, everything sticks to it & it matts easily. That mud buster cup looks cool, but the wire whisk seems scary, I imagine it getting stuck in the hair. Let us know how that works out!
I’ve talked to several doodle owners and they love the whisk. I don’t think it really touches the hair. It just takes all the snowballs off the surface. I can’t wait to try. I’ll update once I am able to test it out!