The view this afternoon from my patio door
They all touched down in the big pines surrounding my yard, and sang for about half an hour. The noise was deafening, but amazing. I think they were red winged blackbirds.
This is NOT so great:
That's after ONE potty trip, and right after those mats were freshly washed. The mud out here is so frustrating - no amount of dog paw wiping or floor mats seems to help :( I am a fairly fastidious housekeeper (at least for the visible bits) and I've nearly worn out the mop. The bedroom carpet is already a lost cause and it was pretty well brand new two weeks ago.
*sigh*
It does not help when Wootie decides to surreptitiously bury his knuckle bone in the mud during a potty trip.
I'm so ashamed. Sort of. Can I go get my bone?
I wish The Food Lady was not so grumpy
They all touched down in the big pines surrounding my yard, and sang for about half an hour. The noise was deafening, but amazing. I think they were red winged blackbirds.
This is NOT so great:
That's after ONE potty trip, and right after those mats were freshly washed. The mud out here is so frustrating - no amount of dog paw wiping or floor mats seems to help :( I am a fairly fastidious housekeeper (at least for the visible bits) and I've nearly worn out the mop. The bedroom carpet is already a lost cause and it was pretty well brand new two weeks ago.
*sigh*
It does not help when Wootie decides to surreptitiously bury his knuckle bone in the mud during a potty trip.
I'm so ashamed. Sort of. Can I go get my bone?
I wish The Food Lady was not so grumpy
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30 comments:
Cool birds! At first I thought it was crows - yuck! But singing Blackbirds would be neat.
I like Woo trying to look sorry, has as if!
What about a big industrial type rubber mat & a water tub outside the door to rinse the paws?
Yin and Yang...
I also was thinking rinsing with water or wiping with wet washcloths rinsed out in a clean bucket. My dogs protest the cold water, but it keeps the house cleaner.
My other suggestion is matching your throw rug color to the mud. Oh, and buying about a zillion towels. And taking time daily to appreciate the good stuff!
Love the birds... I live in the East (USA) and our sightings of red winged blackbirds are now few and far between.
We are on clay here so our mud is an enchanting dark ocher. And it gets everywhere brcause when it dries it turns to powder.
I have about a zillion towels but also really love my steam mop and steam hand-held. the steam mop gets it up quite easily and the hand-held I use for things like door frames. I've got three Shelties (fur central) and have them trained to sit on the towels which await them as they cross the threshhold to the inside. I yell "FEET" and they all sit there and wait for me to wipe their feet. When it's really bad (like in the spring) I use baby wipes then towels. towels wash up more easily and can be line dried more quickly which saves $$$$. we had 13 inches of rain here last march. it sucked.
love your pictures and blog and DEXTER!
Try the steam mop.
suzanne
Beautiful! Can I come live with you? I'll wipe puppy paws! (:
I use a bucket of water and a washcloth outside my condo when my dogs are muddy. It's the only way I can keep the place clean! :)
AHAHAHAHA! They're adorable! Your blog updates are a highlight in my day. :) In the first photo, it looks like Donut Kitty has caused all that mud damage, making it even funnier. As for mud removal, try a tub of warm water and let them splash around for a bit-utility sink, bathtub, plastic tub, whatever you can. Or line your carpets (when it's muddy) with old sheets.
The birds are cool!! What a sight!!
I know the problem of muddy floors all too well. Plus leaves being brought into the house!!
Spreading mulch over the backyard has made a huge difference at my place. It really keeps the dirt down, and I am no longer constantly mopping the floors.
I in a stone (stones the size of nickels/quarters, so a bit bigger than pea gravel) section in my yard between the grass/mud and the door leading it. This has helped. Although, I'm as far from a fastidious house cleaner as one can get.
Would those plastic runners they sell at office supply places work in the bedroom? And maybe a cheap piece of indoor-outdoor carpeting on the vinyl floor that can just be shaken out rather than washed?
I only have one dog's wet feet and a small yard to deal with, so I'm not sure what else to suggest! Maybe boots, but then I remember your last escapade with an owie foot... maybe not.
Can you throw together a little deck outside the door and put a heavy duty exterior mat on it and teach the dogs to sit there until you wipe their paws?
As Carol said, Yin and Yang ...
I vote for a patch of sand or pea gravel outside the back door that the dogs have to walk several strides through before they get to the back door.
The birds are amazing. I am so jealous.
Beautiful pictures....oops...I think we see lots of footprints BOL
Benny & Lily
I feel your mud pain. That's what I have every year. But I have a 1/2 shower at my mudroom door. Dogs come in 1 by 1 to get legs rinsed off then patted dry - my back doth protest, but just wiping them down doesn't seem to do the trick. I also cut River's butt fur and lower paw fur VERY SHORT as she brings in the most with her coat style. :)
Welcome to rural life! Cheap, rubber lined runners from the hardware, old sheets and towels from a thrift store, baby gates or some sort of x-pen arrangement to keep them near the door when they first come in.......not pretty, but it works. My four complained bitterly at having to stay in the mud room even after I wipe their paws (to give those wet muddy furry mops-on-legs time to dry), but they've gotten used to it now.
And gravel or a deck out back also saves work.
I feel for your mud problem. The only saving grace - mud dries & you can vacuum it off the carpets later. We shampoo the carpets every spring. Every time the dogs come in...one at a time, they are dried off and then move on to the next. Makes me hate rain - I live for the freezing COLD days - less mud.
The steam mop is a gift from doG above. Also, in the bedroom just get a remnant or large area rug and toss it over the space that is getting dirty - it will save your carpet. Another posted mentioned the plastic runners from the home improvement store...excellent idea!
How about knee high booties, that way you only have to wash 16 booties rather than umpteen towels and floors?
Try a large container of water, I used a horse trough under the down spout, if they get more than just their feet muddy. If you have to clean off all of their paws put a table or bench of some sort outside your door so you don't have to bend over. You will probally have to pay a treat a paw to get them to line up for you but if you can get the other to to sit stay while they wait you will do pretty well. (I had a Siberian Husky).
That is my biggest beef about our lower mainland wet season, muddy dog paws. At our place not too bad, if they go out the front it is mainly grass (unless they get into the bark mulched gardens, messy :( Out the back and I am swiffering the kitchen floor with every toilet break, grumbling under my breath.
The small stones idea is a good one for the muddy areas. Unless you have a lot of muddy areas. Thrift stores great for cheap area rugs and towels.
Kind of makes a snowy winter seem more bearable doesn't it? But you still get the mud season..
I hear that. We keep planting grass that keeps dying and then we replant to try and get rid of the mud. It's a never-ending battle. Good Luck!
The birds are crazy! So many!
How about a rubbermaid tub, one of those low ones that can slide under a bed. You can fill it with warm water before they come in and rinse their feet off as they come in.
Good luck!
What works for us is having a kids wading pool with a few inches of water in it positioned near the door. The dogs are trained 'get in'. I turn them in a circle or two if their feet are really bad, and get them to stand while I splash water up on to their undersides if they are muddy there. The dog comes out and onto the patio to drip for a few seconds, then into the basement they go. If they are really wet they get a quick towelling. In your case, a small wood deck, large rubber mat or patch of pea gravel between the pool and the door would work. The pool water is just out of the hose, and gets changed when it gets kinda grungy. Works great for us:)
Country life does come at a price. One of them is mud. then here in the east it later becomes mudsicles.
My guys are released to run and jump into the bathtub to be hosed off. You need lots of towels and lots of scrubbing out the bathtub afterwards.
Micro fiber towels from the automotive section at Target, etc. They dry quickly, easier to use than a whole bath towel, and inexpensive.
The BEST ever for wiping mud pups.
Your new home looks wonderful!
Ruth
I feel your pain. After taking three long years to make a dog friendly backyard for 4 border collies in suburbia I feel I am an expert at heading off mud but making a yard that is both pretty and functional. For really muddy days, you might consider a fenced area of pea gravel and smallish river rock where you can release them straight away from the house. Gates stay closed when it's too muddy to go all the way out. Mulch is good too but harder to find the poo in and eventually is chewed up, grinded down or will wash away if it's on any kind of incline. It's too expensive to replace often. Second...broadcast your property widely with native grasses and forbes. These are usually not expensive and can be found on the internet. It takes a bit to get established but the grasses are tough and withstand dog traffic. I'm in Kansas so I am talking about Big Blue Stem, Virginia Rye, etc. that when trampled lays down a 7 ft swath. Great coverage for mud. This takes me through March before I start to get nervous about mud. Next...never underestimate the power of leaf litter. Yes...the leaves follow the dogs in but I would rather sweep leaves than deal with mud. I rake mine and steal the neighbors to put on paths and anywhere else that looks like it might get muddy. And if all else fails, keep some hay (not straw.It will blow around and not degrade.)around to sprinkle in the extra muddy areas if you can. Of course, I am talking about a confined area. Another item I found to be rather helpful was a rock lined small hand dug hole several inches deep, about 3 feet around, that held enough water to attract the dogs but not so deep that I couldn't line it with rocks....a shallow bowl if you will. I surrounded this with more pea gravel/river rock combo and the dogs are pretty good at washing their own feet. I'll have pictures on my blog soon. donteattherocks.com
Feel free to email with questions. I excel in sustainable, dog friendly, dog durable, landscape architecture...only by default though.
If after all these comments you are looking for small to medium river rocks throw me and email and you can get them free from the Fraser River for now. And I will guarantee your dogs will love the excursion!
amyswaterworks@telus.net
Is it possible that mulch might help?
I have found that bark chips, particularly on the areas closest to the house, make a big difference.
I have, of course, no clue what your layout is like, and mulch may be totally impractical for you.
In some situations it can seriously lessen the Mud Issue.
try just covering the floors in old sheets and towels. I know that is what MaryAnn who does rescue and also Turtle Gardens does. Sometimes that is the only way. More laundry but less mopping. Hmmm...carpets are useless in wet weather with busy dogs...
you can get the micro fibre towels at Canadian Tire since we don't have Target up in BC...
Cheryl
You must live in my yard! I have beardies and everything looks like those mats during winter.
Time for the Sham-Wow! (that's the thing Vince sells on infomercials)
It'll suck up mud, muddy water, rain and gook.
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