Dogs and dirt

gidget1978

gidget1978

Cathlete
Uh, I am getting so tired of it, to the point I want to sit down and cry.
We have 2 dogs,one 10m old puppy and one 8 yr old.And we don't have a very big backyard so the space we did have was filled with sand in order to put the pool up.Now the pool is gone and all thats left is a sand box for the puppy.You should see the holes. I will clean his paws when he comes in but obviously not very well.There are bits of sand everywhere in the house.I clean the floor twice and week and sweep about 2 x a day and that only keeps in clean for the moment.
I just got home from working a night shift and I had to clean the floors before I go to bed.I try not to let things bother me b/c sometimes we can get worked up over the smallest stuff.
Is there anyway around this? Is there anyway I can teach him not to dig although I know it is a normal trait for a dog.I hate winter and it is getting to the point where I can't wait for the snow to come so it will cover up the dirt in the backyard.
I am thinking about letting them use the front lawn and go out with them.Im gonna have to to keep my sanitiy.
Lori:)
 
How about putting up a runnng kennel for him? My BF wanted to do this for YEARS and I resisted. I gave in several years ago and it was athe BEST thing that we have ever done for/with our dogs!

We have a very small yard too and we basically made a running kennel from one side to the other with one gate. They go in there, run, do their "business", etc. and I clean it every couple of days. They don't get into trouble, are contained, don't dig, etc. and they really can't bother anyone that way either, other than with their barks. Plus, it keeps the waste contained and easy to find (to remove). This idea keeps everyone safe and them out of trouble! It's a great thing when I need to leave them unattended in the yard.

The cost was about $200. We bought a kit at Home Depot that was a square kennel. We used our exisitng fence as the back side and manuevered it to make the kennel longer by using the back side of the kennel for length on the front side (I hope that makes sense). If you buy it in pieces, it is much more expensive.

I cannot tell you what a GREAT thing this is and remember, I was the person in my house that never wanted it ;)

Other than that, the only other suggestion is to only allow the dogs into one contained room while they are messy. My dogs have a little back room that they come into in bad weather and I put up a baby gate to contain them until they are dry and clean to come in the house.

I've come home to that mess before so I feel your pain!

EDITED b/c I type too fast :eek:
 
Do you just wipe his paws down, or do you rinse them. My dog loves to dig and she gets into our nice black Illinois dirt in the flower gardens. I take a bucket of warm water out(even in the winter) and she is even trained now to lift her paws and let me put them in the bucket and swish them really good to get it all out. I also bring an old towel out and rub them down. She is part golden part sheltie and has lots of hair on her feet, and I am able to keep the amount of dirt down(now hair, no). It takes time, but that is part of having a dog I guess.
 
Lori, I have no advice but I feel your pain! Just wanted to offer moral support and hugs, I know how frustrating it is! (I have a toddler, and believe me, I wish I could put him in a kennel run! :p)

Missy
 
Lori,

I know how you feel! I sweep. I vacuum. I wash. Doesn't matter. Floors don't stay clean for long! I have stopped worrying about it so much. It's not worth it. I immediately clean up any obvious mess from mud or big chunks of dirt that Clyde may bring in but for the regular daily grime he leaves behind (plus his hair!!!), I don't let it fluster me anymore. It gets done when it gets done! :)
 
Thanks girls for all of your suggestions. I love them dearly and wouldn't trade them for the world and someday I may even be wishing they were around to make my floors messy, but right now, I feel a nervous breakdown comming on:eek: I can't just let it go b/c you know what bothers me? When I get in bed and I can even feel bits of sand in my bed from our feet!x( The fur doesn't bother me that much anymore, its more controllable and when I sweep its gona for a while.But most times this dirt, I sweep it up and I can walk into the same room I just swept and I can still feel it under my feet.
I think its to late in the year to build a kennel but I will keep that in mind when we build a bigger house, or buy.Its only for another couple of weeks and then the snow should be here.
I think I am going to do the warm water rinse when he comes in the door.He is a great puppy and is so full of life and makes us laugh non stop.He is also the kind of dog you can leave outdoors all day and he is o.k...but this is the problem! He keeps himself occupied!
Thanks again, I think I just needed to vent more then anything.Thanks for listening to me whine!
Lori:)
 
If he's digging in the same place, you can sprinkle Cheyenne Pepper, but if he digs every where that won't work. I feel your frustration. I have an aussie who's five and still loves to entertain herself. Just this week she dragged 2 large lawn trash bags full of grass clippings out to the middle of the yard and ripped them up. I had to pickup the grass twice before it was trash day and I could finally take them to the curb. We always say to her," It's a good thing you're so cute otherwise you would be gone."

Jean
 
I wonder if you could "dust bust" his paws or something real quick. We lived in the country with dirt for 4 years so I feel your pain!!

I have one shown below who loves to cool down in MUD PUDDLES :( Oh well at least his coat is short and easy to dry!

120624454.jpg
 
cute picture Colleen. I have 2 diggers as well. I can totally relate to the sand in the bed. I usually fill in their holes once a day. I have a big fenced in back yard for them to run in, but for some reason, they enjoy digging.
 
Lori,

I used to have a couple of dachshunds and it's not possible for them to STOP digging--LOL! I mean, that's just what dachsies do. I put a big rug in front of the door and I kept an old, big bath towel nearby, so as soon as the dogs came inside they got their feet wiped off. I didn't use water to wash them--I just wiped them off and that seemed to do the trick. Hey, it could be worse. At least your dig didn't barf up a mole on your family room carpet:eek: ;(

Michele
 
A trick that I read about is to put some of the dog's feces into the dug hole and cover it up. Something about they don't like the smell of their own feces.

This really worked for us. I was amazed.
 
Hi,

I have 3 dogs, two australian sheppards and a doberman. I've always had dogs and always will. I know that stopping digging isn't easy, but are they getting enough exercise? My main problem is not digging its the trash. I notice that when they don't go for a run /walk with me at least twice a week the incidents with the trash increase. A friend once told me that dogs need the opportunity to run and sniff and I really believe that's true.

I used to fret about the house, but now I just do what I can. We re- did our kitchen, where the dogs go in and out of, and put down the best verigated tan/brown/off white textured tile. It's great! You can't see the dirt. Also, a wet deep piled rug or towel on top of the normal mat by the door helps remove some of the dirt on their feet. I've become too lazy to bucket their feet, although I used to.

Tracy
 
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