The four-legged canine engineers here at PawerLab love going for walks. We understand that our humans enjoy many benefits of going with us. A long walk in the park is a win-win!

Who doesn’t love the freedom they feel from bouncing back in the door after a good walk in the park or the woods? But if our human forgets to clean our paws, the fun feelings can disappear, especially if our dirty paws track debris and dirt across clean carpets.

My canine friends have wondered if our humans understand how important it is to keep our paws clean. It can also be helpful if they know how to clean them properly.

Keeping our paws clean is a big part of caring for canine family members, and it’s important for good hygiene. We want to talk about how to clean a dog’s paws to make sure they stay healthy. Here are five tips to help keep my paws clean.

Paw Cleaning Tips

Tip 1: Regular Paw Cleaning is Important

Being consistent with paw care is super important for canine family members. It’s actually more important than just making sure mud doesn’t get tracked through the house.

Regular paw cleaning is the perfect opportunity to check my paws for ticks, scrapes, and cuts. It also helps prevent bacteria from building up and reduces infections like canine pododermatitis.

Tip 2: Adjusting Paw Cleaning to a Routine

Dogs vary in size and breed. Both their size and breed influence how much a dog may exercise and what type of exercise they enjoy. An adult border collie, like me, needs about 90 minutes of rigorous activity each canine pododermatitis
day. That means my dog paws need to be cleaned every day after coming in from outdoors.

This makes sure they are clean and free from harmful bacteria.

Canine paw maintenance often needs to be adjusted to the seasons and climate. Bitter cold winter weather and hot summer days can be tough on our paws.

Dogs who spend most of their time indoors will not need their paws cleaned as often as border collies like I do.

Tip 3: Use Safe Products to Clean Canine Paws

It’s important to keep paws clean, but it’s also important to use the right products. For example, baby wipes are not safe to use on dog paws! Even though they are safe for human babies, they can cause problems for dog paws.

Using all-natural dog wipes is the safest way to clean paws.
Pawer Dog Wipes are all-natural, eco-friendly and safe for your dog. They are also durable, yet soft and comfortable on the paws.

Tip 4: Plan Ahead

If paw cleaning becomes part of the household routine, it is easy to plan ahead. Make sure to keep all the things needed in one place so they are easy to find. Keeping dog wipes with bathing supplies makes it easier and faster to grab what is needed.

For many humans, it may be easiest to keep the paw wipes and a pet towel in the same location by the most used door.

Tip 5: Distraction Works

I enjoy having my paws cleaned, but some of my canine buddies do not. Our human caregivers may find it easier to provide a distraction if needed. Keeping treats or favorite toys handy can provide a great distraction while our paws are being cleaned.

About the Author: Hazel

Hazel is the head engineer at Pawer Lab where he works to develop and test our pup-focused products. He enjoys simple things in life and a good walk in the park. When Hazel is not working, he enjoys fetching tennis balls, riding in the car, and stalking delivery professionals.