Keeping Your Dog (and Your Home) Clean

Spring is right around the corner, and while that means nature will explode with beautiful colors and the outdoors will suddenly be more enticing, it also means rain and snowmelt. If you have a dog, you know exactly what comes with the muddy mess of Spring—extra dirty dogs!

It can be a struggle year-round to keep your home clean when you have an adventurous pup, let alone keep the pup itself clean. Routinely bathing your best buddy with healthy, natural canine shampoos is one of the obvious steps to take in maintaining cleanliness, but what about smaller, day-to-day steps?

We’ve taken it upon ourselves to put together a list of key techniques that can help keep your pup (and your home) cleaner, even in the face of rain, snowmelt, and that dreaded Spring mud!

Avoid the Mess

The hardest part of cleaning might be how quickly things get dirty again—especially when the things in question have four legs and a propensity to seek out dirt, mud, and other messes. That doesn’t mean that avoiding the mess has to be impossible, though.

Your pup can be trained to follow commands and do tricks, right? Well, you can also teach them to stay at least slightly cleaner. Positive reinforcement can go a long way toward training them to examine a mess without jumping right in. So, next time your pup sees an extra-tempting mud puddle, stop them before they have the opportunity to roll around in it, give them a delicious treat, and move on from the puddle!

Non-Bath Cleanings

No, we’re not talking about a movie-esque frolic in the rain. Rather, we’re referring to pet wipes, dry shampoos, and even simple brushings. For those in-between-baths times, all three of these options can help not only reduce your pup’s stench but also keep them cleaner for longer. As with all the products you choose to give to or use on your dog, make sure that the shampoos and wipes you choose are natural and safe!

Clean Your Pup’s Belongings

Chances are you clean your own belongings pretty often. From your sheets and clothes to the floors in your home, regularly cleaning keeps everything tidy, smelling nice, and overall just better. The same is true of your dog’s things!

If your canine companion sleeps in a crate or bed night after night, dirt, hair, and other messes will accumulate. Not only will this cause those areas to smell, but it will also keep your dog—who spends a lot of time there—dirtier.

You should even clean your dog’s toys, assuming they are salvageable. Sometimes, toys are beyond saving and should be disposed of. Old, ragged toys can not only contribute to your dog’s cleanliness (or lack thereof) and dental health, but also to their overall wellbeing. Tattered toys can quickly become a choking hazard.

Dogs and messes go together like peanut butter and jelly, but that doesn’t mean you’re helplessly at the mercy of the dirt, mud, and smells. Being preemptive and consistent can greatly improve the cleanliness of your pup and your home. As always, choosing natural means to clean your dog is ideal for their happiness and safety!