# So annoying, how do you keep them clean?



## eiksaa (Jun 8, 2012)

Gustave has just started walking outside and EVERY single walk is a nightmare for me. We come back from our short 5 min walk and his paws are dirty, all the hair around his paws is black, his mouth is completely black, etc. 

Do you just learn to live with the fact that your fluff won't stay clean I once you start walking him? Should I groom him a certain way to avoid atleast the blackness on his leg hair? Do you wipe your fluffs after walks?Will he stop trying to sniff the ground and have a cleaner mouth as he gets older? Oh, SMers, I need some wisdom. Help!


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

When they go outside there is not much you can do and it depends also where you are walking him. Charlie runs mostly only in our yard and his paws are grey in no time. We are in the desert and everything gets dusty fast. The only way to keep them clean is to wash the paws and face each time you come from a walk.


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## munchkn8835 (May 23, 2010)

I try to wipe him off with a warm washcloth after he comes in. Especially with his allergies!


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Maltese that go outside do get dirty, but it is so good for them physically and mentally it is worth the extra work IMO. Bailey LOVES rain and splashing in puddles so I just deal with it and let him have fun.

"Paw dips" work well for us. I make a weak solution of a little shampoo and lots of water and dunk Bailey's feet when they get grubby, then towel dry them. 

Face washings with Spa Lavish on a warm washcloth work well, too, and also help with tear staining.

Brushing everyday really does remove a lot of the dirt.

I bathe Bailey every 7-10 days. If he's gonna play, he has to pay!


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## sassy's mommy (Aug 29, 2005)

I am on the other side of the fence here. Sassy has never been an outside fluff. She uses a potty box and gets her exercise running around inside. When she goes out she is either being held or else she is in her stroller.


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## educ8m (May 19, 2010)

Mine love playing outside! We go for a walk in the park everyday, and they love exploring in the back yard. Every so often they find something fascinating to dig at with their noses in the dirt. Yes, their faces and paws get dirty, but I like letting them "be dogs" every so often. I just wash their paws and face each day. If I want them to stay clean for awhile (like right after a bath or after I've paid big bucks to have them groomed) I keep them out of the grass except to potty. They stay fairly clean walking on the paved park path.


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

I think that Maltese like people, need fresh air and exercise. They do get dirty , but brushing them daily, wiping off their feet and daily face wash will keep them clean enough until the weekly bath. I would go crazy staying inside and I know my fluffs would too! There is nothing like watching them go running through the yard, chasing squirrels, and rolling around.I admit if it's raining we're all inside!!! Dewey was in heaven his first time out, smelling everything .


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## .13124 (Jun 1, 2012)

I only have a problem with Cici when she walks on wet grass or newly mowed grass LOL. 
It really just depends where you walk your little Gustave, if you don't want to keep cleaning him you could try different grounds? like try grass or at the park (just make sure it's not wet). Cici's paws don't get extremely dirty after walks in my neighborhood, but when they do I just give them a quick wash. 
Does Gustave have the hair between his paws shaved? I had Cici's paws cut in a "teddy bear paw" shape, so they're nice and trimmed, and so is the hair between her paws. I find that easier to keep clean than when she had long hairy paws. 
You could also try putting some booties on him. I tried little socks from Petsmart but didn't even get to use them outside, because as soon as I put them on inside and she walked like two feet, the socks started sliding right off. But there's different types of booties, I'm sure some must work on malteses' hairy paws LOL. 
Wash cloths are also good.. It might not take away the dirty color from the coat, but it will clean and have your little furball smelling clean . When I'm too lazy to wash cici's paws I just use the wipes:innocent:


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## shellbeme (Mar 1, 2011)

We don't have sidewalks to take here, so we have to walk down a blacktop road. I hate that when we come back Tucker's paws are gray. The only ways I know of to avoid it are shoes and maybe leggings (if you can find those). As for the face, I try not to let the boys stick their faces where I know it's going to be nasty-sometimes it's unavoidable though and that's why we have spa lavish face wash.

Honestly I don't walk them near as much as I feel they should be, because I don't want either of us getting hit by a car coming down the road heh-and the above mentioned reasons.


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## eiksaa (Jun 8, 2012)

Yes, I walk him on the dirty, filthy streets of Los Angeles. I live in an apartment so we don't have a yard. 

I really won't ever stop taking him outside just from the fear of getting dirty. Only looking for tips on staying somewhat clean. 

Could someone explain the spa lavish washcloth process please?


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## Sylie (Apr 4, 2011)

I have to confess that I avoid taking them out on the street. I used to get MiMi all clean and beautiful and take her to town to meet people. But then she would be all gray and filthy. Now, I only let her walk on the street just before a bath. My poor baby suffers for beauty...but I suffered for beauty for 30 years. Shucks.


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## .13124 (Jun 1, 2012)

Spa lavish is like a face wash for our babies  you can get it from a local boutique or online at amazon, entirely pets, or any other place you can find it . It smells like blueberry:wub:. You just use a wet wash cloth or a water bottle to get their face wet then rub it a little bit of spa lavish and massage their face, then wash it off with water or a wet wash cloth . There's different ways to do it, it just depends which one your baby is more comfortable with 


Sent from Cici🐶 & Nora👩
❤💋


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## eiksaa (Jun 8, 2012)

Do you dilute it and then rub on their face like shampoo? Or do you put it on the washcloth and rub that? Sorry I am being an idiot. 


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Ladysmom said:


> Maltese that go outside do get dirty, but it is so good for them physically and mentally it is worth the extra work IMO. Bailey LOVES rain and splashing in puddles so I just deal with it and let him have fun.
> 
> "Paw dips" work well for us. I make a weak solution of a little shampoo and lots of water and dunk Bailey's feet when they get grubby, then towel dry them.
> 
> ...


:goodpost:
That's pretty much what we do. We walk on NYC streets :w00t: and I find if there hasn't been much rain, Tyler gets very dirty. If the rain has cleaned the streets, not so bad. But if he's really dirty I take him right to the sink for a foot bath, that often goes halfway up his leg. I towel him dry and let him run inside.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

eiksaa said:


> Yes, I walk him on the dirty, filthy streets of Los Angeles. I live in an apartment so we don't have a yard.
> 
> I really won't ever stop taking him outside just from the fear of getting dirty. Only looking for tips on staying somewhat clean.
> 
> ...


I put a dab of Spa Lavish on a baby washcloth, soak the washcloth in water and scrub Bailey's face.

Spa Lavish Pet Facial Scrub (8 oz)


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## hoaloha (Jan 27, 2012)

I take Obi on walks very frequently too. I am very particular about his feet being clean-- we (humans) even take our shoes off indoors. I wash them with shampoo (or dish soap if they are extra grimey) and rinse under the sink. If he's just running around our backyard, i use an antibacterial wipe or baby wipe to clean the feet. 

I use Spa Lavish Facial scrub as well for Obi but probably every other day. He's not a big "put everything outside in your mouth" kinda guy or maybe because I tell him "leave it" sternly if he tries! I either put a very small amount on my finger or thin washcloth and massage it in and use a separate wet washcloth to rinse it off. Then, leave-in conditioner as it can dry out the hair.

I let him go extra dirty crazy on bath day


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## reanut1379 (Oct 10, 2011)

I tried so hard to keep Sophie from getting all dirty, but I eventually had to give in to her puppy playfullness. Now I just clean her paws with a shampoo and water mix whenever she gets dirty. I give her baths every 10-14 days or so as well.


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## .13124 (Jun 1, 2012)

eiksaa said:


> Do you dilute it and then rub on their face like shampoo? Or do you put it on the washcloth and rub that? Sorry I am being an idiot.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using PG Free


I used to dilute it and put it in a syringe, but now I just use a very small pea size dab on my finger and massage it under her eyes and around the muzzle, I just get the hair wet first so it's easier to spread around. To wash it out I use warm water in one of those bottles they sell at stores to put ketchup or mustard in it, I'm not sure what they're called, like a squeeze bottle. So I can easily squeez water on Cici's face and I don't get it in her eyes or nose (which is what she hates). There's different methods, you could just a washcloth or sometimes when Cici is being a rebel about the squirt bottle, I just get some warm water in a small bowl, and use a cotton ball to get her face wet, and then to rinse her face I do the same. This method works really well because the cotton balls can absorb a lot of water, but they're small and won't freak out the dog, so I use this when she's hyper or just not going to let me have it my way, because it relaxes her, she ever falls asleep with her head on my hand LOL. 


Sent from Cici🐶 & Nora👩
❤💋


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## eiksaa (Jun 8, 2012)

Thank you guys. I love the ketchup bottle idea. 


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## hoaloha (Jan 27, 2012)

eiksaa said:


> Thank you guys. I love the ketchup bottle idea.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using PG Free


you can go to Sally Beauty Supply as well and they have great bottles for cheap (go to the section for hair coloring)


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## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

sassy's mommy said:


> I am on the other side of the fence here. Sassy has never been an outside fluff. She uses a potty box and gets her exercise running around inside. When she goes out she is either being held or else she is in her stroller.


Mine, too, Pat..I do have my deck enclosed so they can "go outside". Occasionally, I will walk them when the weather is nice, but they are all so small, they get tired easily and want to ride in the stroller..:wub:


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## eiksaa (Jun 8, 2012)

Gustave loves going outside. He just finds a patch of grass and lays down while I worry about how dirty the grass might be. I guess I'll just learn to live with it. And use the tips you guys gave me. Gustave says thanks!


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## Marzena (Sep 6, 2012)

Hi everyone. I was just planning to research the site to see if anyone has an advice on keeping our doggies clean after walks and yes there is a thread that answers just that . I started taking Teddy for walks and in just two days he turned from a white fluff into a grey one... And his bath is due on Monday... We live in NYC and the streets here are crazy dirty but I would really like Teddy to be able to walk every day so I am going to use all the tips I've learnt here to try to keep him clean


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

Archie goes for a long walk every day....yes, he get dirty, but he gets a bath every week. If he get extra dirty, I wash him sooner. 


All m pups get a bath weekly. ....well except for the chi's,....they are every few weeks.

The dirty feet seem to look cleaner a while after their walk. :blush::innocent: but don't listen to me....I have 6 dogs to keep clean.... :HistericalSmiley:


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## Rocks (Jul 9, 2012)

I have a Louie dog here, he loves to roll around in the garage, on the grass wet or dry. I pretty much let him have fun so he gets dirty and smelly. He doesn't mind and I think he actually prefers it. His fur isn't perfect, but he is happy and healthy. I knew when I got him he didn't want to be primped like a show dog, he wanted to roll in dirt and play, me too! We both like getting dirty in the garage so we make a good team. The way I see it the wet grass cleans the garage dirt off his paws, lol


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## wkomorow (Aug 26, 2011)

I put boots on Lucky, he does not like it, but we use it when he goes for walks. We only walk on nice days - he is an indoor fluff.


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## eiksaa (Jun 8, 2012)

So cute! Where did you get the boots?


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## Grace'sMom (Feb 22, 2012)

I joke that Grace's real name is Harriet.... Dirty Harriet :innocent:

She LOVES the MUD... but only sprinkler mud. Not rain mud. Apparently there is a difference.... my little Mudlet is very mud specific.

She also LOVES to lay in the dirt, roll in the dirt, and rub her face in the dirt.

She doesn't get to do walks... 

They both get really dirty quickly just being in the yard... but because of Gussy's allergies we have to do baths at least every other day, sometimes every day. So they are actually really very clean....

Other than bathing them more often.. it will be hard. Little dogs are closer to the ground, so just by walking they pick up more than a big dog would.


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## Holly'sMom (Oct 8, 2012)

eiksaa said:


> Gustave has just started walking outside and EVERY single walk is a nightmare for me. We come back from our short 5 min walk and his paws are dirty, all the hair around his paws is black, his mouth is completely black, etc.
> 
> Do you just learn to live with the fact that your fluff won't stay clean I once you start walking him? Should I groom him a certain way to avoid atleast the blackness on his leg hair? Do you wipe your fluffs after walks?Will he stop trying to sniff the ground and have a cleaner mouth as he gets older? Oh, SMers, I need some wisdom. Help!
> 
> ...


Hi, I am Connie and I am Holly's Mom. I understand how annoying it is when you just bathe them or get them groomed and one trip out and their feet are black ~ I think the benefits of being outside and getting to run around in the fresh air outweighs putting up with the dirt. Dogs that get outside time I think are happier and healthier.

I have two suggestions: 1. I either run alittle water in the sink with some soapy water and dip her feet in up to her ankles and then just towel dry or I keep puppy baby wipes and wipe them off one at a time!

I have found a great disposable Booty that dogs barely notice are on their feet because they are very thin, but waterproof. *They are white and have two little* *elastic bands on each side of the ankle.* I use them for very rainy, or muddy, or snowy days ...to keep Holly's feet dry, and she doesn't mind walking out when it's really cold and wet so much. Sometimes you have to make sure one doesn't fall off, so pull it up good.... and make sure to tuck the elastic around the ankle good. They can wear one pair for weeks and when they wear a hole in them or elastic breaks just replace with one fresh booty from the package. They also have skid proof bottoms.

These booty's keep their feet completely clean and dry! They aren't like regular doggie booties, as they don't seem to realize they have them on, and after awhile in the winter, she will hold her feet up for me to put them on. Holly will not wear regular doggie boots or shoe types, but these are great> *You can find them online or at most Petsmart* *stores.* *They are by "Simple Solution", and they are called* *Nooby's Disposable Booties.* *The package is blue and white and they come in different sizes. They come with 8 booties in a pack.*


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## totallytotontuffy (May 16, 2007)

No matter the conditions outside, both of the T's need paw washes when we come back inside. Whatever allergens there must be, Toto will chew his front paws like crazy if I don't. 

The tops of Tuffy's paws seem to get dirtier than the bottom of her two front feet, I mean super dirty like she is wearing spats. I've tried to figure this out since she was a puppy, like, does she walk on the top of her feet or what? 

So after walks we have our routine, right in the sink they go (one at a time.) They have no say in the matter and I have no choice. The upside is that I imagine the carpet underneath my bed is measurably cleaner than some of my neighbors who own dogs who don't get paw washes. :HistericalSmiley:


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## priyasutty (Oct 15, 2010)

I use the waterless shampoo daily after walks. It's easy and less stressful on the babies too.


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## Holly'sMom (Oct 8, 2012)

aprilb said:


> Mine, too, Pat..I do have my deck enclosed so they can "go outside". Occasionally, I will walk them when the weather is nice, but they are all so small, they get tired easily and want to ride in the stroller..:wub:


April, I love your little girl's pink house shown in the pic to the left. I know this is off topic about paws, but could I ask where you found the little pink house type doggie bed?? It's adorable, and I have never seen anything like it ~

You girls are so beautiful .....and so sweet sitting altogether! This makes me want to get Holly a canine friend. I have 3 kitties, whom I had before her and they are all buds with her but she can't really play with them the way she would like to, ha.

Take care.


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