I don't suppose that I am the only one who is fed up with the mud. I used to have mats that absorbed most of the wet that the dogs bring in, strangely a hole was nibbled in the middle of them and I disposed them.

I am looking for a runner and a large mat for by the dog. Does anyone have any suggestions for what they use.
Quite desperate to buy something quickly.

Old towels strewn in the doorway when its really wet so they have  to walk over them on the way in. Not very elegant but effective :) With several dogs I cant get all the paws wiped on the way in.

I use Turtle Mats - see my comments on another thread here

I use a cotton bath mat over a heavy rubber backed mat to precent slipping and seepage.    The bath mats mop up wet etc really quick and are easy to launder too.    I have a few so they can be changed regularly in the winter :-)

You can buy rubber backed cotton bath mats, but they take longer to dry and in the winter this can be a real problem for me ;-)

> I use Turtle Mats

Are Turtle Mats made of cotton ? I have something similar - recommended on here many years ago and could do with another one or two. These are excellent for wet paws/feet BUT should they need washing they take days to dry if the weather is not sunny or warm and windy :-) They have worn really well and just go in the washing machine when dirty or I scrub them off under the hose. Are Turtle Mats better at drying ?? .

I dry my Turtle Mats on an airer over the boiler and find they don't take long BUT you can also put them in the tumble drier. It's also worth noting that they absorb so much dirt and damp they don't need washing too often even in this horrible weather!

I have two mats by the back door and my usual strategy is to wash the mats one at a time leaving one in place.  In the winter I tend to wash them in the evening and leave them to dry them overnight.

Bath towels as my first line of defence then onto rubber backed runner, then Karndean.

Large piece of rubber backed vetbed!

> they don't need washing too often even in this horrible weather

I try to avoid it but recent events with Bramble have forced them to be washed !! :( (Fortunately we seem to have solved that problem :) ) It's good to hear that they can be tumble dryed !! Thanks - very useful :) I've looked at their website and they have some quite cheap in their sale - but the best (to look at) are sold out ! I could really do with another four (I've got 6 outside doors - although the dogs only use three in the winter ) and the cheap mats I bought in a hurry just don't cope :(

I buy the Classic range for high dog traffic areas and keep the prettier designs for our rooms

Grey and graphite are very forgiving of muddy paws and me in my wellies!

Turtle Mat usually have a good multibuy offer at Crufts or try eBay

> Grey and graphite are very forgiving of muddy paws

Yes :) My current old mats are a brown mix which hides the mud well too :) Some of the mats on the Turtle site are light colours which is weird :) :)

> Turtle Mat usually have a good multibuy offer at Crufts or try eBay

I don't go to Crufts, but I'll have a look on Ebay :) Thanks !

I bought a large ex-contract dirt trapper mat from Splendid Pets website. They have various grades of used mats, runners etc - the type that are rented to shops and offices. Free delivery on some of them. Very pleased with my purchase.

I put old towels down too - much easier to pick up and wash - I get my older dog to lie down when she comes in - after running the hose over her outside!   That isn't as cruel as it sounds because the water pipes run the length of the house so when you turn the hose on it runs quite warm for a while!!!! 

I'm another with the old towels - at least they can be picked up and washed regularly!!  You should try living with Basset feet - thank goodness I kept the height of the grass out back, otherwise it would be a quagmire by now.

I use old towels for my two. This time of year means constant washing etc. I appreciate with a larger number of dogs you may need something more 'industrial' :-)

> much easier to pick up and wash
> at least they can be picked up and washed regularly

I promise I'm not working on commission for Turtle Mat but I do wonder why you'd think towels are easier.  Turtle Mats absorb twice as much water as a towel, don't allow the water to penetrate through the mat onto the floor surface, and are just as easy to wash.  My dog mats from their Classic range have a latex backing with is softer than the multi grip backing but both fold very easily for washing (there is a particular way of doing it).  I usually wash my mats one at a time, for my convenience, but I can easy fit both mats in the washing machine and these have a combined length of over 8ft!

My dogs have large hairy feet and all 12 paws are dry by the time they reach the end of mat one - mat two is for the shaking that happens at the other end!

The other advantage is the mats stay in situ until I'm ready to wash them and they dry whilst on the floor too.  I probably wash them once a week in the winter but since we've been decorating (and my machine has moved) I haven't washed them for two weeks - even in all this rain.  That said I do hose my dogs off outside so the water is generally clean and the only mud is the stuff they pick up in the garden rather than manure and field mud :)  I use towels to dry the dogs but if I used towels on the floor I'd have to wash them every single day (at least) and that's not really economical for me.  I'd rather buy a more expensive mat once and then save on energy and washing liquid...

Oh dear - I'd better get off my sales soap box now!!

Bath towels here too.  Quick and easy to wash, you can layer them and they dry quickly too :-)

Thanks for the heads up re Turtle Mats sale, I just bought one at 40% off.
Have wanted one for ages but just couldn't justify the price, and as Daisy has taken to coming in from the garden and shooting off upstairs to daub her lovely muddy feet on the only cream carpet in the house ( who's bright idea was that ! ) it will come in very handy.

> at least they can be picked up and washed regularly

!! One reasons why I wouldn't want to use towels :) Purely for an environmental reason, I wouldn't want to be washing constantly :( It's bad enough with the towels that I actually use for drying the dogs and I reuse them until I'm putting mud back on the dog :) :) I only have two dogs (OK - we are extremely muddy here just walking down our road/drive) - goodness only knows how many loads people with more dogs must do ?? Do you not consider the cost etc of so much washing ? ! :) Similarly the dogs' bedding doesn't get washed that frequently - but they don't mind ... :)

I think a heavy turtle mat will not be that good for the washing machine - I used to have one and I wasn't that impressed - you need a very big one really - otherwise the dogs only end up putting one paw on it and then go and shake all over the floor.  I spread several towels down and use the same towels to dry them with - just gives me a chance to take my mucky shoes and wet clothes off on the actual mat!   I keep a mop and bucket on the go all the time too.  Unfortunately I have one set of stairs going up to my work room off the utility room - I looked for a covering that would be easy to clean when we furnished the place.  However we got carpets from the seconds shop (for the whole house except for stone floors) - good carpet.  It worked out cheaper then any other floor covering we could get (bar painting the stairs only!  but now it is getting awfully grubby.  

>  think a heavy turtle mat will not be that good for the washing machine

I don't wash my mats (they're similar to a turtle mat) that often in the machine. In the summer I hose/scrub them off and leave to dry outside or wash in the machine in the winter. In between I just vacuum them when the dirt is dry. They come up fairly well and so don't need washing that often. I have a store room off of my utility room with an outside door so I bring the dogs into that first where they can be towelled off before allowed into the utility/kitchen/garden room - they aren't allowed to go any further into the house unless they are dry :) We only have two rooms (upstairs) with carpet.

I've got 4 doors to outside and it was getting beyond a joke with my usual method of bath towels/rubber back mats so I now have a big square of vet bed down (non slip variety) at each doorway and it really is better. I haven't had to wash them yet.

Nope.   I have any number of useable towels and put them in with other things I launder.   It's not as if I launder the floor towels alone!!   The cost of washing them must be pence.

I wouldn't wash filthy muddy hairy dog towels along with our clothes!! I'd have to wait till I had a full load of them - and a load of washing, even timed for 3am when the unit price is low, isn't cheap.

> I wouldn't wash filthy muddy hairy dog towels along with our clothes

Nor me :) I always have to clean the inside of the door/seal etc of hair before I can wash 'human' things :) Fortunately (or not) our tariff is the same any time of day/night :)

> I always have to clean the inside of the door/seal etc of hair before I can wash 'human' things

Ditto   although (now I think about it) apparently I'm much less fussy about the dishwasher!  I happily bung their bowls in with our stuff...

If you do want to wash the odd dog thing in with your laundry (or vice versa) - those orange wash bag things - are pretty good at keeping the hair separate.  I will sometimes wash their collars in a bag in with our stuff - although even then I'm pretty fussy about what I'd combine :)

> apparently I'm much less fussy about the dishwasher
> I happily bung their bowls in with our stuff

I do too :) Although I do rinse them first :) With the washing, it is the hair that is the main problem - it just sticks to everything, although I still wouldn't wash anything of theirs with our clothes :) :) At least our clothes start hairless, even if they don't remain so :)

I use towels, vet bed, and even a large blanket, anything to stop the dogs slipping as I have ceramic tiles in the kitchen. Be warned though - couple of months ago I caught my foot in the blanket and fell, injuring my leg quite badly. Have been having daily physio and they think I should be completely healed in a couple of months!!! The good news is that the dogs are fine and didn't slip and injure their legs, but I am now very wary of anything on the floor.

>I always have to clean the inside of the door/seal etc of hair before I can wash 'human' things :-)

and I run a rinse/refresh wash to clean the drum before I then use it for my washing.  I do have a double coated breed.

I buy the large heavy duty second hand shop type mats and runners you can get at shows.  They can always be cut down, but the 4 foot long ones wash fine in the machine.

Hahah - for starters, I always shake the floor towel outside so there are virtually no hairs on it, but it goes in with other towels, not out clothing, and I'd lay odds what's on the towels (bacteria etc.) is no worse on the dog towel, than on our towels.   Each to their own.   But I've lived with my hounds for over 40 years, and am still here (in terms of infection etc.).   I also have a fairly new 'shower' type washing machine as opposed to a 'bath' type.   eg. economical.

> I always shake the floor towel outside so there are virtually no hairs on it

What sort of dogs do you have ??? :) :) I too always shake dog bedding/towels/throws etc before washing - yes it removes some of the hair, but by no means all :) Both mine are double coated and one is having an almighty moult too atm :( I'm not bothered about infection - just don't want my clothes/sheets etc washed in mud and hair - however good the washing machine :)

>I always shake the floor towel outside so there are virtually no hairs on it

Oh, that must be wonderful! However dalmatian hairs work their way  into fabric - can even work their way into skin, like splinters - and no amount of mere shaking will shift them all.

I'm not saying shaking the towels before washing gets all the fur off - although to be honest, just walking in doesn't mean masses of hair on the floor towel in any case.   For the record I now have just one Basset (who does shed) and a Whippet (who hardly sheds at all).   The towels I use to dry them (she wears a coat) get hairy, but honestly, it's no big deal. 

I've lived with my hounds for over 40 years!!!

> >For the record I now have just one Basset (who does shed) and a Whippet (who hardly sheds at all).

That's the point those of us with double coated dogs hair is the issue.

I fill my Dyson upright each time I just go round my kitchen, with 6 of them.

It is quite the work not to have hair on everything, not allowing dogs upstairs just means I only vacuum upstairs once a week, not twice a day as downstairs.

Clothes still get hairy, but washing the machine after a dog wash helps.

On the plus side mien don't have sponge like feet and considering there are 6 of them bring little in on their feet from road walks, and the issue from garden mud has been solved by gravel and slabs. 

The cotton rubber backed mats not only stop wet, but they attract the loose hair which can then be hovered, or even better first slicker brushed off and then hovered.

My Turtle Mat arrived today, and so far, I'm very impressed.
I already had some cotton mats down, but they did very little at keeping muddy footprints at bay, we have cream floor tiles in the area at the back door, so you see every bit of muck. I just had to give my feet a quick wipe, and not a bit of mud transferred onto the tiles.
All I need do when Daisy comes in is shut the glass door so she has to stand on the mat for a few seconds, and her feet are dry.
In my house it's actually the cats who cause most mess, it doesn't seem to matter how often I brush them, there's still big clumps of fur blobbed all over the rugs.

Has anyone found any good deals on the Turtle mats ?

I got my one 40% off from Turtle themselves, I got the target spot one, I think it was £28 or there abouts.

If you want the smaller turtle mats, there is a sale on until the end of this month.
http://www.turtlemat.co.uk/sale/

I think they are great for wet muddy canine feet

My dishwasher died whilst still under warranty. The engineer came out and the pump needed replacing, he said it was full of dog hair despite me cleaning the filter regularly!  I've inherited a washing machine as the pump also went on mine, I suspect the same problem so am glad to have a workhorse dog washing machine as well, we are NEVER free of dog hair here.

As has been mentioned some feet seem to attract more dirt than others & don't find mats of much use with Bassets & the amount of dirt they bring in from walks or the water logged garden. Towels for us absorb more & can also be used to dry large feet, changed daily along with all the old tea towels to dry off & like MamaBas other bits go into the machine as well. A daily battle to keep hair to a minimum but if the odd bit comes through the wash, well it's clean LOL!  

This thread has been very interesting- so interesting it has just cost me £64 for a nice big Turtle!! Someone on here, not mentioning any names, (as I  'DAB'  :) my dog's feet on the nice new mat) should ask the makers for some commission   :)  :)

Excellent product, I washed it first as per instructions on the label, dried really quickly in the tumbler and is now working well. I put this one in the utility and the girls walk across it and usually sit for a minute or two, which we usually do with big towels. The difference is that with this mat, the hairy retriever paws are really dry. A good investment, thanks DAB and others for the recommendation!

I asked the original question and have been interested in all the replies. Kept asking husband to measure for me but he hasn't got round to it, so having had an operation and being bed bound with a laptop I am just about to order 2  turtle mats and 4 dog suits ;)

I do hope you make speedy recovery and are soon up and about. :) It is so frustrating when you are keen to get on with things and are bed bound!  Well done for starting this thread- good call -especially given the appalling weather most of us are experiencing!

Best wishes
Linda

I have just bought a brilliant large mat from a company, the same as a turtle mat but half the price. Rubber back, 5 year guarantee and 100% cotton. I have two very large, long haired double coated dogs who also have webbed feet so all the moisture and filth is tripped in about 10 times a day. This is non slip, very absorbent and saves the mud and wetness on my floor. Admittedly it goes half way up my hall but was worth every penny. I have spent a small fortune on mats over the years but this, so far, has stood the test. Also washes up nicely and goes in the tumble dryer.

Go on then tell us where you got it   :-)

http://www.flooring.uk.com/turtle-mats/?gclid=CITlhceKgLwCFRLMtAoddzYAqw :-)

Hairypooch, is it the cotton or premium one you have ?

Hi Claire, I have the cotton one, I bought the 80 x 120 size and with free next day delivery it is quite a good deal. Good quality and touch wood, looks like it will do the job nicely. Already had quite a battering and washed up well ;-)

And it doesn't make your washing machine groan ? ......off to buy one :-)

Lol, my washing machine is a large door opening 8 kilo, it coped ok but the mud/hair that was left round the door was something else...next time I will brush it off instead of just shaking it before washing...