How could I have forgotten about the mud !

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After 6 years of an immaculately clean collie X who wouldn't dream of going near a muddy patch or even walk on the grass when its wet,and has never required a bath, I now have a Clumber spaniel who has managed to find mud in what seemed to be a totally dry field ! His barge sized feet are plastered as are his feathers and tummy, and now the car. . Just sacrificed one of my lovely fluffy bath towels. Total culture shock! Have been looking at the towelling bag thingies for dogs, anyone got them, are they practical?
Used to have setters so was geared up for dirt and slobber many years ago and furniture and carpets chosen accordingly.
Unfortunately I now have a pale grey carpet and pale grey walls. Just as well we are on the way to summer isn't it
 
The success of the Thermatex dog bag relies completely on your dog... My retriever is great to put in a bag, she snuggles into it, the bag does its job, the dog arrives home dry and the car is clean... The spaniels are great to put in the bag, and then they forget that they are in a bag, and then they fall off where they are sitting and drag themselves around until they are out of the bag and the bag is dead.

I do sympathise - perhaps if your spaniel is still a puppy, you can bag train him/her?
 
Oh my gosh, I have never tried to bag my springer but I am already sure that she would do exactly what you describe RTE.
I have a usually* immaculate beagle, she tiptoes through any mud she absolutely can't avoid and is so fine coated it drops off anyway. She enjoys a bath and is quick and easy to dry when necessary.
Then I got a springer! Cue much bigger feet that splatter mud all up her sides even when there is none and a radar for any sort of puddle or bog. She hates being bathed and takes ages to dry.

However I never need to clip the springer's nails (thank goodness as she wriggles like mad) but the beagle's need doing frequently no matter how far we walk.

* I say usually as last night she was gleefully rolling in something very stinky!
 
Springers getting dirty?! Where on earth did you get him from?!
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The trick is to end the walk with a swim then wrap them up in a towelling robe.
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Decided after this mornings mud walk that I would put a spare bit of carpet down in the hall to collect dirt.Unfortunately I live in a terrace with a kitchen in the front so everythi ng gets tracked through the hall first. Halfway through cutting to size dog has decided to lay on it so Ive given up for now. Had a lightbulb moment that there is a gap in the market for carpet woven with paw prints on it, like the towels and bedding etc. I will email Axminster !

CT why have you cut the legs of your springer :D
 
The mud trappers make a big difference. Old towels to get the worst off and this winter I resorted to having a bowl of water by the back door to my garden/mud pit. This is with Staffords!

The bag didn't work for me. Great idea but trying to get a wriggling dirty dog into it meant that I ended up more mud on me than it was worth!
 
I sympathise! My springer could find mud in the Sahara dessert (can never remember if that's 1 s or 2)! Following this thread with interest as we don't have an outside tap and we seem to have obtained the only springer who won't swim! I used to be quite house proud. Now I stop people taking their shoes off in case they get their socks dirty (sigh)!
 
New clumber is a star, he has barely put a foot wrong in 10 days . Slightly worried by the fact that a 12" plastic ruler that I used as a boot horn has disappeared though !
 
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