10 Adorably Muddy Dogs Ready for Spring

Whether your dog loves the rain or hates it, managing muddy dogs and a clean house during mud season can be a serious challenge. But, even with the challenges, sometimes those muddy dog poses are just too precious to deny. I've picked a few of my all-time favorite muddy dog photos and included a few tips for helping us all get through this mud season with more laughs and fewer thinly-veiled ughs from the mess. 

Related: 7 Home Dog-Wash Station Ideas to Pamper Your Pooch

Consider using something like the Mud Buster to rinse off your dog's paws before you make it into your house. No, it won't do the job with this adorable, mud-loving Frenchie, but if you're just dealing with muddy paws, this can be a true game-changer for house cleaning and mud season.

Related: 13 French Bulldog Pics & Fun Facts You Probably Don't Know

Whether your dog likes to roll in the mud or is a bit more of a princess, short walks outside are easier with a little prep during mud season. Check out how to train your dog to wear booties.

If your house is like mine, with kids and animals coming through all the time, keeping the animals in and mud out can feel like a full-time job. But a few things help a lot, especially during mud season:

• Pups need their paws wiped before entering the house, and bellies, too! You'd be surprised how much muck just gets caught on belly fur.
• Kids know we have a "shoes off" policy in the house and leave them on the porch or by the door.
• We have pet wipes on hand to wipe down ears, faces, and tails, as needed.
• I've decked out our shower with a detachable shower head to make cleaning my dirty pup (and her best bud) way more targeted. 

Our pup, Liza, is a terrier like this adorable dude and likes to stick her face everywhere. If your dog is the same, consider the mud and dirt your dog is rolling in. We keep a pesticide-free garden, but certain natural garden materials, like chocolate mulch, can also be toxic for pups. Left over salt from the winter can also cause irritation, so consider what's been near the area to keep your pup comfortable and safe.

Related: Why Your Terrier's Behavior is Bold, Not Bad

As mud season starts and winter wanes, it's still important to remember the basic winter paw protection you've practiced throughout the cold months. Continue checking paws for ice balls between toes and applying paw balm if your pup doesn't wear booties. This crew is all set and ready for their paw checks!

Like winter weather dangers, mud season is a prime time of year for those itchy and icky summer issues to start popping up, too. It only takes one warm day for ticks to start emerging, so before you head out the door, make sure Fido is up to date on their flea and tick preventative. 

And while mud can be magic for playtime, irritants you can't see can lead to itchy skin or unexpected contact with seasonal allergens.  So a bath for those super-mud sessions is probably in order. However, bathing your pup more than once a month might lead to dry skin as well, so it's always a great excuse to talk to your veterinarian about what they recommend to soothe your dog's skin. 

Related: How to Use Olive Oil to Soothe Dry Dog Skin

As you and your pup sneak out more and enjoy all the muddy delights, remember that your pup probably hasn't been around others as much over the winter. Just like we got a bit rusty over quarantine about how to talk to others, our dogs can, too, so spring is a great time to revisit your knowledge of play behavior vs fight behavior and basic obedience to keep your yard intact. We all forget things from time to time, and so do our pups, so a refresher this time of year is always a great idea. 

As the weather warms and the ground thaws, consider other fun ways you and your pup can get out, enjoy the sun, and have some fun together. Just a few quick precautions can help avoid the mess and ick getting tracked into your home — or irritating your dog's skin — and can keep you both a lot happier.