What to do with muddy pet tracks! No, don’t tie up your dog outside until the rain stops!

I love dogs – especially big lovable dogs like Golden Retrievers!  I’ve had 3: Nugget, MacGyver, and Indy.  We co-parent Jaclyn’s precious Radar when she’s out of town (that’s what empty-nesters do when they don’t have grandchildren!).  But, I don’t love the dirt, sand, and mud that they track into my house and ruin my hardwood floors and stain my white carpets!  And when it rains, I get nutted up about them tracking muddy footprints all over the house – especially when people have to remove their shoes before entering! That’s why I made a pet mud rug!

After unsuccessfully trying to wipe their paws before they entered the house through the doggy door, I came up with a plan.  Using 4 old towels, I laid 1 towel down as the base and then I folded three towels creating 3-inch loops over the base towel.  [insert photos of sewing and various phases of the project]. I broke a few needles until I found a leather needle that could handle the thickness, and I also used nylon thread so that it would hold up in the wash.  Sewing each row between the loops did get a little challenging towards the end when the towels got bulky and heavy. 

When I laid the pet mud rug in front of the doggie door yesterday, Radar came in with his wet, muddy paws and it soaked up the mess from his paws as he walked across it.  When he stepped onto the hardwood floor, he didn’t leave a footprint!  It worked!  And my pet mud rug didn’t cost me a penny!

Here’s how you make it:

1.  Sew the towel edges on both ends. 

2.  Pin 1st towel loops in place.  Adjust as needed. Stitch.

3.  Pin 2nd towel loops in place. Adjust as needed. Stitch.

4.  Pin the 3rd towel loops in place. Adjust as needed between the 2nd towel and the right edge.

All set! Hope for rain so you can try out your new pet mud rug!