How to Teach a Dog to Wipe Their Paws [Video + Steps] | Pupford

No matter the season or where you live... dogs' paws sure get dirty! Their paws can track a lot into the house, from mud to sand to questionable surfaces and everything in between. It honestly can be really hard to keep a house clean with dogs! But it is doable. One way to help is to teach your dog to wipe their paws when they come inside!

In this quick video, Kaylin shows you how to teach your dog to wipe their paws with a few easy steps.

TEACH A DOG TO WIPE THEIR PAWS VIDEO

TOOLS YOU'LL NEED

🧺 A towel or door mat (without looped threads that your dog’s claws could get stuck on!)

👍 A clicker (or a verbal marker word like “yes!)

🥩 Lots of tasty treats

Now, let's look at how to teach this behavior. 👇

🐶 Don't miss out! Learn dozens of new tricks to teach your dog with the Trick Training Course. Get started here! 🐶

STEPS FOR TRAINING A DOG TO WIPE THEIR PAWS

1. Place a treat under a towel; mark (click or say “yes”) and reward (give a treat) when your dog digs at the towel
2. Encourage your dog to dig at the towel without putting a treat under it; mark and reward!
3. When your dog is consistently digging at the towel, add a hand signal and/or verbal cue like “dig” just before they wipe their paws

Make sure you share with us if you teach your dog this trick!

🎥: @lunathetrickdog

KEEP YOUR DOG'S PAWS CLEAN

While wiping paws is great, it won't remove all dirt, especially from hard-to-reach areas. To keep your dog's paws clean, you'll want to take the time to properly care for your dog's paws. Check out tips for caring for dog paws here.

Protect, soothe, and enrich your pup's paws with a paw balm. Here's what Makayla had to say about our Butter Up: Paw Balm for Dogs.

"I love that this product has simple ingredients and is so so hydrating! After just one use my husband came home and noted that the dog's paws felt considerably softer! I was even able to use this on my dog's leg after it was shaved for his neuter and was very dry and itchy. Highly recommend this product!"

Related Reading: Why Do Dogs Put Their Paws On You?

TEACH A DOG TO WIPE PAWS RECAP

Teaching your dog to wipe their paws not only can keep your house clean, but it can also make for a fun party trick! As a reminder, start small and remember to reward incremental improvements and progress with this trick.

Does your dog know this trick? Tell us when you have your dog do it in the comments!

And if you're looking for even more fun tricks for your dog, check out our Trick Training Courses, part of Pupford Academy. Learn more here!

🐶 Don't miss out! Learn dozens of new tricks to teach your dog with the Trick Training Course. Get started here! 🐶