Ah, cute puppies! Yes, seal the grout with a high quality product. My tile guy assured me their grout was "pretty bulletproof," but I went ahead and sealed it. It's a pain, especially on today's tiny grout lines and do be careful to remove any sealer that gets onto your tile before it dries. Maybe a washable rug or two would reduce the floor cleaning a little, you know, mop one day, wash rugs the next?

The offenders are absolutely adorable! The Mapei is a self sealing grout so I don’t think additional sealer will help. We have an outdoor fabric mat in front of our sliders outside and absorbent cloth rugs on the inside and we still get some paw prints but it’s better. I don’t know that there is a way to avoid this unless you bring the guys in through a room with a doggy wash for their feet.

My “offenders”, both currently passed out on the sectional while my new laundry room tile is going in 😁.

Also, although not on topic, I have to say that I ❤️ your furniture and light fixtures. I so want to throw over our 2-story colonial for a MCM ranch now that the youngest is away at university.

Thank you everyone!! I really appreciate the responses!

msjoan - thank you! I‘Ve been using a grout cleaner that supposedly also seals and I’m not sure it’s making much of a difference. I think I will call some sealer companies and see what they say. I bought a large ruggable rug a month ago. I havent washed it yet to see how it holds up, but so far it’s doing great. My house looks like a day care lol. I’m thinking of buying a couple more…

eaw513-thank you! Your babies are adorable!! Thank you for the compliment on the house! The furniture is just randomly placed after the tile installation…I havent had time to unload the garage and place everything. I’m just so happy to have tile installed, even if it is dirty. It was so hard to find anyting with the covid shortages!

Sammie-thank you! Yes, I’m looking into one! I did buy the tinneco s5 and that was a disaster. I had to go over the foot prints several times. It did not vacuum well. And after two uses, it started leaking pools of dirty water everywhere. It was a mess. I’m sorry because I really wanted their product to work.

Rugable rug:

I started using a "gorilla" mat both inside at doors and the runner outside on a covered porch where the dogs come in. Available on Ama zon, It's a shaggy kind of rug / runner that comes in all sizes. It is really easy to shake clean outside and washes and dries on low beautifully. Skid proof backing that is guaranteed. After 2 years they still look brand new. By the time the dogs walk across it, they really have helped the wet/dirty feet issue with our 3 big dogs on 5 acres of woods.

Thank you. I will look for it. I bought a shaggy rug for dog feet but it has no backingand ends up scrunched in the corner. It’s useless. I’m also thinking some kind of dog washing station…even if it’s just a pan with some kind of cleaner mixed with water?

Scout, my guys won’t get within a foot of a large bowl filled with water - they know it means the dreaded foot wash! I did, however, work with someone who trained her very large dog to step through a 5 gallon bucket when his feet were dirty so that is possible.

Eaw - you are probably right. And if I dont dry them, I think there will still be prints. I’m pretty sure the puppy would be good with it but not the older dog. This is what I am dealing with-everywhere!

My old laundry and kitchen tile was a mixture of white and creamy white (from the 80’s) with original unsealed grout that was grey from decades of ground in dirt. I feel your pain. I spent almost 6 years with those prints. I now have wood in the kitchen and a linen textured hex (gradations of grey) going into the laundry for that reason. I also went so far as to choose a grout called London Fog (grey with brown undertones) to further hide dirt.

When my guys get muddy and we do the whole struggle to get their feet into a bowl of WARM water we definitely have to dry them afterwards. It’s such a slog. We need to design a doggy foot wash where they walk in a path with some warm water (must be long enough to get the dirt and grit off) and finish the trek over absorbent terry cloth before entering our homes…

When a previous dog had allergies, the vet told us to wipe his feet with an unscented baby wipe when he came in after a walk. Since they don’t sweat, apparently they secrete allegens though their feet. We have continued to do that with our two current dogs. They are so used to it that they stand and wait, picking up one foot at a time. It really only takes a few seconds and helps keep the floor clean.

@eaw 513 Yes! I tried finding something like that but cannot. Or even a portable washing station. I heard those cups you put their paws in dont work well. They did let me wipe their paws down last night after a short walk (they were more interested in wrestling and getting me tangled than walking) which has helped some. It’s mostly the skidding and running around that seems to push the dirt off their pads. Just simple walking doesnt seem to dirty the floors. I’m hoping that once they grow older this won’t be a problem.

@flopsycat1 Thanks! I am going to try some baby wipes. I actually read that they do sweat through their feet and I wonder if this is part of the problem, especially since I live in a hot climate. I dont think it will solve the problem, but I think it will help. Maybe wiping + robomop is the soluntion.

scout, It’s worth giving the baby wipes a try, although I agree that it is not likely to solve the problem. We live in the desert and have seriosly reduced the amount of sand and grit tracked in by our two clowns. Good luck!

Unfortunately you installed a matte light colored floor and dirt will be noticeable on it. I have 3 dogs and we are building. My new wood floors and tile floors are medium toned and will hide dirt and their shedding. This can be a problem too, because you might be a bit slower to clean, since you don't see the dirt!

You just have to accept that this is your life with dogs! No one in our house walks around in socks because the shedding is constant and even right after vacuuming, your socks would be covered in dog hair. I don't wear black like I used to either!

Chispa, one of the benefits of owning poodles is no shedding. I’m allergic to pretty much every animal (mild asthma too) and I shouldn’t have dogs but I can tolerate, and adore, my guys. When they’re dirty I can really tell, my eyes and face itch and I start wheezing. Good thing that monthly grooming is mandatory!

scout, are they doodle mixes? Their coloring looks like that of an Old English sheepdog, but in a merle pattern?

Try wiping their paws with Wet ones for Pets.

Last comment. We use generic Walmart unscented baby wipes, which, I think, are a lot less expensive than brand name products.

@chispa - Thank you. I know there will always be some dirt. I think most of the problem is their wrestling and racing around skidding on the floor. That seems to be when the dirt comes off their feet. I also think there is something on the asphalt here because when I wipe their paws, the towel is black and oily. Maybe when they grow maybe this will be all minimized. It is really fun to watch them play, but boy are they rough! They are bergamascos. One is 6 mos and one is 1.5 yrs old. They can grow dreadlocks after a couple years of age, but I will keep them trimmed like they are.

Thank you @taliaferro! I will look for those.

Thanks @flopsycat1. I will also look at those. I may need something to neutralize oil. There is something on the asphalt in my neighborhood that is getting on their paws. It is leaving black oily footprints when their feet get wet, but maybe it’s just dirt.

You guys are great! THank you for all of the help!! BTW if you need a rug with your dogs, I am having great luck with the ruggable rug. I havent washed it yet and I’ve only had it a month, but so far it is holding up great to their rambunctious playing. Unfortunately I cant find any designs that I love for the rest of the house. :(