[MindieRose]

I have children running in and out all day long that track in far more than little doggy paws do. If it is raining or muddy I do clean off my Golden Retrievers paws just with a dry towel because he loves to play in the water and makes a big mess. I don't worry about the germs though. I live in the country though, so my dogs don't walk in areas that any other dogs have been around. I rarely "walk" them because I have a huge fenced in backyard where they run many times a day, so they don't need the exercise. If I lived in the city I guess it would be something I might put more thought into.