If your Shiba Inu likes the outdoors, or treads the streets in the rain, you need to make sure you clean his paws, once he returns. A paw dog cleaner/washer will make it possible for you to avoid a mess in your house and will also make cleaning you Shiba’s paws much easier. The following products highlight some of the amenities associated with these dog paw cleaning devices.
A portable paw washer is a bristled cup you fill with a little water, dip one paw into, and twist so the soft bristles scrub out mud and grit, then wipe dry. It is the fastest way to clean a Shiba's feet after a muddy walk without a full bath, and the good ones are spill-resistant enough to keep in the car or by the door. Pick one sized to your dog's paw, with soft silicone or rubber bristles, a watertight lid if you travel with it, and parts that come apart for cleaning. The washer handles dirt. It does not fix a paw problem, so if your Shiba is limping, licking one foot raw, or has cracked pads, that is a vet visit, not a cleaning job.
The short version, in four parts:
- A paw washer is a bristled cup of water you dip and twist to scrub each paw.
- Choose the right size, soft bristles, a spill-resistant lid, and easy-clean parts.
- Always dry between the toes afterward, since trapped moisture breeds yeast.
- Washers clean dirt only; limping, cracked pads, or constant licking mean a vet visit.
The Dexas MudBuster Portable Dog Paw Cleaner and Washer
You can get this portable paw cleaner and washer in 3 sizes, or small, medium, or large. The medium-sized MudBuster measures 6 inches in height and 4 inches wide. To use the paw cleaner, you first need to add some lukewarm water along with maybe a few drops of doggy shampoo. Insert your Shiba Inu’s muddy paw, twist the appliance, then towel dry the paw. Don’t forget to repeat for the other three paws, or you’ll defeat the whole purpose of the exercise.
This product contains gentle silicone bristles, which assist in removing mud and dirt form your dog’s paws. Therefore, the muddy mess stays inside the MudBuster, and is not tracked throughout your house or across your furniture. You will want to keep the dog cleaner/washer handy if you go to the park, or take hikes and walks. Keep the device at your backdoor, so you can clean your Shiba’s paws before entering the house. The highly rated product is free of BPA.
The device also comes in various colors, including blue, pro blue, fuchsia green, light gray, or pink. Therefore, you can choose a paw cleaner in a favorite shade. When you use the muddy paw cleaner, give your Shiba a treat every time he complies with cleaning his paws. That way, he will get used to the process and paw cleaning will eventually become a routine activity.
People who used this product gave it high ratings, and said it cut paw cleaning time in half. When there was a problem, it had to do with the size of the product. Therefore, make sure you get the right size for your Shiba Inu dog. For example, the large sized MudBuster is designed for large dogs, and measures 8.85 inches tall and 4.75 inches wide. As noted, the medium MudBuster is sized at 6 inches in height and 4 inches wide. The small MudBuster measures 4.3 inches tall and 3.65 inches across.
The small MudBuster sells for $11.00 while the medium-sized paw cleaner/washer is priced at $12.44. The large MudBuster is $16.99. Learn more about this paw cleaner here.
Ocean Home Dog Paw Cleaner, Including Towel and Dog Brush Cup
This medium sized cleaner is listed at $11.99 and comes in the color blue. It is made of silicone and plastic, and is ideal for removing the sand and mud from your dog’s paws. Once you begin using this product, your Shiba Inu will no longer leave footprints on the furniture, carpeting, and floors.
This product is designed for simplicity. Just fill the paw cleaner with water and perhaps a few drops of dog shampoos. Insert your dog’s paw, then move the cleaner up and down while rotating it simultaneously. Afterwards, use the towel that is included with the cleaner to pat your dog’s paws dry. This dog washing cup makes it much easier for you to clean your Shiba’s paws – no more using the bath tub or pricey baby wipes.
This brand of paw cleaner is environmentally friendly as well as sturdy. The tough yet elastic silicone bristles remove mud and sand without injuring your companion dog’s paws. The device is also free of bad substances, such as BPA.
The easy-use device is simple to clean as well. All you need to do is unfasten the lid and remove the silicone brush for washing and rinsing. Use the paw cleaner when you hike, camp, or take your Shiba walks on snowy or rainy days. It also can be used for getting rid of the salt that settles on your dog’s paws on winter days.
This product stands at 6.5 inches, and is primarily designed for cleaning the paws of small and medium dogs. Don’t use it on young puppies. If you are not happy with the product, you can return it for a complete refund.
Most customers found this product satisfactory to use. However, the people who had complaints generally did not buy the right size for their dog. Nevertheless, this medium-sized product should work out fine for cleaning your Shiba’s paws. Find out more about using it by clicking this link.
Upgrade 2 in 1 Dog Paw Cleaner and Grooming Brush with Towel and Silicone Dog Foot Washer by Paw Legend
This product comes in small, large, and extra-large sizes. The price is $8.99 for the small or large paw washers, and $9.99 for the extra-large 2-in-1 paw cleaner and grooming brush. You can save an additional 10% by applying a coupon featured on the Amazon site. This premium pet paw cleaner is made of soft silicone bristles, and, like the other paw cleaners, is free of BPA.
Add water and a little dog shampoo, and place your Shiba’s paw inside the washer, moving the paw up and down, before removing it and drying it. After you clean each paw, dab each paw dry with a towel. Replace the water for each paw you wash to get the best results. Unscrew the paw cleaner’s lid and take out the brush for brushing the dog’s hair, when needed. The soft silicone bristle technology efficiently eliminates bits of mud, sand, and dirt, and even the stubborn-most particles. Not only will your Shiba’s paws be cleaner, so will your floors, carpet, and furniture.
This product received good to excellent reviews from customers, averaging 4 stars for about 907 ratings. One customer bought 4 of the paw cleaning cups, so he would not have to change the water in one cup. That way, he was able to easily use one cup for each paw. Given that the cup and scrubbing brush device is inexpensive ($8.99 to $9.99), that is not a bad idea. Buy the large paw cleaner for your Shiba Inu.
Find out more about this device here. Choose from 3 pastel colors – green, pink, or blue, when you place your order online.
Summation
All of the products are very similar, if not equal, in design. If you want to get the most for your money, choose the third-listed Upgrade Paw Legend 2-in-1 cleaner that only sells for $8.99. As indicated, you can easily buy four paw cleaners/cups at that low price and have one available for each paw of your dog.
In fact, you can add the water or water and dog shampoo before you walk your Shiba Inu. That way, you will have the paw cleaners waiting for you when you return from a rainy or snowy day walk, or after you take a stroll across a dirt path or sandy shore.
Getting the most out of a paw washer
The device is only half the job. How you use it decides whether paws come out genuinely clean or just wet. These are the steps that turn a paw washer from a gadget into a real part of the routine.
- Fill to the right level. Enough water to cover the bristles and the paw pad, not so much it sloshes over when the dog pulls. Too little and the bristles cannot scrub; too much and you flood your floor. A few finger-widths is usually right for a Shiba-sized paw.
- Dip and twist, one paw at a time. Lower one foot in, give the cup a gentle twist or a few up-and-down motions so the bristles work between the pads, then lift. Working one paw at a time keeps a wiggly dog manageable and gets every toe.
- Dry between the toes. This is the step most owners skip and the one that matters most. Damp webbing between the toes is where yeast and irritation start, so towel each foot properly. A clean but soggy paw is not a win.
- Check while you clean. A paw washer puts you at eye level with the feet, so use the moment to look. Spread the toes, scan for redness, cracks, foxtails, or embedded grit. Cleaning and inspecting in one go catches small problems early.
- Empty and clean the device. Dump the dirty water after every use and let the cup dry, and take it apart to clean the bristles periodically. A washer left full of muddy water grows its own bacteria, which defeats the purpose.
We had a boarding guest whose owner used a paw washer religiously but never dried between the toes, and the dog kept developing irritated, yeasty webbing. The cleaning was fine; the missing towel step was the problem. Once drying became part of the routine, the irritation cleared. The lesson holds for most Shibas: clean and dry are two steps, not one. If you want the wider context on when and why to clean paws, our guide to paw cleaning basics covers it, and if you are still weighing this active breed's care load, see whether a Shiba Inu is right for you.
What we have learned about paw washers since 2019
Across 250-plus Shibas boarded and placed since 2019, a paw washer earns its keep for the dogs who hit muddy trails and rainy sidewalks, which in Northern California is most of them for part of the year. The dogs whose owners had a washer and a towel by the door tracked far less mud inside and, more importantly, had cleaner, healthier feet. The gadget is genuinely useful; the discipline around it is what makes it work.
What worked: a right-sized washer with soft bristles, drying every foot afterward, and using the cleaning moment to inspect for foxtails and cracks. What did not work: oversized washers a small paw rattled around in, skipping the dry step, and assuming a clean paw meant a healthy paw. We clean and check paws as part of every stay, but we are not diagnosing feet. If a pad is cracked, a foot is swollen, or a dog will not stop licking one paw, that is a veterinarian's call, and our in-home boarding can arrange vet transport to get it looked at.
Related questions
Do I need soap or just water in a paw washer?
Plain water plus the bristle action clears most everyday mud, and that is the safest default for a Shiba's skin. If a foot is especially greasy or you want extra cleaning, use a small amount of dog-formulated wash rather than human soap, which can dry out pads, and rinse well. Whatever you use, dry between the toes afterward. Ask your vet if your dog's skin is sensitive.
Are paw washers better than wipes?
They do different jobs. A bristled washer is better for caked-on mud and grit because the bristles reach between the pads, while wipes are faster and more portable for light dirt and travel days. Many owners keep both: the washer by the door, wipes in the bag. Whichever you use, the goal is clean, dry feet, so finish with a towel.
How often should I use a paw washer on my Shiba?
Use it whenever the paws come home dirty, which in wet or muddy seasons might be after every walk, and clean more in winter when road salt clings to pads. You do not need to wash clean, dry paws just for the sake of it. Let the conditions your dog walked through decide, and always inspect the feet while you clean.
What to read next
For the bigger picture on paw care, read our guide to paw cleaning basics. Paw care fits into the wider routine in grooming your Shiba Inu, and if constant licking turns out to be more than mud, see Shiba Inu skin allergies. If you travel and want paws cleaned and checked for you, our in-home boarding handles it daily.
Looking to adopt or rehome a Shiba?
Rescue-first rehoming with vetted families, 1-year health guarantee, lifetime support.