Any pet paw-rent knows the joy a canine companion brings, with their slobbery kisses and sweet snuggles, precious facial expressions, and endless silly antics. But while they make our lives so much happier, they also make our homes a little dirtier. In fact, a recent study showed that an astonishing amount of dog poop bacteria makes its way from streets and sidewalks into your house. Even if you don’t live in a large metropolitan area like New York City, it’s likely that your pup is coming into contact with fecal matter on the street, in the park or even in your own backyard and tracking those icky germs inside.

Not only is it gross to think about, but being exposed to dog poop germs can pose a real danger both to humans and to our furry friends. For humans, this includes bacterial and parasitic infections such as E. coli, salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, giardia and cyclospora—all of which can cause serious gastrointestinal symptoms. It can even lead to tapeworms (which absorb and rob you of important nutrients) and roundworms, which can cause damage to your brain, kidneys, lungs, heart, liver or eyes in severe cases.

For dogs, ingesting poop bacteria—primarily by licking dirty paws—can cause symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, a loss of appetite, lethargy and intestinal parasites. Exposure to bacteria in dog feces is also a leading cause of urinary tract infections for pups, which can be painful, irritating and—in serious cases—fatal for your canine. 

So how do you prevent yucky (and dangerous) fecal bacteria from entering your home? First, always be sure to take your shoes off before entering your home, whether that’s after a walk with your pooch, a trip to the grocery store or a long day at work. This way, you’re much less likely to track potentially harmful bacteria into your house on the soles of your shoes. 

For dogs, always wipe down their paws—and their coats, if they tend to roll around in the grass—with pet-safe antibacterial wipes to remove dirt and germs before they come inside.  Even better, keep these germs off their feet entirely by sporting a pair of dog boots on their outdoor adventures. Walkee Paws Dog Boot Leggings are made from waterproof rubber booties and water-resistant legging fabric, so your dog’s paws and their legs stay protected from dirt, germs, bacteria and other ruff stuff outside. 

Not only are our dog leggings easy to put on, designed to stay in place and doggone adorable, but they’re also super easy to clean! After each walk, just rinse the rubber boots under cold water, then hang them to dry. If the legging fabric is dirty, machine wash them in cold water on the gentle cycle and hang them up to air dry in a shady spot. 

With Walkee Paws, your dog will leave the dirt and poopy bacteria outside, so you don’t have to worry about them licking their paws and becoming sick. And they’ll always be clean and ready to snuggle up with you—without passing on harmful germs!