Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I purchased & received the large Paw Plunger this week, so I can't say how well this item will hold up after a long period of time, but we have a 75lb, 28" tall at the shoulders Goldendoodle with curly hair & large paws, and a brand new yard on the coast that is 95% sand. In the past 3 months I've been wiping his paws ineffectively and spending most of my housekeeping time sweeping/vacuuming all the sand that he brings in and deposits on our hard floors. My husband would occasionally fill a bucket to clean & wash his feet, but that was not an effective long-term solution. Our new veterinarian, upon hearing me whine about the situation, recommended I buy this product because she uses it with her own dogs. From the first time I used it I was sold! It looks like one of those oversized water jugs you can get at a convenience store, with a fitted insert for paws and legs. I stuck my hand (and my kids') inside to try it out and the bristles inside are very soft, and will not hurt sensitive paw pads. The rubber piece at the top made it tricky to pull my hand out (it reminded me of the scene in "Where The Red Fern Grows" with the racoon who gets its hand stuck in a log because it won't let go of a shiny piece of tin), but that's helpful in wringing some of the water off the furry paws. Our dog is used to having his feet handled many times a day - we've been wiping them every time he comes in from being outside since we got him almost 5 years ago - so he's already used to standing still for us, and it only took a few minutes to teach him what we were doing. But if you have a dog who is jumpy/twitchy or doesn't like having its paws touched, this might not be the right product for you. I will say that the large size is definitely for dogs with LARGE feet; when I had previously purchased all-weather booties for him in a desperate attempt to cut down on the dirt, I bought the large size that only covered half his feet and he should have been in an extra-large. But this large contraption is made for really big paws; we might have been able to size down to a medium, though I think that may have been just a tad uncomfortable for him. I filled it halfway up with warm water and set it on our 50 degree F porch to use when I let him out, putting the included cover on top. 30 minutes later the water inside was still warm, so it held the temperature nicely. I did need to use a towel to help wring the excess water off his feet as not all of it had come off, but I'd much rather have a little water on the floor than mud or sand, all of which was left behind in the plunger. All in all, I wish I'd found this years ago; it would have saved my sanity and my floors many times over. I've already recommended it to my friends and family with dogs who understand the struggle.