Best Entryway Mat for Dogs: What to Look For
The best entryway mat for dogs is the one that holds water, mud and grit at the threshold and gives the dog a defined spot to stop before the floor gets wet. Mudlark sells two products for that job on its product page: the Mudlark Door Mat and the Mudlark Back Door Towel. The mat catches the drips under the paws, and the towel finishes the wipe on legs, belly and coat.
Key takeaways:
- The Mudlark Door Mat is a grey chenille mat with a non-slip backing, 24 x 35 in (60 x 90 cm), sold for $24.99 alone or $19.99 added to a towel.
- The Mudlark Back Door Towel is a grey microfiber towel with small darker paw and bone prints, 24 x 40 in (60 x 100 cm), sold for $19.99 or $34.99 for a 2-pack.
- Tracked US shipping costs $10.99 per order and is free when an order includes both a towel and the mat.
What should the best entryway mat for dogs do at the door?
The best entryway mat for dogs absorbs the first round of water and grit at the threshold, keeps the dog in one place for a few seconds, and stays put while the dog steps onto it. Pile is the yarn height on the face of a mat, and a deep pile stores water the way a towel does instead of spreading it across the floor. The Mudlark Door Mat uses a grey chenille pile with a non-slip backing and measures 24 x 35 in (60 x 90 cm); Mudlark lists the mat as imported and has not yet published an exact fiber content from the supplier.
Two products usually beat one at a busy door. The mat handles standing drips and tracked-in grit, and the Mudlark Back Door Towel handles the parts a mat cannot reach, such as the legs, belly and the hair behind the ears. The towel is grey polyester microfiber (supplier specification) with small darker paw and bone prints, 24 x 40 in (60 x 100 cm, supplier measurement), imported, and sold on the Mudlark product page for $19.99 or $34.99 for a 2-pack. Mudlark lists the mat, the towel and the bundle pricing on one page: what is the best doormat for dogs.
How does the Stand, Wipe, In routine work?
The Stand, Wipe, In routine is a three-step door habit: Stand (the dog stops on the mat, the chenille pile takes the drips), Wipe (the owner wipes legs, paws and belly with the towel), and In (the towel hangs on a hook by the door). The routine takes about as long as unclipping a leash, and the goal is to leave the water at the door rather than wash the dog later. A dog towel hook at leash height keeps the towel within reach so the Wipe step does not turn into a search through the laundry room.
Two habits make the routine stick. First, ask for the stop on the mat every single time the dog comes in, so the mat becomes the cue instead of an obstacle. Second, shake dried mud off the mat and the towel outside before any washing, because grit in the pile works like sandpaper on a floor finish.
What will a dog door mat not do?
A dog door mat will not dry a soaked big dog by itself, dig out mud dried between the toes, or win over every dog. A large dog after a swim needs two towels, which is why the Mudlark Back Door Towel is sold as a 2-pack at $34.99. Mud packed between the toes may need a rinse first, since wiping presses dried grit deeper into the coat instead of lifting it out.
Mudlark sells no paw cup and no paw washer, so any cup-style cleaner is a separate purchase from another brand. Mudlark has no customer reviews yet and has not run a side-by-side test, so claims about cleaning effectiveness cannot be attributed to the Mudlark mat or towel.
How do you compare entryway mats and dog towels by price, size and features?
Compare listed price, listed size and listed features, because no side-by-side effectiveness test was conducted for this comparison and none of these listings was tried on a dog. The listings below were observed on amazon.com on October 20, 2026; prices change, ratings move, and nothing was tested by Mudlark.
| Listing observed | Listed size or fit | Listed price | Listed rating (2026-10-20) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dexas MudBuster Large Dog Paw Cleaner (silicone bristles) | fits 2.5–3.5 in wide paws | $15.00 | 4.4 stars, 28,700 ratings, badge "2K+ bought in past month" |
| Dexas MudBuster Medium | fits 1.5–2.5 in wide paws | $10.00 | 4.4 stars, 25,300 ratings |
| Muddy Mat chenille microfiber door mat | not listed in the notes | $24.95 and $36.96 depending on the listing | 4.7 stars, 55,900 ratings |
| OLANLY chenille dog door mat | 30x20 in, 36x24 in, 48x30 in | $8.99, $21.99, $29.99 | 4.6 stars, 27,400 ratings |
| Mudlark Door Mat | 24 x 35 in (60 x 90 cm) | $24.99 alone, $19.99 added to a towel | Mudlark has no reviews yet |
| Mudlark Back Door Towel | 24 x 40 in (60 x 100 cm) | $19.99, $34.99 for a 2-pack | Mudlark has no reviews yet |
A few comparison points are worth checking line by line. A paw cleaner cup like the Dexas MudBuster is a different tool from a mat: a cup holds water and bristles around one paw, while a mat holds drips under all four paws at the door. The Muddy Mat brand also appeared at $74.95 on TikTok Shop US (FindNiche ranking, updated October 1, 2026), which shows how far one product can move between marketplaces. No Paw Plunger price or rating was collected, so no figure is quoted for the Paw Plunger here.
Size decides coverage more than price does. A mat around 24 x 35 in covers a dog's standing footprint in a narrow hallway, while the larger listed sizes, such as the 48x30 in OLANLY mat, need a wider entry. Material matters too: chenille pile holds moisture, a non-slip backing keeps the mat from skating on tile, and machine washability determines whether cleanup is a rinse or a laundry cycle. Rug layouts and materials for a mudroom or hallway are covered in best entryway rugs for dogs.
What do Mudlark shipping, returns and care involve?
Tracked US shipping on Mudlark orders costs $10.99 per order and is free when the order contains both a towel and the mat. Mudlark ships within 5 days and delivers in 8 to 14 days, and the towel and the mat travel in separate packages, so one box can arrive before the other.
Returns run for 30 days for any reason. Care follows the care label on each product, and dried mud should be shaken off outside before washing; machine-washable options for this job are compared in best washable dog mat. If the towel needs to live by the door between walks, hang it on a dog towel hook instead of folding it on the mat.
Frequently asked questions
Can one towel dry a large dog after a swim?
One towel will not dry a soaked big dog alone, and Mudlark states that a large dog after a swim needs two towels. The Mudlark Back Door Towel 2-pack at $34.99 covers that case.
What size entryway mat works for dogs?
The Mudlark Door Mat measures 24 x 35 in (60 x 90 cm) and fits a standard single door width, while listed competitor sizes range from 30x20 in up to 48x30 in for wider entries. Choose the size that covers the dog's standing footprint and the strip of floor just inside the door.
Does Mudlark sell a paw washer or a paw cup?
Mudlark sells no paw cup and no paw washer. Mudlark sells the Mudlark Door Mat and the Mudlark Back Door Towel on its product page, and cup-style cleaners such as the Dexas MudBuster come from other brands.
How much is Mudlark shipping, and how long do orders take?
Tracked US shipping is $10.99 per order and is free when the order includes both a towel and the mat. Mudlark ships within 5 days, delivers in 8 to 14 days in separate packages for the towel and the mat, and accepts returns for 30 days for any reason.
Start with the Stand, Wipe, In routine at the door so water and grit stop at the threshold, and add the second towel whenever the dog is large or soaked. The Mudlark product page lists the current price for the mat, the towel and the 2-pack, along with shipping and return terms.