Keep Spot Spotless

An occasional look at products the travel industry insists we need.

WHAT: The Mud Magnet, a towel mitt for dirty dog paws.

AIMED AT: Pet owners who love to travel with their pups, but not their muddy prints.

HOW MUCH: $9.99

BUT DOES IT WORK? Spot can sit, stay and roll over -- but can he wipe his paws before entering a tent or bounding into a beach rental? Until obedience school teaches that trick, dog owners with pets on board can rely on the Mud Magnet to clean puppy feet. The cherry-red glove works like an old towel -- but with fingers -- and fits like a falconer's gauntlet, so we could get a good grip on Lexi the Saint Bernard's pads and scrub between her toes. For her lion paws, we transformed the glove into a mitten by simply flipping over a piece of fabric that normally Velcroes beneath the mitt. This way, we could cover more area and, in a pinch, use it to sop up wet fur (the microfiber material is super-absorbent). For teeny dogs, though, the large hand might be a bit overwhelming, and on big dogs, you'd need another mitt for all four feet -- and the slobber that falls onto your leg.

-- Andrea Sachs

Available at pet stores. Info: 877-224-PETS,http://www.bamboopet.com.