AVON LAKE -- Spring is just around the corner and that means muddy days are in our future, especially if you have dogs.

That's where the "As Seen On TV" product, the Paw Plunger, comes into play. It was invented to eliminate the hassle of those messy romps in the yard. NewsChannel5's Joy Benedict put it to the test to find out if it can clean man's best friend.

Benedict enlisted the help of NewsChannel5's Troubleshooter producer, Mel Watson. She has not one, not two, not three, but four shelties and they can get pretty muddy.

So every day, Watson gets out her bowl and cleans all 16 paws, which is something they don't typically like.

It claims to be a dog grooming necessity, but will make Meke, Fiji, Ratu, and Koro bark its praises? The Paw Plunger is basically a big plastic jug with a circle of bristles inside. And unlike using a big pan or bucket, the water doesn't go everywhere.

So Watson filled the oversized mug with water and grab some dirty paws. Mel had to lift Fiji up and down several times but it worked. With the larger dogs, it was easier to lift the Paw Plunger than the pup. But paw by paw we got rid of the mud.

Watson's only concern was how long the bristles would last. Only time will tell. But for $29.99 Watson said, "If it lasts a season, I would be happy ."