backyard mud issues

every spring my backyard gets muddy I mean lebrea tar pit muddy. I understand its spring snow melts the ground thaws etc. I guess Im looking for some sort of solution to the issue. Its mainly the path from my gate to my deck and from the deck out into the yard...the main pathways where the dogs run and play...and track it all into the house. Short of teaching them to wipe their feet, what do you think? Im not as concerned about grass as much as I am about controlling the mud. Sand maybe? I can lay hay down to help but then I have the issue of wet sloppy hay to deal with. Any ideas?

Go with some SynLawn fake grass.

Gotta be a drainage problem somewhere Matt. Are there a bunch of downspouts all funneling to one area? I think the dogs are going to be the main issue since they are out there daily churning it all up. Out here by us, its windy nearly every day so the damp ground dries in a hurry. Rarely swampy. SO need to find a way to redirect water or another alternative to drying the area...sand will just compact and then the dogs will track that AND the mud in.

concrete everything

Theres downspouts on the front two corners of the house, this is the back yard. Even the garage is guttered into the back lot, not into the yard. And since the yard is fully fenced I dont get the benifit of the wind as much as I could use. Stop over one day Ill show you what I mean. I wouldnt mind doing some concrete or something for a part of it but its not in the budget.

how about a raised pea gravel bed for the high traffic areas, could also add rain buckets for the garage and side of the house then route the discharge away from the yard.

I gotcha Matt. You don't have a neighbor running drain tile towards your property do you? Believe me, even if its POINTED your direction, the water will eventually end up in your yard. The frost was DEEP into the ground this year so that thaw, plus rain, plus dog traffic will churn it into a mess. Hmm, wish I had more ideas for you