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February 7th, 2011
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When we take our dogs out for a walk in the winter, we’re subjecting their little paws to salt, chemical ice melters, bad weather auto fluids such as anti-freeze, and the snow and ice themselves. There are many different types of dog booties available. Here’s a quick rundown:
1. Disposable Dog Boots – these pull on and are usually made of rubber. There is a natural rubber alternative as well. 2. Neoprene Dog Boots – these have a neoprene top and rubber bottom. They are usually zip-ups. 3. Velcro Dog Boots – these often have a non-skid vinyl sole with a fleece lining. They are secured with velcro fasteners at the top. Consider ease of putting boots on, how well they stay on, if the material is comfortable and always measure for them accurately. Kelly is a pet writer. She lives in the Boston area with her three pit bulls and one neurotic cat. |
You are so right! Boots are important in winter in icy, salty, slippery, slushy streets!
I used the felt booties with velcro for my 3 Pembroke Welsh Corgis and though they didn’t care for them and at first tried to kick them off, they did get somewhat used to them. The trick was keeping them on their feet when walking or running in deep snow and I found I needed to make sure the velcro was secure.
I lived in WI and at times we would get so much snow in winter that they would end up on 6-foot snow banks and then sit down refusing to budge because their feet got too cold. After the booties were in place, I never had to reach a foot or more over my head to lift them down. Saved their little feet and my aching back! I truly recommend dog booties.
We tried putting booties on our dog Sasha the first winter we had when she was just 14 months old but she wouldn’t keep them on! If anyone knows one’s that she can’t get off we’d appreciate it greatly!
I bought RuffWear boots for my Lab from R.E.I. Though they were pricey and took some getting used to, he pretty much ignores them, now, and runs around as usual. Putting them on/taking them off will slow down your entry/exit from the house, though, but the other option is painful dog paws.
In other news, does anyone know anything about this paw wax/balm that I keep hearing about? It is supposed to create a barrier between the paws and the salt on the ground. Not sure which brand is the safest/where to buy it.
good idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just wanted to let you know some tips a friend gave me to get dogs used to wearing pretty much anything! (It never ceases to amaze me how many people expect to put boots on all four paws the first time and expect their dogs to be just fine with it right off the bat, and how many folks give up immediately if their dog “doesn’t like it.”) Just as with anything else, dogs need to have these things introduced properly and get used to them before they’ll just let you strap on coat ‘n boots and follow you out the door.
First off, DON’T WAIT until they’re full grown and/or the Winter if you can avoid it…. get ‘em used to wearing things (boots, coats, hats) when they’re still baby puppies or when they’re at least relatively newly adopted and they’re beginning to get used to their new family. Start with babies’/kids’ socks as footwear, and T-shirts for bodywear, and use a gradual training process. (With most two-legged toddlers I know, it’s a struggle to get them keep their clothes on for the first long while…. always remember that dogs and humans are both mammals, and look at things from their point of view before you start putting expectations on them!)
For instance, with footwear put a sock on just ONE back foot (to avoid uncomfortable snagging, trim nails first if need be and roll the socks from toes on up) and don’t even let them get a chance to do much more than sniff at it before you start with the treats and/or playtime. Once you get ‘em totally into the play session, they start to forget they’re wearing the sock(s, or shirt, whatever), and DON’T forget to only do this in air-conditioned comfort or the cooler times in warm/hot weather, and watch carefully for signs of canine overheating.
When you’ve finished the play session, take off the sock/shirt immediately (ESPECIALLY in warm weather) and praise/treat. Don’t leave the clothing where it can get mangled by doggy teeth but, if possible, leave it where they can sniff at it and get used to the look, scent, and feel of it. After at least a couple (few?) days of a session a day, when they seem to be taking it all in stride, put socks on both back feet and repeat, then after a few more sessions do the back feet and one front foot (the non-dominant side, if it’s known whether they’re right-pawed or a “southpaw” heh-heh-heh), and add a sock to the dominant front paw for the last few sessions. For the shirt, of course, you only need one set of sessions, not four
.
When you’ve finished all your play/acclimatization sessions, If it’s not cold enough for them to need to wear these items day to day don’t forget to continue the sessions approx every week or two until the cold season starts, because if you don’t keep up this training they’ll forget how to ignore the sensation of wearing anything and you’ll have to start all over again come Winter-time. After the first Winter, you’ll probably only have to do a session about once a month or so, just to keep it fresh in their memories.
If you do this, you’ll generally end up with a dog who will wear anything you put on ‘em, which isn’t only handy for winter but also if you want to take photos with costumes and/or props.
As always, treasure every moment you have with your dog, because we never get to have them with us for nearly as long as we’d wish, and gradual training in everything reduces the amount of canine/human “arguing” throughout our dogs’ lives and certainly reduces the amount of human regret after our dogs have made the trip to the Rainbow Bridge.