What The Heck Is A Dog Bootie?

A dog bootie looks like a mitten. Except they are not made to keep the dogs paw warm. The job of the dog bootie is to protect the paw from the constant abrasion of the snow.

Snow is a lot like sand. Humans never experience the abrasion of snow because we do not spend any time running in snow with bare feet.

In order for a dog to gain traction in the snow they have to spread their paw open as their foot hits the ground. Then they close their paw slightly as they push off the snow with their paw.

The dog bootie protects their paw from abrasion due to this repetitive motion.

Another reason for the bootie is to keep the paw from getting snowballs. A snowball is the collection of snow that gathers between the pads. This happens because their are a few small sweat type glands in the pad area and when a warm dog hits the cold snow with his paw the snow sticks to the paw. This is uncomfortable, and the dog will try desperately try to get the snow out with their teeth.

10 Things you should know about dog booties

1. Make sure the booties are clean A dirty bootie will just add insult to injury because the dirt will add abrasion to the paw from the inside of the bootie.

2. Make sure there are no holes in the dog bootie Holes collect pebbles and tiny chunks of snow that add to the abrasion (its like a stone in your shoe).

3. Take the bootie off if it gets wet A wet bootie is useless. Its better to go without a bootie than keep a wet dog bootie on.

4. Make sure the velcro is tight (but not too tight) If it falls off in 5 minutes you will have to keep putting it back on. Dogs become less and less patient for this ritual. On the other hand, if its too tight your dogs paw will freeze due to lack of circulation.

5. The best kind of bootie has stitching that is smooth and not bulky The material should have a smooth feel and be very pliable. It does not have to be thick material as you are not providing warmth. The material has to allow for the natural movement of the paw.

6. Always remove the dog bootie right away As soon as you stop for a rest, remove the bootie. The dogs paw needs to recover from wearing the bootie. Its like taking off your shoes after a long day. Let that circulation flow! Don't rub the paw right away, it needs some time to recover.

7. Always take extras Booties are cheap, and they get lost for a number of reasons.

8. Make sure you buy the right size A proper fit is VERY important. It has to be large enough to allow the paws natural movement, but not so large the ends roll over the paw creating bulk.

9. Don't use them if your husky has dew claws A dew claw is the oddball claw near the wrist joint. Some dogs have them on all four legs, just the front legs, or none at all. Often they are removed by the vet at just a few days of age. The bootie will rub against the dew claw creating a sore spot. Or worse, it can rub the dew claw off. Ouch!

10. Always put a bootie on a clean paw You have to remove all the snow and dirt from between the pads before you put the dog bootie on.

And Finally...

When in doubt... Go without

If you are a novice at booties, don't guess. Practice on short runs, not the long distance camping trip.