EISPIRATEN

Anyone have any product recommendations on dog shoes?
Most of the hikes I take involve my best buddy Violet.
We have done many hikes together over the last few years including a couple of over-nighters. A couple of times she has come up lame with abraisions on her pads. I tried a set of canvass-type shoes which worked OK, but she kicks em off kind of easily. She does'nt mind wearing em' but they don't have a very secure strap.
I will get her what ever it takes but I hate to waste money on shoes that don't work well.
Thanks in advance for any tips.

Have you looked into Ruff Wear's products? They make excellent dog boots.

Kevin wrote:Have you looked into Ruff Wear's products? They make excellent dog boots.

Thanks, I'll check em'.

I tried a few commercial ones - they didn't seem to fit very naturally. I ended up making some out of neoprene.

For us, the key with dog booties is that simpler is better. The dog will be much happier if he can still feel the ground through the shoe, and the paw can move normally. (ones with thick rubber soles, and rigid form, caused that high-stepping weird walk, and my dog trying to chew them off)

Have not specifically tried these, but they're very close to what I ended up making: http://www.dogbooties.com/products/330decobo.html but this sounds like what you've already tried. You can always use some vet-wrap (ace bandage that sticks to itself, but not fur) around the leg above the paw to hold them on better.

One other thing you can try is socks for infants. They're soft, they stretch, and they're perfectly paw-sized. Obviously they will not last more than one hike, but they're pretty cheap and might stay on better.

Let us know what you try.

Bill -

You might also try duct-taping the boots to your dog. It works quite well, and mine doesn't seem to mind when I pull the tape off. I haven't used duct tape to hold booties on, but I have used it for leg bandages.

When I needed booties for my Newf, Ruff Wear was the only brand large enough for the giant breeds, so I got a set but they were still too small (they've since come out with an XXXL size) so I made some myself out of 1000d Cordura - you can buy it by the yard at most places which make canvas bags and similar items. It's super rugged stuff - good enough for making crampon bags - which is why I had some - and not hard to sew with a regular sewing machine. To keep edges from fraying, use a match to slightly melt the edge.

Good suggestions! Thanks!
Baby socks and duck tape. That would make McGuiver blush! 8)

Not sure where you keep the dog, however, the dogs feet need to be exposed longtern to a rough surface, not carpet. Something like concrete, sand, dirt w/rock and pebbles, etc. There's also a product I've used for making the pads tuff'r. I forgot the name. Do a google search, its sold for gun dogs and works exceptionally well. You really want to be careful with dog shoes for long hauls. They make the pup walk odd and can cause harm in the joints.

M

Migolito wrote:Not sure where you keep the dog, however, the dogs feet need to be exposed longtern to a rough surface, not carpet. Something like concrete, sand, dirt w/rock and pebbles, etc. There's also a product I've used for making the pads tuff'r. I forgot the name. Do a google search, its sold for gun dogs and works exceptionally well. You really want to be careful with dog shoes for long hauls. They make the pup walk odd and can cause harm in the joints.

M

Hardwood floor mostly, redwood deck, and asphalt. Usually the dog has no issues. On a couple of hikes (big rock creek, and lonepine to circle mt) she pulled up lame and her pads were bleeding. I was glad we were close to the end on each hike. I will use the shoes only on an as needed basis. It seems like the common denominator is broken rock or shale along long stretches of trail.
Thanks for intel though. 8)

He hated those things.

Great looking dog there, Mitch.

HJ

I tried too many sites for buy shoes for my dogs. But I love the Essentialpaw.com website. It is very first Pet Specialty E-Retailer of its kind offering many Fashion and Function-based Pet Supplies and Accessories of the latest designs and Trends and at a great discount to the customer.
For more details on shoes for dogs visit : http://essentialpaw.com/collections/shoes-for-dog