Winter Dog Boots...Help - I'm at my wit's end! - Page 1

So I am back to searching for some winter dog boots....again. Keeping in mind we unfortunately have lots of snow and very cold weather up here.

The Ruff Wear Grip Trex don't work well for either of my dogs since they cinch up right over their front dew claws for the proper width size. No matter what I've tried with these they always cause the claw to dig into the flesh beneath, causing sores and bleeding. Any larger or smaller width doesn't work either.

So...on that note, has anyone tried any of the following boots?

1. Ruff Wear Skyliner www.ruffwear.com/Barkn-Boots-Skyliner They look as though they might cinch up a bit lower rather than over the front dew claw. 

2. The Ultimate Dog Boot. www.activedogs.com/ultimatedogboots.html They look pretty interesting, although pricey. Has anyone heard of or tried these? I would be willing to pay for the right boots, as I've been searching for years for some great boots to no avail. My concern with these are that a) the foot lentgth looks as though it might be too long (or else maybe they slide down somewhat?) b) will they actually stay up c) what the traction is like on snow/ice

3. Granite Gear Mush Dog Booties. www.granitegear.com/products/doggear/mush.html The concern I have with these is that it looks as though they might cinch up over the front dew claw.

Any other suggestions? I was thinking of going back to Muttlucks but I wasn't entirely happy with those either - ended up getting super "floppy" when they got a bit loaded with snow sticking to them.

Considering what our weather is like, the selection of boots in town is pathetic at best. I'm not entirely keen on ordering online since its always so hard to tell without actually trying them on and it always stinks to have to return something that has been ordered online.

And yes, I am very picky as I am sure one can tell ;)

I think I recall reading not too long ago about protective dog footwear but if I could maybe get some specific feedback on any of the above (or others) that anyone has tried, I would be most appreciative!

you can try putting a layer of vet wrap under the dew claw.  I would also suggest you ask the experts and go to a sled dog message board.  They use booties all the time and can give better info on the subject than most here.  (also where to get ones at a good price)

That said Barbie hasn't been bothered by her Grip trex boots, I just make sure the dew claw ends up outside the boot.

Have you considered making your own moccasin boots for your dog?  Then you can use the thickness etc leather you want, line the moccasins with rabbit fur or other lining of your choice, modify the way they are laced up so that they stay on better, etc.  If you use a thick leather such as moose or elk hide, you can make them waterproof if you apply waterproofing to the outsides of the moccasins when you've finished making them.  (I've never tried waterproofing soft leather but I assume that only harder thicker leathers can be waterproofed with waterproofing made for leather boots, which is what I use.)

You can modify the height of moccasins as needed if you use a pattern for a boot style of moccasin such as an apache boot or inca boot style.  I've also found that boot style moccasins stay on feet much better than the flat slipper styles.  The only kind of shoes I ever managed to get to stay on the feet of babies determined to get rid of any and all shoes, was an inca boot style, after I added a pair of holes in the back. just below the top of the moccasin so the tied laces couldn't end up above the boot top (avoiding the possibility of laces rubbing the foot and causing soreness), and crisscrossing the laces through the holes in back before bringing them back around through the topmost set of holes in the front before tying the laces.  I suspect you are likely to need to creatively modify lacing a bit to keep boots on a dog as well.

Advantages to making your own moccasin boots include being able to put as little or as much lining in them as you wish, being able to replace worn-out soles, being able to make the boots with double soles for extra durability, being able to put as little or as much lining in them as you want, being able to modify boots that are a little too big so that they stay on better, being able to waterproof them and add waterproofing as needed, etc.
Materials needed are few and easy to find....
you need leather.  Depending on how thick or thin or soft or hard you want your moccasin boots to be, you can choose anything from deerskin to moose hide.  You can opt to make moccasins with soft uppers and thick double soles (good in summer if you need the protection of tough soles but want soft lighter weight mocs too!) or make moccasins totally out of tough thick leather.
A pattern...you can modify a pattern to accomodate any size by enlarging or shrinking a pattern whilie maintaining the proportions of moccasin to foot size.
An ink pen or marker for tracing the moccasin pattern onto the leather you want to cut.
Sharp scissors to cut the leather with
A leather punch....the rotary head (where you have a selection of sizes of punch heads to choose from) leather punches are great, providing you get a quality punch.  If you buy a cheaply made punch, buy two, the cheap ones often fail due to the weakness of the materials used in their making.  You can also buy a punch that you use by putting the punch where you want the holes and using a mallet like a hammer to pound the top of the punch until its sharp tines go through the leather.  What kind of punch to use is mostly a matter of personal preference.  Generally the smaller the holes you make, the better, as long as you can easily fit multiple stitches of artificial sinew through the hole and as long as the holes for laces will fit two laces through the hole easily.
Artificial sinew-the best, most durable material you can use for stitching moccasins together.  You can find artificial sinew at shops that sell Native American or Rendezvous leather & craft supplies (either local shops or at the multitude of online shops), =ebay stores that sell artificial sinew, and some general art and craft supply shops often caryy it.  Compare prices, because the price for the same quantity can sometime

Just curious...why do you make your dog wear boots in the snow? 

Just curious...why do you make your dog wear boots in the snow?

I can't speak for northern GSDs, but for us here the snow can be so crusted and sharp that it rips up the dogs pads to walk on it for very long.  Snowballs can also form between the toes, irritating the dog -- and when they stop to chew it out it turns to ice and abrades the foot.  Also if you're out in -35 C their feet can get so cold that they cramp.  I'd never put a coat on a GSD (unless they were elderly/infirm/recovering from surgery or something) but boots can be useful.

I see. I've done some skijoring in areas way up there in the Sierras, and never did use boots for the dogs. It wasn't usually less than ten below though; usually more like ten above. None of the sledders had shoes on their dogs either. I had a golden up there once and she did get the snowballs between her toes...I sprayed Pam on them! Worked for a couple hours, anyway. 

Jackal's on the money as to why I use boots. The temps up here can get from -20  to -40 C in the winter months (often average of -20). Both have pretty decent pads so they don't usually end up with cuts etc but in addition to the cramping another issue is all the chemical road salt that is used (we have to walk along a long stretch of plowedsanded/salted road on our daily walks to get to our "off road" area). I don't use coats for them but on even short walks when it's that bloody cold it gets hard on their feet.

The vet wrap is a good idea - just a bit of a PITA to do it 2 x a day but I may have to try that out.

I would love to be talented enough to make my own but I am quite inept with any crafty items and I don't have much patience unfortunately. Thanks so much for the details though - who knows...I may attempt it!

Anyone else have any ideas to share as well?

To the original poster.

Your best bet is to get int he car and go to a seamster in your town. They will whipout the tape and measure your dog'sfeet and make a custom fit for it. You can choose your own material, leather scraps,material they suee forthe windbreakers whatever and there you go.

That's what I would do if I  had that problem.

All this other stuff is just guesswork and obviously you havenot had much success.

To the poster - why? When snow melts and refreeze, it can really be hard as a rock and likeshards of broken glass, not good for dog's feet in the long run for sure.

Salt found on most surfaces in winter is a big problem when it combines with snow and then melts and refreezes on the dog's paws. I have used booties made where I live in Duluth, MN. Winter is a way of life here. Try this site: www.dogbooties.com
Good Luck
Ken

The long boots from activedogs look good to me.  I just might get a set for both my dogs since we get ice storms here sometimes during the winter and the dogs cannot even walk on it.  It's also pretty sharp sometimes.  So they don't get out much during the ice age.  But with those boots maybe they'd be running around like crazy?