Yeti GOBOX Collection

Dog boots

Irrelevant

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Apr 17, 2015
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Wenatchee
Anyone recommend any dog boots? After a year of using Mushers Secret I'm still having some pretty bad foot issues with Tucker in all this crusty snow we have. He has really soft skin, so beyond just his feet his legs bleed pretty good, but I'm less worried about that.
 
I've heard really good things about the Lewis boots. I purchased a set for my griff but they're just too tough to get on his feet with the long hair and I ended up sending them back. I've heard if you can wrap above your dogs paw in the ankle area with some leukotape first then put the boot on then athletic tape over the boots and onto the leukotape they're very tough for the dog to throw. Probably pretty similar to the ones jejack made.
 
They all have their drawbacks. Lewis seem to be the best of the bunch. Snell’s Gun Dog Supply has some excellent videos on line for fitting them and using tape to keep them secure.
 
We’ve used the Grip Trex ones with the vibram soles. They were easier to get on than the Lewis, but our dog has really big feet.

We wrap from the foot up about 5 inches with VetRap, put the boots on, then tape over the VetRap down over the boot cuff with bright duct tape. She looks like a race horse. We’ve still lost a few in the really crusty snow, but it keeps her from shredding her legs and feet up so bad.
 
We started getting them for our dogs to protect from cactus (mostly small prickly pear). But the would come off in the sand, and one dog would simply not put up with them. Ain't cheap, but the taping idea above seems like a good one. And getting your pup used to them at a young age is a good idea, in case he/she is as bull-headed as my dog.

David
NM
 
I think crusty snow wears differently than unfrozen terrain.
With crusty snow, with each step the dog's feet penetrate a sharp, frozen layer.
So the lower leg as well as the pad may be cut.

Duct tape above a booty helps protect that lower leg while the booty protects the pad.
 
I made some out of inner tube from motor cycle tire. Worked like a champ for my setter. Found the idea off youtube
This trick is what the hunting dog breeders we hunt with every fall use.

I know you said Mushers isn't working - we did start using it both before and after going out on the trails and it has kept the pup's paws pretty good.
 
The velcro/condura ones work okay in soft dirt where there's lots of burrs but wear through in rocky terrain. For rocky terrain I had good success with the Lewis boots but they are pita to tape on to an uncooperative dog. On the plus side the Lewis boots slowed down my pointer....for a little while.
 
dogbooties.com is where i get mine from. if it's a snow that is going to pack between the dogs toes out in the winter, or an injured pad in the summer, the 1,000 condura ones work great, have the elastic velcro tops and are like $3/piece or something like that super cheap work well, nice to have in the back pocket for emergencies
 
I went with Lewis unvented.

He's easy to work with so getting them on was fine, though I had to cut the two back ones off toward the end of the first hunt because they'd slid too far down and a toe poked through the crack. They kept his feet pretty protected but he was sliding like crazy on frozen ground with a 1/2" of grease on top falling numerous times.

So day two I felt bad and left them off. These were his feet after 4.5 hrs. I feel terrible.
20230116_184616.jpg
This is after a full month of daily mushers secret use
 

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