These dog boots were made for snowshoeing
Juneau wearing the Summit Trex Boot by Ruffwear via StuckinNorthIdaho.com
I love connecting with people on Instagram, obviously because I love pictures so much, but also I think my followers are more engaged there. Getting people to comment and engage on the SINI Facebook page is like pulling teeth, but I get comments on Instagram all the time. I love it.So, when AIMERS005 commented on the photo below of Bug wearing her Ruffwear dog snow boots we got her last year, she gave me the bright idea to share my thoughts about getting your dog to wear boots in the snow. (Please note that all opinions in this post are 100 percent my own, I am not getting compensated in any way by Ruffwear.)
Since when do dogs need protective footwear?
I don't know when it happened, but at some point in time someone decided that not only do people need clothing for every occasion but apparently so do our best buds. I was never keen on the idea of dog wear until we took Juneau snowshoeing for the first time. While she was a trooper and had a blast, she kept getting snow clumps between the pads of her feet which she then attempted to get out by licking them, which turned them into ice balls. Quite the vicious cycle. So, we decided it would be a good idea to invest in some snow boots for dogs. After doing some research and some shopping around, I decided that the Summit Trex boot by Ruffwear looked like our best bet.
We've only used them twice so far, but plan to a lot more in the near future. They're durable (as advertised) and do a great job of keeping Juneau's feet free of snowballs. The only issue I've had so far is that the back boots don't like to stay on. I have reached out to the company for some tips or advice on the subject, so I'll keep you all posted there.
UPDATE: I haven't heard back from the company, but we had a successful cross-country ski outing and her back boots stayed on the whole time. Success! I just double-checked her toes were all the way to the edge, and the Velcro was above her dewclaws. That seemed to do the trick. A few tips for trying boots for the first time:
This one seems kinda obvious but know your dog. Not all dogs tolerate people messing with their feet.
Try them out for short periods of time first. I took Bug for two shorter walks around the block before attempting an actual snowshoe trail.
Reward them. Treats are always helpful, but Juneau seems to be rewarded most with experiences. It was like when we tried to leash train her and she thought it was going to kill her at first. Eventually, she learned that she REALLY liked walks and associated her leash with her new favorite activity. I had the same experience with the boots. She just needed to learn what they meant. Boots = Fun
Know of any other good tips for acclimating dogs to new gear?
Happy snowshoeing!