Leslie's Sled Dog Blog

Booties

Using booties correctly is an acquired skill. You will need to learn what booties fabric and size you need for the conditions, when to use them, when to replace them and most importantly how tight to apply to get them to stay on.

There are primarily three fabrics used for booties. Popular with long distance racers is a lightweight, uncoated cordura for average trail/snow conditions. A good quality polar fleece works well to pad sore or frost nipped feet but is useless in wet snow condition. Heavier nylon cordura is used for extremely abrasive conditions such as rocks, sand and asphalt. All booties are attached by wrapping snugly around the leg with elastic velcro.

 

The booties must be properly sized to the dog's foot. Too large and the bootie will flap annoyingly and come off, too small and the toes rub on each other. If you are unsure what size to get, measure the length and width of the foot by standing the dog on a ruler or tracing around the foot. There is no standard among manufactures, one company's large may be another's medium. When standing the foot should fill the boot without pinching the toes or having a bunch of excess fabric. Some dogs may require different size booties for front and rear feet. Be sure to keep toe nails trimmed for a good fit and to extend the life of the booties.

 

Dogs unused to booties may hop and prance around until they grow accustomed to the feel. It is best to bootie all feet even if only one foot is injured. This keeps the dog's movement balanced so they don't favor a leg and stress other muscles.

When putting on the booties, the velcro must be snug or the booties will quickly fly off. This will take some practice to develop the right "feel". One method is to place your finger next to the leg then wrap the velcro tightly around and pull your finger out. Give the bootie a firm tug to make sure it is tight enough. If your dog is off trail in deep snow it is particularly difficult to keep them on as the crust of snow tends to catch the fabric and suck the booties off. If the bootie is too tight it will have a tourniquet effect and can be very damaging to the foot. Always remove them as soon as you are done traveling or when resting for long periods.

 

Booties should be used for abrasive or granular snow, icy conditions, to prevent snowballing and to protect the foot from wear when traveling long distances. When using booties check regularly for holes, replace any booties that have developed them immediately. Wet, frozen booties should also be replaced. Watch for "ice bracelets" that can form around the tops of booties as this will cause sores to develop.

After use inspect the booties for wear and dry out before using again.