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.

Taking care of your dog's feet is an important aspect of your dog's health, comfort and performance. Unfortunately injury can occur before the problem is recognized. Unless you are a serious musher or your dog has very difficult feet issues there are some things you can try before resorting to booties. Booties can be very frustrating and even damaging when used incorrectly. Never use booties if you can avoid it but always use booties when you need to.

The most common problem is snowballs sticking to the hair between the toes. Most northern breeds have fairly short, stiff hair in between their toes that don't collect snow easily, but in certain snow conditions all dogs are at risk for foot problems. Dogs that have soft and or long, silky hair should have their foot hair trimmed even with the pads of their feet. It is a good to leave a little hair between the pads to protect the foot.