a greyhound gets his winter boots put on

This greyhound of mine looks a bit embarrassed about having to wear his winter boots (a.k.a. “paw protectors“), doesn’t he?

Don’t be fooled by that hang-dog look — when we go outside in minus-20°C weather (that’s, um, 4 degrees below 0°F for our American friends), the big guy’s whole attitude gets adjusted pretty quickly!

So, when do you know it’s time for your dog to wear winter boots?

That will depend in part on the individual dog’s breed and on your climate and lifestyle, but here’s a good rule of thumb:

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  • When you’re walking somewhere that salt has been spread to melt the ice and snow.
  • When the snow is cold enough to squeak when you walk on it.
  • When the dog tries to hold all his paws off the ground at once.
  • … or when it’s cold enough that you, yourself, can’t walk the dog in comfort without earmuffs or something over your ears.

We don’t bother with boots just to pop from the house to the car, but in the depths of a Canadian winter, dogs often will need boots to take a walk or even to go in the yard to do their “business”. Obviously, there are many parts of the world where paw protection just isn’t even needed. But for the rest of us…

Lots of people say that their dogs “don’t like” wearing boots, or just kick them off, or refuse to let the boots get put on their feet in the first place…

But no worries, if that’s your situation. This can be solved with a little bit of positive dog training. If you’re not near a dog school that offers clicker training, however, you can still DIY…

First off, you can see from the photo that my greyhound isn’t too crazy about the whole boot concept either — not when we’re in the warm kitchen! — but once we get outdoors in the snow and ice and road-salt, he soon decides that he likes the idea.

Secondly, the dog boots pattern I drew up a while back has proven to be simple and effective. (Cheap to replace, too, if we lose one in a deep snowdrift!) The boots just slip on over the paw — use one hand to hold those toes together and guide the foot, while the other hand holds the bootie — and it fastens with a combination of Velcro and elastic that makes a snug secure fit around the dog’s ankle.

And the third trick, the really big one — Don’t wait for mid-winter to introduce a dog to wearing that paw protection.

Let your dog get used to his boots gradually, over time, and it’ll save a whole lot of grief when you’re in a hurry to walk him and get to work!

dog feet This greyhound stands patiently to have his boots put on, even when a smaller dog is getting curious and bugging him. Not only that, he’ll accept the putting on of winter boots from anyone — even the neighbour kids — without struggle or protest.

I tell you, a bit of training makes life so much easier!

How to “Boot Train” Your Dog

As part of a grooming or training session, just slip a boot onto one of his feet — don’t fasten it, the first time — just slip the boot on, give a wonderful treat, and then slip it right back off again and go on with your other activities.

Stand your dog for this exercise — or have someone hold his collar, if he isn’t likely to stand still. You don’t want him trying to walk around with this loose floppy weird thing on his foot! A slip on the floor or a successful kicking-off of the boot will just make “boot training” your dog more difficult.

The next day, repeat with a different foot… and the next… and the next… Then, try two feet. And a different two feet, the next day. What you’re doing here is working up to the point where your dog is happy to get his feet handled and get a boot on, because he knows he’ll be getting a lovely treat when it happens.

Step by step, build up his tolerance for the whole footwear issue. Don’t be tempted to go too fast! Patience will pay off in the long run.

Note that I have suggested doing the boot training as part of your regular training sessions. That’s to help your dog to understand that the boot is just another part of the wonderful “school game” you play together. Go at the dog’s pace, and stay within his comfort zone when you’re introducing anything new.

For some timid dogs, that could mean you start out simply by showing him the boots (and reward him for being near them), then just gently touching one to the top of his paw (and reward while the boot is touching him) , then touching one to his paw while you lift his paw in your hand (and reward)… and so on.

If your dog isn’t used to having his feet handled, or has had a bad experience with clipping his nails, etc., this could take a good number of days to get him comfortable. Keep it calm and happy, with lots of great treats, and gradually build up his comfort level with this strange new activity.

It bears repeating: Don’t be tempted to go too fast!

When the dog will eventually allow you to put boots (not fastened) onto all four feet at once, go back to putting a boot on just one foot — but this time, fasten it loosely, just enough so he can feel that there’s something around his ankle. Boot on, fasten gently, treat the dog, take off the boot. Next session, do the same thing on a different foot… again, working up to the point where all four feet can be in (loosely fastened) boots at one time.

Repeat the training cycle — one foot first, working up to all four — but this time you’ll fasten each boot more securely, as you would if your were taking the dog outside.

You’ll find that each training cycle will go more quickly, because the dog is gaining confidence and becoming more comfortable with the whole process.

At this point, some dogs will be quite calm about it all, and more interested in walking around than in standing still with you handling their paws.

  • If you’ve got carpets in your house, or some other kind of non-slip floor, that might be the best place to start learning to walk in boots.
  • With slippery tile floors like this one in my kitchen, I’d go back to one boot (securely fastened) on one paw, and let the dog try it out with his other three paws feeling like they normally do. Then work up to all four boots.

You’ll laugh out loud, the way a dog in new boots will lift his feet and shake them, trying to figure out what’s going on! Just keep his mind off those new boots, those first few times — offer treats, a favourite toy, a ride in the car, whatever he sees as a reward and will distract him from the funny feeling of wearing boots…

Before you know it, your dog will be standing patiently while you put boots on his feet and walking gracefully with well-protected paws.

This Post Has 47 Comments

  1. Denise

    Hi,I have a 71/2 year old Doberman who is now struggling with arthritis in her 2back & 1 front leg,as a result she is now scraping her front leg & just yesterday her 2 middle claws got worn down to quick &really bleeding.upshot is more pain management but needs a boot!!! Got a set today & she WILL NOT let me put it in her!!! No way Jose ,treats don’t work She’s too strong & cant half move for a dog that can’t walk very well!! HELP!!!!! ?

  2. Denise

    Hi,I have a 71/2 year old Doberman who is now struggling with arthritis in her 2back & 1 front leg,as a result she is now scraping her front leg & just yesterday her 2 middle claws got worn down to quick &really bleeding.upshot is more pain management but needs a boot!!! Got a set today & she WILL NOT let me put it in her!!! She’s too strong & cant half move for a dog that can’t walk very well!! HELP!!!!! ?

  3. Daniel

    I totally understand and empathize with your strife with all the dog shoes / boots That are on the market.
    I have also tried sooo many brands and gave up last year but my baby girl cannot walk On the salt or in the cold at all more than 10 steps so I was forced to continue the search.
    Well I think I found exactly what we need, we’ve been using them for a month now and both my Bella and I could not be happier. The brand is Neo-Paws and the quality and their Velcro system is amazing.
    We went from 10 steps to 10 blocks again on all our walks and we are both thrilled and grateful To not be locked up all winter as so many little doggies and their humans are ;(
    Their website is http://www.neopaws.com and they have a lot of other cool and warm things to buy.

    1. Lynda

      The fabric/wool/felt dog shows this website here shows, is the only doggie shoes my dog wears..she hates the hard plastic, tie ups always fall off and forget these fancy ones, the felt here works the best ever! And i have 5 dogs….I’ve tried them all!

  4. kyliyah

    sorry, but do you put the socks on and then the boots or just the boots

    1. Domestik Goddess

      Generally, we use the softer socks to help train the dog to wear boots, if the dog is reluctant to try the boots on and wants to struggle – we want it to be a happy experience, not a battle – as socks are soft and easy to slip on while your dog is getting used to having something on his feet.

  5. kyliyah

    i have a Australian shepherd Australian cattle dog mix 25 week old pup i live in one of the hottest places in Arizona will this still work?

    1. Domestik Goddess

      Anywhere that has extreme temperatures, either hot or cold, you’ll find the dog is more comfortable with an extra layer of padding to protect the pads of his paws.

  6. Dee

    Thanks for the pattern and suggestions. I can’t wait to try with my Shih Tzu. (I know, “Be patient”)

  7. Carole

    I was thinking that you could spray the boot with fabric water repellent. I would also make it “knee high” for very cold weather or long walks with velcro closure all the way up

    1. Domestik Goddess

      Water repellent spray would be handy for non-waterproof fabrics in wet-snow areas, for sure, Carole – good idea!

  8. Diti

    Thanks for pattern and training tips . I have 2 doxies with those wide feet LOL. One has long hair and very furry toes so she doesn’t hesitate to jump right into the snow but the short hair is a bit of a wuss.this will be great for customizing size. Previously, I had considered using non skid baby socks.

    1. Domestik Goddess

      I find that non-skid baby socks are great for helping an older dog stay upright indoors on slippery floors, once the back end starts to lose muscle control, but for outdoors – cold weather, hot pavement, rough terrain, etc. – I find they just don’t stand up to the wear and tear.

      Best place to get those baby socks? Dollar discount stores or Goodwill are a cheap source around here, as babies don’t seem to wear out their socks too often – lots of second-hand ones for pennies a pair that are perfectly good for dogs! :)

  9. puppy luver

    i have a puppy about 4 months old and hes a pekingese i was trying to let him wear new shoes but he wont stop moving and biting is there another advice on how to let him wear a shoe easily ??

    1. Domestik Goddess

      This article has the best (well tested) advice I can give you on how to train your dog to wear boots, ‘puppy luver’ – sorry, there are no instant shortcuts! To recap: Basically, the idea is to pair the boots with something he really likes (such as super-good treats) to make a positive association – and, above all, to start the training a good time before you really need the boots. Don’t rush it – patience will pay off! :)

  10. Debbie

    Thank you for the pattern! My Border Collie mix, got terribly sore from the sand at the beach this summer. We ended up buying booties which he wore eagerly. Now that we are getting ready for snowshoeing, I’ve been wanting to sew some warmer ones for him. I think I’ll make a couple of extras as we may leave one in the snow.

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