Now, don’t make fun of my greyhound in his little red boots! It’s not a fashion statement, dog boots are a necessity in the darkest pit of the Canadian winter.
Paw protection is especially important for the short-coated dog breeds like greyhounds, and especially when the weather is as brutal as it’s been here lately — we’re talking about -28°C, with a windchill factor that makes it feel like -40°C (that’s the same as 40 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, for my American friends). The snow squeaks when you walk on it, and exposed skin can begin to freeze in less than one minute!
So, my latest sewing project has been to sew up some new polar-fleece dog boots. These are quick to make and easy to put on the dog, but they don’t shake off very easily. I’ve made these boots with non-slid vinyl soles, elastic at the ankles, and Velcro fasteners, and the dogs don’t hate them too much.
I based this pattern on an old set of store-bought dog booties that I borrowed from a neighbour, and used some scraps of fleece, elastic, and Velcro that were left over from other sewing projects.
Feel free to use my pattern to make your own dog boots — just right-click to save the image to your computer. It’s not very fancy, because I just sketched it out on a piece of scrap paper, but it works just fine! And you can size the pattern up or down on your printer, to fit the size of your dog’s paws.
For the large male greyhound, I printed out the pattern so that it was 4½ inches wide, measured across the sole. Those large boots fit the Golden Retriever, too, while 1½ inches was plenty wide for boots for a mutt of vaguely Beagle-Chihuahua ancestry.
I love fleece fabric for dog boots because it sews up easily, keeps the paws as warm as possible, doesn’t stain too badly, and dries quickly to be ready for the next outing. For large size boots, I used ¾-inch Velcro and the same width of elastic. For smaller boots, obviously, you’d use a narrower size.
Sewing Instructions:
• Place the “toe” of the pattern on a fold of fabric and cut out around the boot shape. When you unfold the fabric, you’ll have a sort of hourglass shape. Don’t sew up the sides until you’ve done the next steps!
• Following the marks I’ve put on the pattern, place a circle of vinyl or other non-slip material on the sole of the boot and sew it in place.
• Sew on a piece of Velcro at the ankle position, using the softer fuzzy half, and catching a piece of elastic underneath it, as shown. The stitching for the Velcro will hold on the elastic.
• Sew the other half of the Velcro strip (the part with all the tiny hooks) securely onto the free end of the elastic. Make sure that the hooks are facing down when you’re looking at the sole of the boot.
• Finally, fold the boot in half with the right sides together (so that the vinyl sole is inside) and sew up the sides. Turn it right side out.
Because I knew that I was going to sew my dog boots from fleece fabric, which doesn’t fray or ravel, I didn’t add much of a seam allowance to the pattern — about ¼” around the edges — so you might want to count in an extra bit of width for seam allowance if you’re planning to use a woven fabric like a waterproof nylon or such. The other thing I did that’s different from the pattern is adjust the height of the boots — ankle boots are of limited use for a country dog, so I extended the tops up a little bit to better handle the snow-softened farm lanes where we like to walk.
To put the boots on the dog — just turn the boot so that the sole is to the back of the dog’s leg, and slide his paw into the boot. Wrap the elastic around the front of the leg, as shown, and fasten the Velcro.
This lazy greyhound was napping in his crate and refused to get up to model his boots, in case I was going to make him go out in the cold, so this picture shows the view you get when a dog is lying down… but you can get the idea…
So there you have it: my pattern and instructions for sewing dog boots. Feel free to use it as you like!
Oh, and I’d love it if you could let me know if you come up with any improvements to the design. I’m thinking, for example, of making an even taller pair (with two fasteners) for when the dogs are walking in a real bit of snow…
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February 20th, 2007 at 10:15 am
Thank you so much for this very easy and useful project. I made them for my Doberman, they are great!
February 20th, 2007 at 10:22 am
Hi anonymous, thanks for stopping by to tell me!
It seems to be the bit of a taper at the ankle and the use of the elastic that makes this pattern work better than other styles I’ve tried…
I’m so glad that you and your Dobie found these booties useful!
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:12 pm
Thank you for the free pattern! I’m going to give this pattern to my mom, who is a seamstress-goddess, and who could, if asked make her own galoshes! So, my idea is to have her make this pattern but out of water-resistant material. It is mud season here, otherwise known as spring, and I’m thinking I would love to keep these booties by my back door for my dog’s nature calls instead of having to wash off his feet each time he comes back in the house. I could just quick slip some booties on his feet before he goes outside and then quick slip them off again before he comes back in leaving his muddy “boots” on the back porch just like the rest of us.
Thanks for the great idea!
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:21 pm
Elizabeth, I’m so pleased you can find a use for these. Dead easy to sew, your mom could whip up a pair in her sleep. I’d love to see a photo of the “rain booties” sometime - if you get a chance, email me a pic?
March 25th, 2007 at 10:52 am
Absolutely! She has many projects going these days but she said she will try her best to get my project moved to the front of the line! If anything, it’ll be the thought that counts, right? Thanks again!
June 14th, 2007 at 7:02 am
Hi. I don’t have access to a sewing machine. Do you provide a service whereby you could make them and post them? The fleece boots are ideal for home use. Thank you.
June 14th, 2007 at 8:40 am
Hi Anonymous, sorry, no, I’m not making the boots for sale - but you could probably sew by hand without much trouble, as fleece is so “forgiving”… or, if sewing isn’t your thing at all, do feel free to take the pattern along to someone who does clothing repairs or sewing in your area; they could probably whip these up in no time at all.
June 14th, 2007 at 8:43 am
As a matter of fact, if anyone wants to use this pattern to sew up dog booties for sale online - go ahead, I don’t mind a bit! - though a link back to http://domestikgoddess.com would always be appreciated…
January 11th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Thank you for giving free access to your pattern. I made them out of waterproof fabric for my daughter`s beautiful boxer, Lexxi. ( my grand - pup ) Lexxi has lost the outer shell of her nails and is now recuperating from surgery on her paw, as she had testing completed to pinpoint why her nails are damaged. Your pattern is a real lifesaver for Lexxi`s spirits as she can venture outdoors for brief periods with her booties on. I have tried several patterns , but yours are the best. For deep snow and trail walking I am going to make another pair for her and will attach a knitted cuff before sewing completely. Thank you for your kindness in posting your pattern.
January 11th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Joanne, you are very welcome — I’m so glad my pattern has worked for poor Lexxi — and your idea of adding a knitted cuff is quite brilliant. I’m going to do that for The Furry Wimp’s next pair of winter booties!
January 25th, 2008 at 7:36 am
Very helpful! I’ve been looking all over for dog booties for my Australian Shepherd. We go snowshoeing quite a bit and the booties at the store just don’t work for us. I’ve taken your pattern and added a “gaiter” going all the way up to my dog’s armpit. She looks pretty funny, but I think it’ll do the job!
January 25th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Leslie, I’d love to see your Aussie going in her tall boots! The next pair of dog boots I make will have an extended cuff. After several winters of very little snow, Atlantic Canada has more than our share this year - short booties don’t quite do it for our off-road adventures!
January 25th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Domestika,
Thank you for your inspiration and posting your ideas about paw protectors on the internet. I have been searching for boots for my little puppy (7 lbs) and I couldn’t find anything nicer. I just stopped at the fabric store on a mission to design my own.
I can’t wait to try the pattern.
January 25th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Sue, these soft boots should be easy on those little puppy paws… Good luck with your sewing! Oh, and if this is his/her first pair of footwear, you might want to read How to Teach a Dog to Wear Boots, too!
January 28th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Thanks so much for this pattern! After spending 1/2 hour removing the snow & ice bits from my dogs legs each time we romped outside last weekend, I thought ‘there has to be a better way!’ The other dog boots I’ve seen are too short and do not stay on. I made some with your pattern and extended it to go about 1/2 way up my dogs leg with 2 rows of velcro. (She has long hair and just gets COVERED with ice and snow all the way up her legs.) I also used a layer of fleece covered by a ‘waterproof’ layer. She’s tried them out a few times and isn’t crazy about wearing them but doesn’t mind too much if we don’t laugh. I LOVE them! It’s wonderful to just come in the house and take off the boots - no sitting on the floor and picking at ice chunks forever. And when spring gets here…bring on the mud
January 29th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Thanks for posting this! I’m going to try it-my dogs run in our wooded backyard and their paws become caked with mud during the winter (NOW!!!:(. I’m hoping I can make a waterproof/mudproof version for them. Any suggestions?
Also, any suggestions on helping them become used to wearing something on their feet?
Thanks!!!
February 11th, 2008 at 1:42 am
With temp is single digits & wind chill of -25 … my poor dog had frozen toes after a few minutes - did not want to go out to do business - I was desperate for dog boots!
Found your pattern & whipped up a set in about 15 minutes. I had fleece and used wide ridge heavy duty elastic about 2″ wide - like for men’s PJ waist or skirt cut into disk and applied with ridges going side-to-side on sole for traction - outside is also very icy and did not even have any rubber/vinyl to try. They work great - ridgy elastic on sole seems to give great traction - will see how it wears. After about 1 minute of “reluctance” on dog’s part he figured out how great they were … and he had never had any type of boots on before. thanks
February 11th, 2008 at 9:44 am
@Kathie, yes, taller is better, I think that’s what I’ll do next time I make a set of these. And I found the same thing, that other (store-bought) dog boots just don’t want to stay on — these seem to work better because the boot itself is soft and the elastic-velcro combination makes them easier to fit to the leg. Glad it worked for you!
@Janai, thanks for leaving a comment! One of the other readers had a great idea to make the boots with a double layer — fleece on the inside and a waterproof outer layer — so that might work for you with the mud. I made up a bunch of boots and just keep throwing them in the wash when they get filthy, but we have more of a snow problem than a mud problem here in Atlantic Canada so you might want a waterproof nylon or some fabric like that on the outside. Don’t forget to put a non-slip sole on, though, because nylon is so slippery.
@Mitch, I am so pleased to hear my dog boots pattern worked out for you! Thanks very much for your idea for using elastic as the non-slip treads — Should wear okay in snow, and even if youhave to do some repairs later on, at least your dog has toasty-warm toes now! Dogs are smart, aren’t they? If it’s a choice between freezing the feet and wearing boots, they do tend to figure out that boots are the better option!
March 5th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I made these booties for my mini schnauzer. We live in Alaska where it gets very cold in the winter -40 or more. There is no problem when you take her out with the booties on. I lined my with flannel material for extra warmth. Thanks so much for free pattern. These are easy to sew.
March 5th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
@Norma, thanks so much for stopping by to let me know this pattern worked for you - cold enough here in Atlantic Canada, but an Alaskan dog deserves nice flannel-lined boots, for sure!