How do you help your dog(s) deal with snow and salt?
So it's the first winter with my 4-year-old rescue, there's a ton of salt on the sidewalks, and he's not a happy camper. Musher's Secret (a paw wax/ointment) gets good reviews, but I'm skeptical that will do the trick. Booties may be the answer, but I haven't seen them on any local dogs. The stores are sold out of everything, so I'm appealing to the collective wisdom of Wooters (and Wooter canines) before I order online.
by
ginawoot
asked 4 months ago
Our dog loves the snow. If you open the Garage and it's been snowing she'll speed towards it and plant her face in it. I haven't had any problems with salt this year.
That ointment stuff does help if your dog is good about letting you mess with their paws. I wouldn't recommend booties unless you find them really cheap, most dogs hate them and they're a pain to put on.
@gideonfrost: Rico enjoys the snow, but the snowballs that form (because of the salt) between his toes really bother him. I had to melt them under warm running water this morning - they looked really uncomfortable.
@miyoshinum5: thanks, I will try the paw wax. He used to be an ornery cuss who didn't care much for being touched, but now after months of daily grooming, he sighs when I massage his paws. ;-) I'm leery of spending the bucks on booties for the reasons you mentioned - I guess I was hoping somebody here would report a good experience with them.
@ginawoot: We keep a rag/towel by the door to get all the snow off. Both for her and for the carpet.
I usually just clean his paws by hand if we are walking and he stops to lick a paw.
Then when we get home, I wipe them down extra good.
I should try trimming the fun on his paws. Might cut down on those snow balls that form between his toes.
That Musher's Secret has great reviews. I hope I can remember what it is called the next time we have a bad winter.
We have only had 3 days this winter with salt on the streets.
We have to trim the hair on the bottom of my dogs' feet. If not, mud or snow can get in their and make it really uncomfortable for them.
Our previous dog hated snow with a passion and took to peeing next to the door because she didn't want to go outside. I finally bought her a pair of booties, which she hated at first until we set her outside in the snow and she realized what they were for. After that she never had accidents by the door and didn't mind us putting the boots on her.
Thanks for the replies suggesting I trim the hair between his toes. I thought it might actually protect his feet, but that's apparently wrong.
@tippypaws: thanks for the positive report - can you recall what brand they were? I do think my dog - like yours - would adapt to them. (He's a highly opinionated hound, but he's also generally happy to go along with the program.)
@ginawoot: Both my sister's and g/f's dogs had the same problem. My sister's dog (a Shelty) would actually keel over onto her side when she got too much snow stuck between her toes, then they would have to carry her home. My girlfriend's dog (schipperke) would either try walking on 3 legs or just stop walking altogether. I got some booties for him and it was hilarious to watch him walk in them at first. He didn't know what to think but got used to them pretty quickly and now goes on walks and races around her backyard in them.
I did a fair amount of research at the time before choosing these Woof Hoofs; http://www.amazon.com/Woof-Hoofs-Dog-Boots-Diamond/dp/B002ZF0X9Q/ref=sr_1_33?ie=UTF8&qid=1327308741&sr=8-33
@ginawoot: They were really cheap ones I found on clearance at Petsmart 9 years ago. My dog was 15 though so we didn't have to worry about her running around and losing them. I wouldn't recommend the cheapo ones if you have a more energetic dog because the boots would fall off easily.
One thing you can do to help get the dog used to it is to have treats ready for use immediately after putting them on. As soon as the boots are on, make the dog do whatever tricks he knows and give him high value treats as a reward. Do that for at least a five minutes and the dog will soon forget about the boots. If he's freaked out by walking in them, just give treats for each step. If he gets the treats every time you put the boots on, he will quickly come to accept them.
@chipgreen: thanks so much for the recommendation; Rico's about 30 lbs, so it's good to know those booties work well for smaller dogs. I appreciate the dog stories too. Rico will also stop dead in his tracks and refuse to move. He hasn't keeled over on his side yet though - that's a pretty funny visual!
@tippypaws: thanks, positive reinforcement has worked well with Rico, and that's a great idea for getting him used to booties. We used that technique for his first bath, and he probably ate a good quarter pound of deli turkey by the time he was rinsed off! (He quivered with fear when first put in the tub - maybe he thought we were preparing to cook him?!)
@ginawoot: Yeah, I never got to see it for myself but it is pretty funny. I'm sure it wasn't funny for her dog though...
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