Best shoes for dogs review

best shoes for dogs review

Shoes for dogs

Even some 10 years ago, the expression "buy shoes for a dog" caused, to put it mildly, amazement. But if you discard skepticism and delve into the topic, you can find a rationale for such a need. Even in the days when no one heard anything about dog shoes, socks were bought for dogs to protect post-operative wounds on the dog from the dog itself. Socks were bought by those that the industry produced for humans, and the dog had to be monitored, since removing them from its paws was a trifling matter for it.

Why do dogs need shoes

You can laugh for a long time at the yard Barbos, who was dressed up in bright boots. Once upon a time, the ancestors of man walked barefoot, but we protect our feet even in summer.

Every day, a dog living in a city apartment, going outside, faces the risk of injuring its paws, despite the hard pads. Fragments, debris (including construction debris), reagents that are sprinkled on the streets in winter are problems that lie on the surface. In the wild, no one breaks bottles, and the stiffness of the dog's fingertips and its claws, which it releases, is quite enough to not slip on the ice and maintain stability.

In summer, city pets, just like us, walk along asphalt paths that heat up at high temperatures. This is uncomfortable for the dog, so either you need to wear shoes or walk on the lawn and similar ground.

We systematize the types of shoes for dogs:

• Casual, which is used on walks. These are seasonal shoes: sandals, boots or boots. Depending on the model and materials, these shoes protect the paws from dangerous debris, as well as moisture and dirt. This is especially true if the pet has healing or open wounds.
• Shoes for home It is mainly used for heat-loving decorative breeds of dogs that freeze in a cool room. At the same time, the air temperature can be comfortable for a person. You can always understand that the pet is cold: he is looking for a warm place, from where he rarely crawls out only for physiological reasons.
• Specialized footwear for dogs. It is used during training, and is also worn on hunting and service dogs when working in special conditions, where it can damage the paws.
• Decorative dog shoes. Of course, this is an optional accessory, and is used as a decoration that complements the image. For example, it is used at exhibitions or social events where you can come with your pet.

Casual shoes for dogs

It is conditionally possible to divide such shoes into winter and summer. For the autumn-spring period, it is not too different.

Winter shoes

The reasons leading to the need to buy shoes for dogs, we mentioned above. Separately, I would like to say about the reagents that treat roads in winter. You can paint the chemical composition of different types of reagents for a long time, but even if it is just a harmless mixture of sand and table salt, this is bad for a dog. Even if the paws are healthy, it is unpleasant for the dog. And if there are even microscopic cracks on the pads or in the folds between the fingers, this will cause itching and burning. You can understand that your pet is uncomfortable by his behavior: he can limp, pull his paws and try to lick them.

As a rule, you do not know exactly how you treated the sidewalk on which you are used to walking. It can be an anti-icing reagent, which not only causes a burn of the pads, but also poisoning, because the animal will try to lick where it hurts or bothers. With some types of reagents, poisoning occurs instantly, so there is no need to hope that you will have time to wash your paws when you return home.

Of course, you can use a special ointment or wax that covers the paws before a walk, but often this turns out to be weak protection. The reagent still sticks and it’s not a fact that you will notice in time that the dog is trying to lick its paws and forbid it to do so.

There are several options for winter shoes, but conditionally it can be divided into boots with bags and boots with hard soles.

Boot bags

As a rule, this is something between socks and boots.

• Comfortable at the stage of getting used to the shoes;
• They have a flexible sole that gives a feeling of ground relief, so the dog does not experience anxiety;
• Suitable for puppies and elderly sick animals who have never worn shoes;
• Protect from cold and reagents.

The disadvantages include their wear and tear, since they are unlikely to be enough for an active pet for 1-2 seasons.

Boots with a hard sole

The main difference between the models is not only in materials, but also in the design of the sole. It can cover only that part of the paw on which the dog leans when walking. There are shoes with a curved sole that covers the entire foot.

The range of such shoes is quite wide. There are shoes insulated, made of natural or artificial fur. The option is suitable for heat-loving dogs that are very cold in cold weather. And for those breeds that can easily withstand even severe cold, sneaker-type shoes that protect against reagents, moisture and dirt may well fit. In such shoes, the presence of a waterproof toe is important.

Particular attention should be paid to fixing shoes on the paws. To do this, boots are equipped with lacing, tightening, zippers or Velcro, or combinations thereof. The choice is often based not only on the safety of the dog, but also on the convenience of the owner, since not every dog will patiently endure the shoeing procedure.

Some manufacturers make a special insert of reflective material on the sole. In the dark, it will be more convenient to control the movement of the dog.

Another type of footwear for dogs is protective silicone socks or stockings used exclusively for medical purposes. They guarantee complete isolation of healing or open wounds from any ingress of moisture, dust or dirt. Their advantage is that they are securely and simply fixed, as well as adjustable in height, for which you can simply cut off the excess.

dog shoe materials

First of all, they must be elastic in order to create as little inconvenience for the pet as possible. This applies to both the upper and the sole.

The sole is made textured, most often using dense thermoplastic rubber or vinyl. This outsole does not wear out on hard surfaces such as asphalt, does not slip on ice and is flexible so as not to hinder movement.

The top can be made of natural or artificial materials: fur, suede, fleece, water-repellent fabric, silicone, nylon and even rubber. The most popular among manufacturers and buyers recently is neoprene, which has a light weight and high thermal insulation characteristics. It doesn't get wet or tear.

Summer shoes

Hot asphalt is a surface to which evolution has not yet had time to adapt the dog. Although a heat-loving dog can do without shoes in the summer. Many opponents of canine

shoes argue their protest by the fact that in shoes the dog cannot extend its claws and thus is deprived of natural cushioning. Many models of summer shoes for dogs do not deprive the dog of this opportunity, leaving holes for the claws to move freely.

Also for the summer you can buy shoes like socks made of mesh fabric with rubberized soles.

Shoes for home

It is not recommended to resort to it all the time, but if the pet needs warmth or protection from licking wounds, then it is possible and necessary. More often, the owners do not even use shoes, but special socks with latex inserts on the sole to prevent slipping. Someone in this way protects the floor from scratches.

But if you really want to shoe a dog, remember some nuances:

1. It should not be too warm even for a decorative and constantly cold dog, as this will interfere with thermoregulation. Paws will constantly sweat. Remember that a comfortable room temperature for a dog is enough;
2. It should also be very soft so that the pet does not feel like a person in ski boots, especially if she has to constantly be in it.

Specialized shoes for dogs

Such shoes are more expensive, but can be used for long-term wear in difficult conditions.

Which dogs are suitable for:

• Hunting breeds, when you know container in advance the features of the area where there is a possibility for a dog to injure its paws on sharp objects or stones. In the opposite case (when you are not familiar with the area), the shoes will also protect the paws from unexpected wounds or debris, which is not terrible for human shoes, but can easily damage the dog's paws;
• Driving breeds, for which they let in special shoes that do not allow slipping on a slippery surface, and also do not slip with great effort;
• Breeds for tracking, when the dog walks with the owner for a long time over rough terrain, where there are stones (sharp or slippery), as well as streams and slushy areas. The soles of these shoes are made of high-tech Vibram® and GripTrex® materials. It provides excellent grip on snow and ice. This boot has an anatomical shape and is equipped with additional inserts made of waterproof, but "breathable" materials, as well as additional fixation;
• For special conditions, when the dog has to move on ice and even under a slope (for example, mountain rescuers), special "Cats" pads, made like those used by climbers, can be used.

Specialized dog shoes are really very comfortable and durable.

Decorative shoes

Mainly used to decorate small pets. For her choice, the basic rules apply, as for shoes with a different purpose. The dog stays in it for a short time, so the models pay more attention to decor, although if you do not intend to torture your animal, then opt for comfortable shoes. When choosing beautiful elegant shoes, you need to think in advance that any buttons, rhinestones, beads and other elements the dog can quickly bite off and swallow. But if you're aiming to buy trendy dog sandals just for the sake of it, carefully check how well the decor is fixed.

You will also need to constantly ensure that the dog does not get carried away and does not bite off any button or bead, because for this it has all the possibilities.

What to pay attention to before choosing shoes for a dog

First of all, you need to understand well why it is needed. Graceful decorative sandals are unlikely for a hunting dog. But, in addition, there are other subtleties of choice:

Best Dog Shoes 2021 [Top 5 Picks]

1. Remember that despite some “humanization” of the dog’s image, this is an animal that loves to bite and chew. Therefore, choose shoes that have a solid toe. The dog will not gnaw and will not spoil her claws;
2. The quality of the seams. Ideally, they should be made out either flat and well-faced. Otherwise, they will rub;
3. The weight of the shoes should be correlated with the size of the pet itself and not create an additional weight load;
4. Give preference to high-quality hypoallergenic materials. The reasons for such a choice are the same as for our shoes, only unlike the dog, we do not try our shoes on the tooth and are not afraid of the bite pieces in the stomach;
5. Shoes should not have small elements. If you can’t do without jewelry, check how firmly they are fixed;
6. Pay attention to the fixation method. Despite the pleasant aesthetics of lacing, it is advisable to give preference to Velcro or Lightning. Firstly, it will be difficult to accustom the dog to withstand the lacing procedure, and secondly (which is more important), the laces have the ability to untie during movement, no matter how tight we delayed them. During running, the pet can not only get confused in dangling laces and dislocate his paw, but also lose their shoes. And in the case of loss, you will not be able to "buy" 1 boots, so you will have to purchase all 4;
7. In order to wear shoes, the joints of the dog must be finally formed, so you need to think about such a purchase if the dog has already turned 6 months or a year, depending on the features of the breed;
8. Before buying, it is advisable to check the clutch of the sole with the surface on which your dog will walk;
9. Remember, shoes are chosen not only in size, but the length of the paw. For this reason, high shoes are not suitable for dogs with short paws.

How to choose a shoe size for a dog

This is an important point to which you need to take care.

There is a dimensional table that you can safely focus on.

To determine the exact size of the shoe, it is necessary to put the front paws of the pet on the paper and circle the circuit, including claws. For accuracy, you can do the same for the hind legs. By measuring the distance from the most protruding points horizontally and vertical, you will determine the length and width, which will make it possible to find the corresponding number in the table.

Depending on the style, measurements can be added. For example, the height of the boot and the diameter of the boot, which is not indicated if you buy sandals for the dog.

Also, many recommend measuring at least 3 times and derive the average value if the measurements differ. This is especially true for very active pets, who are difficult to resist in place.