Product Review: All Weather Muttluks

All Weather Muttluks are sturdy, flexible dog boots. They have thick leather soles and reflective straps. These are machine washable and come in their own mesh washing bag. Great for protecting sensitive feetsies from both hot pavement and ice. The come in three colors and eight sizes to fit paws 1.5-5.5" from back to front.

Photo by Erin Koski

For a long time, these were the gold standard in dog shoes. They are significantly more durable than pretty much anything else found in a big box store. The company is based in Canada and was begun as a home business making really functional dog boots. This company is all about quality and integrity.

The most unique thing about these boots is the long knitted cuff at the top. If Brisbane had tons of leg floof, the cuffs would keep the hair clean. It wouldn't actually keep him dry though, as the All-Weather Muttluks aren't waterproof. Apparently the cuffs are also prone to collecting snow. I initially thought they were kind of cool, but they actually make the boots super hard to put on because the cuffs are super narrow.

We tried the Muttluks out at a sheep herding lesson, because that is where Brisbane has the most foot issues. They are much more flexible than his Ruffwear Grip Trex, and I was hoping they would bother him less. I was wrong, he hated them and moped a lot, and when I finally got him to run he sent one flying. These are exactly his size according to the Muttluks website measuring instructions, but they seem to be prone to fitting issues. The company says boots that fall off are too big, but I would have a very difficult time getting Brisbane's feet into smaller cuffs.

Pros: Very durable, many users say they wear like iron. Breathable and suitable for hot weather. Long cuffs act as gaiters and keep sand and crud out of the boots. Reflective for safety. Machine washable and made in Canada.

Cons: Unlike the fleece-lined Muttluks, the All-Weather version is not waterproof. They also take forever to dry. The tall cuffs can collect snow and burrs, and may make the boots difficult to put on. Boots may not stay on reliably, and fitting can be difficult. Not as grippy as the Ruffwear boots.

Bottom Line: When they work, they work really well and last for years. I'm keeping these around because they may be useful eventually.

Product Review: Leather Laced Dog Boots

These old-fashioned leather laced dog boots are the only shoes Brisbane is willing to wear while herding sheep. They come in two sizes and are available from various hunting supply pages. Brisbane's are a size small and were purchased from Gun Dogs Online. I've seen them described as flat leather dog boots, Australian style dog boots, and aussie dog boots.

Photo by Erin Koski

These things are kind of weird. They arrive totally flat, and have to be folded over and laces up. When I put them on Brisbane, I must carefully pull each section of each lace tight before tying them. Keeping them on for herding also involves running a strip of waterproof bandaging tape around the tops. Yes, I have to tape the shoes to his feet. But they stay on.

The Aussie boots are clearly made for large hunting breeds and not zippy little heelers. Brisbane's shoes are size small, and are nearly too big. Unlike pretty much all the dog boots I've ever seen before, these are open on the sides. They let in sand and rocks and everything, all they do is keep a small bit of leather between Brisbane's feet and the ground.

There are two slits in the front of each boot to allow the two middle claws to poke through. Presumably this is to reduce wear and tear on the boots while allowing for superior traction. The holes are a little bit too far apart for Brisbane's nails, and even when I poke them through they don't stay. Maybe if he had bigger feet? At any rate, it doesn't seem to be an essential part of wearing them. I'm guessing the slits allow a single size of boot to fit a larger range of feet.

It's worth noting that the vast majority of stock photos for this style of dog boot are laced wrong. Ive included a picture of the sheet that came with Brisbane's boots. Most of the ones I see in stock photos have the edges of the tongue flipped around so the laces are going through the opposite side.

Pros: Somehow less offensive than any other type of boot. Does not trap sand or moisture or anything else really.  Minimal loss of traction.

Cons: Takes forever to put on. Stays tied approximately as well as lace-up shoes on a kindergartener. Does not stay on my dog without being taped.

Bottom Line: If that's the only thing Brisbane will wear to herd sheep, that's what he will wear. I should get some suede and copy the pattern over and see if I can make some of these in fun colors.

Product Review: Ruffwear Bark'n Boot Liners

Ruffwear Bark'n Boot Liners are socks that go under Ruffwear dog boots. They are intended to improve fit, reduce irritation of dewclaws, and make the boots more comfortable. The boot liners are available in four sizes that match up with the various boot sizes.

Photo by Erin Koski

Brisbane's Grip Trex boots keep his feet from getting torn up when he is lure coursing, but he can't wear them all day long. The strap on these boots cinches down right over his front dewclaws, and after a few hours he starts to get hot spots under those claws.

The Bark'n Boot liners are intended to wick away moisture, and moisture is a big part of the hot spot formation process. I'm not totally certain how well they work when wet, however. Brisbane loves to stick his feet in his water bucket after a good run, and if I leave the boots on they inevitably get soaked.

Photo by Erin Koski

These socks shouldn't be worn by themselves. They have no grip at all, and Brisbane slides around on the hardwood floor before I get the boots on him.

So far they seem to be working, Briz has not had any irritation under his dewclaws since we started using the Bark'n Boot Liners. They do make the boot-putting-on process take twice as long, though

Pros: Seem to make the boots less hateful for Brisbane. Fairly easy to put on, and do appear to reduce irritation.

Cons: Putting on socks under boots takes forever, and is basically impossible on a super-excited dog. Some people have a lot of trouble with the boots falling off as soon as the socks get wet.

Bottom Line: The guy at R.E.I. laughed when I told him I was buying socks for my dog.

Have you ever put socks on your dog?

Product Review: Silver Paw Dog Boots

Silver Paw Dog Boots are winter boots made from highly visible safety yellow neoprene. They feature reflective straps and an overlapping construction that makes them easy to put on. The Silver Paw Dog Boots also use Silver Shield antibacterial technology to prevent odors. These boots are available in four sizes to fit dogs with paws 2 3/8" wide through 3" wide.

Photo by Erin Koski

The way these boots close at the front with the two sides overlapping really reminded me of the Neo-Paws boots, so I had high hopes. Sadly, the Silver Paws don't go nearly as far up the dog's leg, and they lack the endless wraparound strap that give the Neo-Paws their custom fit. These ended up being rather ordinary dog boots after all.

Photo by Erin Koski

Brisbane has been having ongoing foot issues for a while. It used to only happen during extreme dog sports, but now his pads get hurt just walking on pavement. While we slowly work on toughening him up, the vet has advised me to keep him in boots for activities.

We put the Silver Paws boots to the test at On the Lamb during our most recent herding lesson. As advertised, the boots were very easy to put on Brisbane's feet because they open up right down to the ends of the toes.

They did not, however, stay on. Despite some very careful fitting, Brisbane lost both front boots within five minutes of herding. It's interesting that the back boots were the ones that stayed on. My experience has been that back boots fall off more often because most dogs have smaller hind feet than front feet. People tend to size the boots for the front feet, leaving the back ones a little loose. There are a number of ways manufacturers have tried to solve this issue, from making different boots for the front and rear feet, to selling boots only in pairs instead of fours.

Pros: Very easy to put on. Extra-high visibility, easy to spot a lost boot on the trail. Supposedly don't get stinky.

Cons: Don't stay on better than other boots we've tried.

Bottom Line: These would probably ok in snow or on hot pavement, but we're going to stick with the Ruffwear Grip Trex for our dog sports.

Have you used boots on your dog?

Product Review: Hugs Pet Products Pugz Boots

Pugz Boots by Hugs Pet Products are warm protective boots for cold weather. They are made from soft, breathable synthetic materials and are available in four sizes.

Photo by Erin Koski

I will freely admit that Brisbane has entirely too many shoes for a dog that lives in the beach. These are another thrift store find, and they would probably be awesome if we ever saw snow without making a road trip.

Pugz Boots are definitely more of a fashion statement than a functional shoe. They're clearly modeled and named after Uggs, which are amazingly comfortable yet hideous human shoes. I myself own a pair of purple Uggs rainboots that can occasionally be spotted in the background.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pugz are built on the basic foot-in-a-bag shoe model, with the addition of a somewhat rigid rubber sole at the bottom. The sole kind of reminds me of a baby shoe at the bottom, I don't think Brisbane's feet are quite that long and skinny.

I think the sizing on these boots has changed since Brisbane's were produced, because his are labeled as a size 6. The backs of his boots open with velcro, and they also have a long velcro strap to wrap around his ankles.

Who hates shoes? Briz hates shoes.
Photo by Erin Koski

These stay on about as well as any single-strap foot-in-a-bag shoes, which means they can handle some walking but are likely to go flying if Brisbane picks up the pace. The soft fleecy padding means that even when I strap the boots on very tightly, I can still pull them off with a light tug. Lost dog boots are a giant pain in the butt, so I usually end up using fabric paint to put my phone number on each individual shoe in case someone finds it. I'm classy that way.

Shoes make Brisbane lose the will to live.
Photo by Erin Koski

Pugz dog boots currently come in four sizes, the largest of which should fit paws 2" wide and 3.5" long. Brisbane's paws are 2" wide, and these are a decent fit. That said, Briz is a 40-pound dog with compact feet, there is absolutely no way an actual large dog would fit in these. Among his many sets of shoes, Brisbane has a hand-me-down set of Old Navy boots from my dearly departed cocker spaniel, who weighed all of 25 pounds. She had great lumbering hairy spaniel feet, Brisbane's aren't much bigger.

Too depressed to even put that foot down.
Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Fuzzy and adorable, perfect for protecting hard floors and slippery feet. May also deter foot-chewers from foot-chewing. I would feel comfortable leaving these on Brisbane for an extended period of time while he lazed around the house.

Cons: Don't really stay on that well. Not waterproof or particularly durable. They also run small, so buying one size larger is recommended.

Bottom Line: If I hadn't found these in a thrift store, I probably wouldn't own them. That said, they're probably the cutest shoes in Brisbane's closet. As he ages, they may see some use as traction shoes on our hard floors.

Product Review: Gooby Epiks

Gooby Epiks are high-tech dog boots with memory foam insoles and different shoes for front and rear feet. They appear to have been discontinued, but were made in blue, red, black, and pink. Epiks came in sizes to fit dogs with itty bitty through gigantic feet, and can still be found on eBay occasionally.

Photo by Erin Koski

I had high hopes for these shoes when I ordered them. Brisbane has extremely sensitive feet and is prone to a variety of injuries ranging from cuts to friction injuries to broken toenails. His Ruffwear Grip Trex work pretty well, but he is unhappy wearing them unless there is lure coursing to think about. I had hoped to find shoes that stayed on as well, but made him less emotional. Briz hates shoes in general, and the Epiks did nothing to change this opinion.

Photo by Erin Koski

These stylish sneakers are made out of something resembling suede, with contrasting-colored vents and snazzy little zippers up the front. I loved the idea of having different shoes for the front and back feet, since most dog shoes come as a set of four identical ones that are either too big for the back feet or too small for the front. Neo-Paws probably has the right idea, selling pairs so people can purchase separate sizes for the front and back.

My experience with dog shoes tells me that they won't stay on with just elastic. This is why none of the dog socks we have ever tried have been a success. The Epiks lack any kind of custom fit, they have elastic around the ankles, and a front zipper, and nothing to make the boots fit tighter on skinny legs and looser on big fat legs. This means they fly off as soon as Brisbane does anything more extreme than trot in a straight line.

Pros: Super cute! These are the prettiest dog shoes I have seen, the lack of a tightenable ankle strap leaves them looking very clean. Cushy inner soles and shoes marked specifically for the front and back feet really make these seem really well-designed.

Cons: The zippers were impossible to operate without lubricating them. Guess who got zipper lube all over the shoes? Even all greased up, they are very difficult to zip even when I'm not cramming a dog foot inside them. Also they don't stay on very well.

Bottom Line: I can expect to find them on Brisbane's feet at the end of a slow hike, but he is less than enthusiastic about wearing them for low-key adventures and they don't stay on well enough for anything worth doing.

RuffWear Grip Trex versus Lure Coursing

Last time I took Brisbane lure coursing, he tore his feet up pretty badly. Last weekend we had another Tired Dog Good Dog event, and I wanted to protect his feet while letting him run until his legs fell off. Briz has several different sets of dog shoes, ranging from $10 Old Navy rain booties to $70 RuffWear Grip Trex.

I usually have a couple of sets of Briz-shoes in the car, so I started him in his zippered Gooby Epiks. Three out of four Epiks went flying at the first turn, I didn't even get a chance to take a picture before they were all scattered around the field.

For the next run, I wrestled Brisbane into his RuffWear Grip Trex. Briz is very intense when lure coursing, so I didn't have high hopes for these boots either. Happily, they stayed on for the entire three laps without slipping or twisting.

As soon as I put him back in his crate, Brisbane dipped one of his front feet in his water bucket. I had read some reviews from people who had difficulty keeping wet Grip Trex boots on their dogs, so I was prepared to go hunting for lost boots on the course.

On his second run, every single boot stayed put again, including the wet one. Brisbane normally hates wearing shoes, but lure coursing is so exciting that he forgot all about them. He wore the boots just fine in his crate for a couple of hours between runs without losing or twisting any boots, except the one he managed to get wedged between the bars of his crate. He was fine and I was right there to see it happen, but this was a possibility I had not anticipated.

Safety Tip: Don't leave boots on an unattended crated dog.

Brisbane also wore his RuffWear Webmaster harness to make handling him easier. Briz cannot think in the presence of lure coursing equipment. I would feel worse about my unruly and untrained dog if I didn't see pretty much every other cattledog owner carrying their dog off the field too. The Ruffwear Harness just makes it easier because it has such a convenient handle.

Product Review: Ruffwear Grip Trex

Ruffwear Grip Trex are serious dog boots for serious dog activities. They are made with Vibram soles, just like human shoes.

Brisbane's 2009 Grip Trex

These are definitely Brisbane's favorite boots. The Grip Trex stay on remarkably well on all sorts of adventures, and they really do provide extra traction. Whether we're crossing a stream on slippery rocks or just running around the yard, the grip Trex stay exactly where they're supposed to stay. The only activity that has defeated the Grip Trex is the crazy ball-chasing sessions that destroy Brisbane's carpal pads. These boots don't go up high enough to protect that part of his leg, and they don't stay on when he's tearing up the turf to get the ball.

One of my absolute favorite things about Ruffwear is that they sell individual dog boots. I am hesitant to shell out $60+ for a set of dog shoes when I think we might leave one behind on the trail. I've gone as far as painting my phone number on every one of Brisbane's shoes in case some kind soul finds one on the sidewalk someday. The option to replace that one missing shoe is fabulous.

Armored feetsies!

Brisbane hates wearing anything that remotely resembles 'clothing', including padded harnesses and, of course, shoes. The Grip Trex are the shoes he finds least unpleasant. He'll usually walk in them instead of pretending that his legs don't work.

Briz has more sets of shoes than my husband. This is largely due to the fact that Brisbane has extra-sensitive feetsies. (Also, dogs go barefoot most of the time so Briz shoes tend to last longer than husband shoes.) Six years ago, Brisbane suffered a black widow spider bite on the bottom of one paw, which may have resulted in nerve damage. He is also a huge drama queen, so it can be difficult to tell how much discomfort he is actually feeling when walking on gravel or woodchips.

In addition to the spider bite, poor Brisbane is also extremely prone to foot injuries, from snapped-off nails to cuts from broken glass. Boots are a great way to protect an injured paw. When Briz has a hurt paw I usually make him wear two boots for balance.

I bought Brisbane's Grip Trex back in 2009, and five years later the design has changed. Were I too lose a boot now I would probably have to buy two and have different boots for his front and back feet.

Pros: Durable, tough, and at least were very well designed back in 2009. Stay put on the dog's feet and stay on during hikes. The option to purchase a single boot is genius and means I don't have to invest in an entire new set to just to replace one that is lost or damaged. Goes on with a single velcro strap. Brisbane seems to find them the most comfortable of all his shoes.

Cons: Design has changed so I can no longer get a matching replacement boot for my set. New design has many complaints and poor reviews saying the boot is now shorter and does not stay on as well, or irritates the front dewclaws. They don't come in not-really-a-dog chihuahua size.

Bottom Line: These stay on, and they bother my dog less than other boots. Even with the design change, I would not hesitate the replace these or purchase Grip Trex for another dog.

Product Review: Neo-Paws Summer Reinforced Energy Orthopaedic Shoes

Neo-Paws Summer Reinforced Energy Orthopaedic Shoes are protective dog boots designed for active dogs in hot weather. These are used for police and military dogs, search and rescue, agility, hiking, and anything involving water.

Photo by Erin Koski

These are unlike any dog boots I have seen before, and they are sure to perform better as well. Neo-Paws makes a number of different types of boots, and these are their top-of-the-line summer model. Made from breathable fabric, the boots dry quickly and help keep the dog from overheating. They are reinforced with leather in the most vulnerable parts of the uppers, and have reinforced toe caps as well. These shoes are made from the same materials as human running shoes.

Neo-Paws boots go on a little differently from other boots I've tried. Most have a zipper, velcro strap, or both. The Neo-Paws have a long, skinny strip of velcro that acts almost like a shoelace. The result is a custom fit for every dog. These boots can be fitted to avoid the carpal pads, to keep pressure off a sore spot, and to conform to the exact shape of the dog's foot and leg. Other dog shoes don't have this option, if the strap is too low or too high it can put pressure on the dewclaw, cause sores, or just slip off easily.



Brisbane tears up his carpal pads whenever he plays ball on grass. He likes to catch the ball and then skid to an abrupt stop, shredding the pads on the backs of his front legs in the process. I ended up buying him some skid boots to protect his legs from the grass, because his Ruffwear boots and Epiks wouldn't stay on. These are the first boots I've seen that look like they would protect that part of his legs and maybe stay on through his crazed ball-catching antics.

I actually bought these at a thrift store for $5 in brand new condition. They are a size XL, and I was hoping to use them for Josie because she drags both back feet and also one of her front paws. Unfortunately they are too big, so I passed them along to a coworker for her dog Guinness. He paces a lot, and his front pads can't handle the wear and tear. After reading the instructions on how to put them on just right, the Neo-Paws stayed on just fine.

The trick is to pull the inside of the flap up and tight against the dog's leg, and then pull the outside flap down and around the first flap. After that the velcro can be wrapped however works best for the individual dog.

Guiness didn't do any damage to his feet while wearing the Neo-Paws boots. Of course, he was also much less active in them. Something about wearing shoes makes a lot of dogs mopey.



Pros: Custom fitting with unique velcro wrap design, Tall boot design protects more of the leg. Breathable mesh dries quickly. Sold in pairs to allow for different sizes to be ordered for front and back feet.

Cons: These are only sold in pairs, so they are among the most expensive dog shoes out there. Putting them on is slightly more complicated than boots of a simpler design.

Bottom Line: These are pretty amazing, and I will probably get Brisbane a pair for his front feet instead of replacing his holey skid boots.