Product Review: PAWZ Dog Boots

PAWZ are disposable, reusable dog boots that are basically balloons you put on your dog's feet. They are made from natural rubber, and it's difficult to overstate how much these look like party balloons. It just occurred to me that I have yet to attempt to inflate one though. Anyway, these are available in seven sizes to fit paws up to 5" long. Each size is a different color.

It took me a long time to fall in love with PAWZ. They're basically the Crocs of the dog fashion scene. Cheap rubber shoes that are surprisingly comfortable and get the job done while looking cringe-worthy. I mean, they look like I put balloons on my dog's feet.

You wouldn't think that thin, unpadded rubber boots would work very well. They don't have any insulation. They don't have a hard sole. They don't have grippy treads. They don't offer very much protection, but they do offer a small barrier between hot pavement, cold snow, abrasive gravel, and your dog.

We use these at work quite a bit. They are worlds better than most of my impressive collection of dog shoes because they stay on pretty good, and it's not the end of the world if we lose one in the field. At $18 for a pack of 12 boots, I just kind of shrug when Zip comes out of the brush without one.

Most dogs are willing to wear PAWZ even if they hate other shoes, because these don't feel like wearing much. Their toes can expand naturally. Their nails can grip like normal. They have almost as much traction in these as they do in bare feet. There aren't in constricting straps either, the boots just pop on. I've seen people use vetwrap and bandaging tape to help keep the boots on, but honestly my dogs don't lose them unless we're working in really rough terrain.

Pros

• Inexpensive, easy to replace
• Really genuinely waterproof, at least until they develop holes
• Durable enough to handle an entire day's herding, sometimes two or three days before they really fall apart
• They actually stay on almost all the time
• Comfortable for dogs

Cons

• Not protective enough for really hot or really cold conditions
• Look absolutely ridiculous
• Not breathable at all
• No color choice, my dogs wear medium so we only get blue

Bottom Line

These are surprisingly effective without throwing my girls off their groove too much. I am hesitant to put anything on them that could change their gaits, limit their traction, or change the way they move. We work on really abrasive, rocky terrain most of the time, and PAWZ hold up well enough to spare their feet when they start getting sore.

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: 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: PMP Waterproof Outdoor Socks

Made by Protect Me for Pets, these socks are partically coated in waterproof rubber to help keep feet dry and warm in any weather conditions.

I hadn't heard of this company before, apparently they are brand new and sell dog clothes including some really cute jackets that match these socks. I'm having a lot of trouble finding information about the company though, they don't seem to have an online presence. The same entitiy holds the trademark for North Paw dog apparel.

I liked the concept of these socks. They seemed to be a nice compromise between fabric booties and serious dog shoes.

Josie doesn't usually drag her feet badly enough to damage them, but she does slide around quite a bit on my hardwood floors. In addition to keeping her nails trimmed and cutting all the fur out from between her toes, these could potentially give her a little more grip.They could also help keep her feet warm and dry on cold and wet days. I have tried socks for Ru in the past, but stopped using them partly because they stopped keeping him warm as soon as they got wet.

The other reason I stopped putting socks on Ru was that they wouldn't stay on. The PMP socks are also going to be sitting in a drawer because they fall off. After ten minutes of ambling around on grass, Josie was already missing two socks. She does drag all of her feet, so they might be a good option for a more able-bodied dog. They would also be good for Josie if we lived somewhere with real weather and I needed to worry about keeping her warm.

The waterproof outdoor socks only come in sizes, X-Small, Small, and Medium. Josie is wearing the Medium socks, but I could probably manage to stuff her various claws and toes into the next size down and get a better fit. If I was madly in love with this product I could also probably find a way to make it stay on, via vetwrap, duct tape, or my guerilla sewing skills. I could also do what I've done with all of Brisbane's shoes, and use fabric paint to write my phone number on them in case one gets lost on an adventure. (Josie enjoys adventures but occasionally needs to be carried back to the car.

Pros: A worthwhile concept, and unique enough that they some people will probably find them helpful.

Cons: Limited range of sizes means getting a good fit is difficult. Socks fall off easily.

Bottom Line: Not bad for $5 in the clearance bin at Petco, but not something I will be using on a regular basis.

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.