dog boots

[idahoutlaw]

any one use these dog boot on big game dogs i see were it would be nice on a bird dog. my wife think i need a set for one of the dogs that keeps blowing out her front pads. any thoughts would be nice

[nessplott2]

I haven't used them but had dog blow out pad because nails are 2 long. I keep sure they are short no problem since. If nails are 2 long it puts pressure on back of pad causing them 2 blow out!

[Plott Proud]

Those rocks and lava rocks do play havoc on them for sure.

Never tried them tho.

[nmplott]

seems like they may play a role in interfering with the sweating of the pads and goof up the cooling system the dogs have in the hotter days but may help in the winter?

[david]

Never used anything in the summer, but in certain snow, it was cover the dogs feet or give up hunting for the day... or hunt for the day and give up hunting for a whole bunch of days while things healed up.

I never found a comercial dog boot product that would work. I tried everything I could possibly find. The closest to working was what the sled doggers use, but still had to be taped on, as the velcro system would not keep them on. They are fabric, and thin, wear out fast, changed a couple times per dog sled race. But they do not impede the dogs, their nails can still grip through the cloth, and I dont think they would make a dog too hot in summer. It does not even seem like enough to do the job, but it does. Could be easily made if you know someone good with a sewing machine. You will have to research the material as I cant remember the name of it. It felt like a cross between cotton and nylon, but they tried everything immmaginable and this is the one fabric everyone uses.

For years we used duct tape carefully applied to the dogs feet and ankles. This does slow them down some, but with the other option being not hunting, we took the side effects of the tape. Some dogs dont even seem to notice it. Other dogs cant stand it, and will hunt, but you will catch them licking or working the tape at times. We still caught game even with the whiners. Maybe it took longer or what ever, but it sure beats driving back home without a good race. With the tape, we could hunt all day, every day. The weakest link to end the hunting would not be the dogs feet.

[Ker_man]

I used to have a dog with one bad foot (now they have 4 bad feet LOL)that had been injured under a tree and it would freeze and then peel. I tried the Lewis rubber dog boots and used them on all 4 feet. We've used them on other dogs as well. Duct taped on they were often missing a boot when they came out and traveled like a sow on roller skates. The best solution is to breed for foxhound feet. Terry

[blueticker78]

someone already said it but we need to breed for better feet, I can remember when I was a young man just getting into the sport of hunting with hounds and when I sold a hound or pup one of the things the guys buying the dog or pup would do was look at there feet not to many people do this anymore they show up at the house and start asking questions about pedigrees and such. keeping there nails trimmed like many others have said as well will help to and conditioning before the hunting season helps too, for example I am a soldier and if we dont road march enough our feet get soft then when we have to walk a long distance to a fight our feet alone can make us combat inafective its the same with hounds you cant just put them up all summer then beat them down when the season starts and there is snow on the ground there pads are going to crack, I try to walk my hounds down a paved road a couple times a week this helps with keeping there nails trimmed I never cut there nails because the road keeps them down and it keeps there pads hard.

[colton]

never used them but i can see the 2 sides of it thanks