Keeping dogs' paws safe and booty-licious


Posted on Mar 5, 2008
By Martha Garvey

Sigh:  where we live, winter has dug in, which makes dog walks an unfun game of "dodge the rock salt."  And in my young, hard-partying town, beer bottle fragments are a perennial dog walk health hazard. This is a very rough season on our pal Faith, who sometimes just stops dead and picks up the paw that hurts the most.  Or she lurches away from the offending sidewalk, putting us both at risk.  This time of year, we spend a lot of time inspecting her paws post-walk, and keeping them moisturized.  So far, she hasn't been injured. But that's so far.

It's time to follow the lead of the Dusseldorf, Germany police dogs, who have just been fitted with snazzy Bark'n'Boots.  Like Faith, they deal with ice, rock salt, bottle fragments…and still more: picturesque, but very uneven, cobblestones.  

The clever things about these boots: they are tough (grippy Vibram sole), and adjustable (snappy Velcro fasteners).  And they look pretty cool. (The Düsseldorf police ordered theirs in blue, so their dogs' boots match the humans' uniforms!)  If you've ever put shoes of any kind on your dog, you know that there is a bit of a learning curve as your pooch realizes that his footpad is no longer touching the ground. So hang in. (Sometimes treats are in order.) The Dusseldorf police mention that they will only be using them on their dogs during "special missions."   Faith's next Bark'n'Boots mission?  Probably the boozy St. Patrick's Day parade.  But this time, she'll be booty-licious.
HomeBedsCar & TravelCratesCollarsCovers & BlanketsGatesArticles & Blogs
Comments
Be the first to post a comment!
Post a comment
You must be a member to post comments. Please Log In or Register
Subscribe to this Blog
What does this mean?

Featured Dog Beds at FetchDog :