Question stems from this video, a compilation of clips in which dogs struggle to walk while wearing boots. Dogs appear to derive information from their feet and respond to it just as automatically as we respond to balance-related information from our inner ears.
And yet, I’ve seen video of sled dogs running just fine with boots on (apparently used for extremely cold conditions). Indeed, there are vendors who mass-produce and sell boots for dogs. Are some dogs immune to the discoordination observed in my video link, or do all dogs act screwy at first and it’s just a matter of getting used to wearing boots over an adjustment period?
Similarly, if you leave a piece of tape on a cat for long enough, will they compensate for it and eventually be able to move with their usual grace?
I don’t think it’s a matter of not being able to walk with boots on. It’s a matter of not being able to walk while you’re trying to shake/rip boots off your feet.
I’ve seen it in my own dog with boots, and also when I put a Halti/Gentle Leader on her head. She can walk perfectly fine with it covering her face but not while she is trying to remove it from her face (by using her paws or scraping her face on the ground).
I’m not really a dog expert but horses will go all “ministry of silly walks” if you wrap their legs for travel and they aren’t accustomed to it. After a bit, they realize it’s not hurting them and walk normally.
My dog kept trying to lift up all four feet when I first put booties on him. After a few walks with them on he was better, although he never stopped trying to get them off. They were necessary for outdoor activities during our typical January -20 C weather, otherwise his feet iced up.
Sled Dogs wear booties to keep snow from packing in between the toes causeing “snow balls” Snow balls" can cause torn webbing and may effect the gait of the dog and cause potiential shoulder injuries.
Sled dogs do not wear them all the time, only as needed due to trail conditions. They are also very acustomed to them as they have trained many hundereds/thousands on miles both with and without them. They aren’t so much “boots” as they are tough socks (made typically of cordora with a elastic velcro strap).
IME, they get used to it. Even if they never learn to just stand still while you put the boots on, they learn how to walk in boots pretty quickly. Of course, if the boots don’t provide enough traction for the surface (e.g., laminate flooring + shiny new boots with un-scuffed soles), the dog may fall over anyway.
I had a similar experience, but it started that winter in the 1990s when my dog was 3 or 4 and we got 26 inches of snow. I think it would have gone better if we’d started when my dog was younger.
I suspect that for many dogs the sensation of having something on their feet is so unique and unusual that they are not sure what to make of it, hence the silly walks in their attempts to step out of the boots.
I started running my dogs in harness last year pulling a bike. One run on the waterfront trail, which is mostly asphalt, ended up with one of my dogs rubbing one of her pads raw. I took about two weeks for her to heal up from that and I had to not let her run or play ttoo much while it healed. On the advice of a friend who runs a team of Siberian Husky sled dogs, I bought a set of sled dog booties for both of my dogs after that.
They are brighlty coloured, light weight cordura nylon and are held on with stretch velcro. They are not made to last, like the more substantial and expensive muttluk boots I have, but they are also lighter and less likely to get flung off as the dog runs. Boots made for running in snow, rather than asphalt, are an even lighter density cordura, just enough fabric to prevent the abrasive effects of snow from making a dog with sensitive feet go lame.
There was a bit of foot lifting at first when I put them on my dogs (and a whole lot of giggling on my part), but my dogs love to run with the bike and seemed to not notice the boots at all once they got a chance to get going. I did get a few smiles from people I encountered on the trail, and that was nice, too.
I’ve only had two experiences with boots. One was when I was training my first Aussie on sheep – it was summer and we worked in a sandy arena; she was so enthusiastic she ran her pads off in about 15 minutes. I had to get some “trail boots” for her. She was mystified by them but the sheep took her mind off them immediately.
The other time was on an extended backpacking trip when a dog with us wore through his front pads and started bleeding. We were a couple days out from the trail head so we wrapped duct tape over his paws. Ordinarily you’d think he’d have hated it but he seemed grateful and happy.