Dog Paw Mittens / Boots: How To Choose The Best Ones For Your Canine

Before I owned a dog, I used to see them with these mitts or boots on their paws and wondered why in the world do the owners put mitts / boots on their dogs? Well, when I became a dog owner the answers were quite clear. There were several reasons which include the following:

• Possible allergies
• To protect from snow and ice
• To protect from hot surfaces
• To prevent a dog from digging
• To protect from chemicals used on grass during the Summer
• To protect from rock salt that's used for de-icing in the Winter
• To protect a dog's paw if it were injured

I also found out that all dog paw mitts / boots are not created equal - they come in sizes, XS, S, M, L, XL, who knew? So I learned how to measure my dog's paws so I could buy the right size mitts / boots. Also, remember that your dog's front paws may be smaller than the back paws or vice versa, so you might need to purchase two sets of mitts / boots.

Two Methods On How To Measure Your Dog's Paws (width is of utmost importance).

Method #1:

1. Make sure you have trimmed your dog's nails beforehand.
2. Spread a clean piece of construction paper, what I use, on a flat surface. Make sure that your dog's paw pads are a bit wet so you'll have a good imprint of your dog's paws.
3. Press your dog's paws firmly on the construction paper, one at a time. Make sure you have distinct prints.
4. Using a black pen, mark the outermost / widest points of the paw prints. You may draw a line or use dots. Measure the paw prints crosswise using a tape measure.
5. Measure your dog's paw length from the tips of the toes to the carpal pad.
6. Take the measurements with you to the pet store and choose the proper size for your dog.

Method #2:

1. You may take a complete measure of the widest portion of your dog's paw, then divide that number by 2. You will want to go with that width.

Mitt / Boot Features:

• Material is Denier nylon / urethane coated.
• Make sure you consider the climate before deciding the mitts / boots you want for your dog. If your climate is comfortable and not very cold then consider getting mitts / boots that are not insulated. If your climate is very cold most of the year then consider insulated mitts / boots.
• I like the mitts / boots that have velcro closings and not the drawing strings which can tangle. Your dog may also pull at the hanging strings. The velcro straps have a reflective material for safety - this is great if walking your dog at night.
• Don't forget, slip-resistant mitts / boots are important.
• Make sure your dog's mitts / boots are water resistant for those rainy days and pouncing in puddles.
• Mitts / boots should be machine washable and place on low dry setting or hang dry.
• For me, I like bright colors so I, and others, will be able to locate a lost dog or a lost mitt / boot.