Ultra Paws Rugged Dog Boots and Paw Protectors for Small, Medium and Large Dogs Red (Size 11)

Here is my review, with a preface, and some step by step tips for getting these boots on your dog. I think the key to the success of these boots is the fact that there are two velcro straps on each boot -- and the two straps fasten in opposite directions. There was clearing a design/prototype/experimentation/trouble-shoot phase prior to the final product -- and it shows. They are really well designed, I think.I should probably preface this by saying that I am a Registered Nurse (as well as a long time dog owner of mostly bigger dogs). So I probably have a little more patience trying to get people (or dogs) to do things they don't want to do, and I'm probably more comfortable asserting myself outside my comfort zone than many people would be.But if you have a dog, you'd better be the assertive one -- or your dog will run the house, instead of you. Please note I say assertive -- not aggressive and or violent. I don't believe in physical punishment of animals, and, besides -- they learn better/faster/more willingly with reward-based training than by any method involving punishment. That's just a proven fact.PLEASE be positive and patient with your dog (and with yourself!) with trying these boots the first time! This is weird and uncomfortable for both of you! It's pretty unnatural to put shoes on a dog, I think we can all agree. But we want what's best for our four-legged family members, right?So try to keep a good attitude, be positive, and above all be patient, kind, and gentle with your dog and with yourself. It's new to both of you! (Unless of course, your dog has used these before.) I preface this review with the above, just because you will be more successful if you keep all that in mind......And it will be less successful if you don't approach it the FIRST time with this attitude. You don't want your dog (and you) to have such a horrible first attempt that you never try getting these boots on him again! You buy them because you care about your dog -- that's the most important thing. As with kids, though, you sometimes have to do something they *really* don't like, but which is honestly best for THEM. That's why you got these boots, and that's why you're going to put them on your dog.These boots work best if (1) your dog is compliant, docile, well trained/obeys, &/or trusts you; (2) you use common sense, LOTS of patience, go slow, and don't get frustrated; (3) you use LOTS of praise and treats; and (4) you try them in the house FIRST (at least once, preferably a couple-few times), so your dog gets used to them and you both get comfortable with the process. You don't want the first time to be a bad experience -- that will make it much harder to get him to try it the second and or third times (if you don't give up after the first, unsuccessful attempt -- which is what we're trying to avoid, right?).It's okay to laugh at your dog and yourself as you try this -- it is kind of funny when they first get them on! But make sure to praise him/her for being such a good dog once they're on, and tell him/her he/she is a pretty dog, even as he's trying to fling each boot off!My English Pointer is not as well trained as he should be (or as my previous dog). He's about 52 pounds, about 23" at the shoulders, and takes up most of my double-size futon sofa when he stretches fully out (when it is in the "sofa" position). (He doesn't take up that much of my Queen bed, fortunately -- and mostly he curls up in a ball in bed, lol!)However, he is pretty docile, is basically compliant, always lets me handle his feet (I trim his claws myself; he doesn't like it, but he tolerates it). And he trusts me. I praised him a lot and used freeze dried liver treats.I first let him wear these Rugged Dog Boots only in the house, with no agenda. I put them on him and he walked around the house wearing them, getting lots of treats and lots of praise. The house experience was obviously perplexing to him, but it was not terrible because of all the praise and treats. With that experience behind him, he was willing to put them on for the first actual walk.Then, the reward of dog walks without his feet hurting (and with lots more praise and treats) got him over the weirdness of wearing his new boots in the snow. I'd say within 10-15 minutes of him being out and about, walking around, pain-free, in snow, ice and salt -- he was over it, and was sniffing everything and loving that he could walk in the snow and salt. It actually happened pretty quickly and happily for both of us, yay. But it was not without its frustrating moments!Your mileage may vary, of course.Be aware -- these boots don't give perfect traction on pure ice. Nothing except spikes or cleats would. But they DO give traction and grip on surfaces like hardwood floors or slippery kitchen tile.BONUS: like the Ridgeback owner whose dog is afraid of the _floor_, my dog also fears bare floor! He slides all over the place, which causes him to (usually) try to dash or leap across the kitchen as fast as possible (which only exacerbates the slipping and sliding!). Not in these boots! He is much less afraid of the kitchen floor with these boots on.Even though it's hideous, I got day-glo (hunter) orange/black boots. The other cool colors were out of stock. Plus our last walk of the night (sometimes the last two) is/are in the dark. I needed boots for my dog that I could see in the dark/dim street lights and snow, in case he lost one. But these stay on so well, that hasn't been a problem yet, and by now we've taken a few walks with these.But if anything should change, I will update this review. Please keep in mind, I am not walking him miles and miles over rough terrain or on hikes in mountains or rock canyons. These definitely seem sufficient to hold up to rough-housing in open fields/meadows, on forest hikes, and on the usual city street medium- to long walks on concrete, as well as snow/ice/salt. But I can not vouch for really long, hard, rugged use like for hunting.(Despite him being a hunting dog, I don't hunt with him. I not opposed to it -- it is what he was bred for, after all -- but I don't have any hunting experience, we live in pretty urban suburbia (<7 miles to Chicago city limit), and my dog is also terribly gun shy. He's afraid of fireworks, thunder/lightning, cars backfiring, large trucks/buses. I have to put a Thundershirt on him during thunderstorms, 4th of July, and Memorial Day. Otherwise, he trembles like a leaf with all the local amateur fireworks enthusiasts around here blowing off their fingers before and after the holidays. He is a rescue dog. Whoever tried to gun-train him botched it and now he's ruined for hunting, so I'd never put him through it even if I were an experienced hunter.)I would be confident using these boots over semi-rough forest, field, meadow, and near river/stream terrain with small rocks, sticks, pebbles, small shells (snails, mussels), thorny weeds/underbrush/burrs, etc. I think these Rugged Dog Boots would stand up to all that pretty well. Having seen my dog run in them on snowy, salty, uneven concrete with pot-holes, and up snowy concrete stairs, he clearly has good grip on the ground without ripping through the boots.However, I would not recommend you use these Rugged Dog Boots for a working dog that has to run over much rougher ground, or who is often on terrain that includes broken glass, metal shavings/scrap, nails/screws, slag bits, etc. -- that sort of thing. Ultra Paws has Kevlar dog boots for that kind of thing (and they're not cheap -- not that these are, either, but these are a lot cheaper than those).Here are some tips for using/getting Ultra Paws Rugged Dog Boots on your dog:1. Get the right size! Check Ultra Paws sizing instructions on their official web site. Size properly for your dog.Be aware, the correct size will probably *seem* too narrow to get easily on his paws. Flatten the (empty) boot against the bottom of his paw, to make sure there is room (boot) on all sides. If there isn't, you might have a size too small, and you may want to send them back and get the next larger size.For sizing, the official web site suggests you flatten your dog's paw against a piece of paper. I had my dog stand on all fours, and put a piece of paper under 2 paws at a time. That way, his feet are spread as wide as they would normally be when he's walking or standing.Mark with a pen alongside the left and right sides of the paw, then measure the distance between. My dog's paws were 3" wide. (The back paws were more like 2 & 15/16 inches, though.) Following the official sizing instructions and chart, I got Medium boots for my dog. The boots have side vents on the sides which expand.The next size up for my dog would have been Large (3 & 1/4"). That size probably would have been okay, too.2. Even at the right size for your dog, and with the side vents completely open, it may be pretty snug getting his paw into the boot.The neoprene padding on the front and back "cuff" at the top of the boot (where it goes around the leg *above* the paw) decreases the inner diameter you have to work with, which is fine for his *leg*, but trickier for getting his paw past it and into the boot proper.3. For one-person application, stand over your dog while he stands under you. This worked best for me. The momentary back pain (if you have any) in this position is worth success on the first attempt, imo. Yay.4. Fully vent open the boot and open both Velcro straps. Gently squeeze your dogs toes together from the sides, to make his paw as narrow as possible.(You kind of have to corral the toes together, otherwise the outer toes will get caught in the side vents and not go into the boot itself.)Slide the contained/corraled toes and paw into the boot through the fully vented top opening and past the neoprene cuffs.Pay attention to dew claws, if your dog has them. In my case, his dew claw went INTO the boot with his other toes/claws.The top rim/cuff of the boot (where the velcro straps are) should be above the dew claw, but below the highest paw pad.But I think it's okay if the bottom velcro strap (and the bottom edge of the neoprene padding) is over the dew claw.5. Holding the boot in your non-dominant hand, and holding his leg in your dominant hand, push his paw ALL the way into the boot, so his toes/claws are all the way at the tip end of the boot.This part is sort of like putting shoes on a kid. He can't help you; he just doesn't get it. You have to do all the thought and work.You can do it two ways (or whatever way works best):(a) using your dominant hand, hold his leg down closer to his paw and shove his entire "arm" down into the boot so the toes go all the way to the end; or(b) using your dominant hand, hold his leg *higher* up by his elbow (or at his elbow) to give you the leverage to both straighten his leg *and* force his paw/toes/claws all the way down to the bottom of the boot.For me, holding his leg higher by the elbow or at the elbow with my dominant hand, while holding the boot cuff with my non-dominant hand, ensured I pushed his paw/toes/claws all the way into the boot. That helped me straighten his leg enough to ensure his paw was totally down in the boot.As soon as toes are all the way at the end of the boot, tighten the *bottom* velcro strap with whichever hand. I used my non-dominant hand, because it was right there holding the cuff of the boot.Then -- holding the boot and cuff/padding in place with your non-dominant hand -- use your dominant hand to tighten the other velcro strap, going in the other direction.Be careful during tightening the velcro straps. If you don't hold the boot in position on his paw while you tighten the velcro, then tightening the velcro straps twists the boot around on his paw, and the bottom of the boot winds up on the top of his paw.But this is easily remedied: loosening and refastening the other velcro strap above or below it, the one that goes in the opposite direction, and use the refastening action to twist the boot back around so it is on straight, with the bottom of the boot under his paw pads.6. Let go of his now-booted paw, and let him put it back on the floor.He may not want to do this, or may shake his paw. That's why you want him standing.When you put down the paw you just fastened the boot onto, immediately pick up *another* of his paws. He'll be forced to put his booted foot down and put weight on it.NOW make sure both velcro straps of the boot are in place securely, WHILE he is standing on that foot. If not, undo and refasten them. Don't make them too tight, but they should be snug. Remember, there is still a little wiggle room because of the side vents.Be sure the velcro straps around his foot are *above* the paw/toes/paw pads, but below the highest paw pad (which is higher up, on the mid-leg, usually slightly above the dew claw, depending on the breed/dog).7. Repeat this process with each paw. Use LOTS of praise and treats! I recommend freeze dried liver. Haven't met a dog yet that doesn't like freeze dried liver treats.(I got that tip decades ago from a Chicago cop who always carried some with her to calm people's dogs down when they went on calls. 'Course, now they're all trained to just use lethal force against attacking dogs. Sigh.)8. Before you go on your walk, while your dog stands there as you attach the leash to his/her collar, check all the velcro straps on each boot one more time. Tighten any that seem loose. Don't make them *too* tight -- don't strangle his foot -- but make sure they're snug.9. Bring treats with you on your walk! Keep praising and giving your dog treats, until he is so happy to be out on a walk in snow/ice/salt that doesn't hurt his feet, that he forgets about the treats. Okay, for some dogs that may never happen, lol!10. Initially, expect your dog to try to fling his boots off each paw.Expect him to prance a bit like a dressage horse or the Minister of Silly Walks. This is when you need the praise and treats.Most dogs who love going on walks will get used to it pretty quickly -- especially when you dangle their leash in front of them. That helps them forget about the boots, for a minute, anyway!Then again, I have a pretty docile, compliant, happy-go-lucky English Pointer. I think this would have been more difficult with my old Lab. He is now chasing the great tennis ball in the sky (lymphoma, sadlyh). And he was well-trained -- better than my Pointer -- and he was compliant. But he was not as easy-going or docile; he was always "on," and he could also be quite stubborn when he wanted to be. (He was also probably smarter... lol...)Good luck! I think if you follow these tips, you and your dog will have a better experience.But, a lot also depends on his/her temperament, and how you handle him/her, too.As with children, when you get frustrated, dogs pick up on it. If you're getting all freaked out and flustered, take a deep breath, pet your dog, praise him, take off the boot, walk away, take a break/wait several minutes (distract him/her with a toy, treat, another family member, etc.)... Then start over.Your dog wants to please you, but you are doing something weird that they don't understand OR like. Your dog will pick up on your frustration and freaking out, especially with more docile dogs; they seem to be more sensitive. So it takes some time.If your dog is especially wigged out by the boots, don't even try to put them on him/her. For the first few "encounters," just throw the boots in with your dog's toys for a day or two (NOT unattended, unless you want the dog to chew them up and there goes the money you spent on them!). Let the dog smell them and nose around them.Getting the boots to smell like a familiar smell -- like rubbing the new boots on your dog's favorite, stinkiest toy or bed, might also help. Remember, dogs don't see well; they are all about the smells. Good/familiar smells = good things/comfort.I bought these when temperatures dropped to 0 degrees F here (freezing) with wind chills in the 10s and teens below 0. My English Pointer held his poo (for 3 days) because he didn't want to go outside except for the 30 seconds or less it took him to empty his bladder next to the house.The problem for my dog this year is not just the cold and snow (we had that last year). Last year we had a big yard; he could dash around in the snow, off leash, no salt except on the short, narrow walkway to the garage and shed. This year where we live, I have no yard. I have to walk him on sidewalks, snowy &/or icy &/or full of rock salt, like the streets we cross are, too. He'd get 3-5 houses away from where I live, all bundled up in his dog coat (or in 2 dog coats). Then he'd stop walking and stand on 3 or even 2 legs, alternately holding up one or two paws that were clearly hurting from the salt. Poor baby!We achieved success with these Ultra Paws Rugged Dog Boots and a few teaspoons of Metamucil in his food! (On my vet's instructions, and only after I reported that my dog still had a good appetite, was drinking plenty of water, and was behaving like his usual self, not listless or sick.) (I still can't believe he ate every day for 3 days but would. not. poop.)He has been happy to take a few walks with these boots on. There is a 3-5 minute adjustment period when he acts like a toddler with snorkel fins on dry land... or a dressage horse... or a prancing reindeer! He gets over it quickly with LOTS of praise and treats! I use freeze-dried liver treats (his favorite).TWO velcro straps on each boot makes the difference in fit and in staying on, I think. Despite being a Pointer, he is not super active (unless I take him to the forest, which I haven't tried in these boots yet, but I think they would stand up to it very well -- and to his 19' long lead!)But even here in the suburbs, he is ALL about the nose, sniffing everything, sometimes for extended periods of time. I figure it's like doggie-Facebook. (When he pees on something, I often think, "Comment posted!", heh!)These Rugged Dog Boots have been good for mid- to long walks (6-10 blocks in snow/ice/salt) when my dog wears his dog coat (or 2!) and a Turtle Fur neck warmer that goes around his neck and ears (his ears quickly get quite cold w/o the Turtle Fur). (With his head down sniffing stuff, the Turtle Fur sometimes drops over his eyes, so I just pull it back to cover his ears.)With these boots on -- for the first time in a few weeks! -- he ventured off the sidewalks into the deeper snow of people's lawns, piled around trees, to really sniff surfaces like his old, non-winter Pointer self!So, while it _is_ weird, I think we're both happy with these boots.

I hate to admit it, but we used to quietly think that people who put shoes on their dogs were making their pets “weak”, thinking dogs’ feet and pads were made to hold up to trekking around for miles. Therefore, even though we frequently go backpacking for several miles every trip, initially we were looking for shoes simply to protect our expensive sleeping bags and tent floor from our 80-lb Lab/Vizsla mix's toenails. In the back of my mind, though, it still needed to be something she could (and would) walk in. We had tried a couple of other products that looked more like shoes with actual soles on them, but they required our dog to land perfectly on them with every step, and just didn't stay on well at all.In the end, it was the review by "The Sween" that sold us on these Ultra Paw shoes, so we ordered them.At first, we were nervous because we tried "easing" her into them by putting one on her at home for a day, then adding another one the next day, etc. She never acted like she liked them, instead walking very strangely like she was stepping over hurdles (like most dogs do when you put something on their feet) and really she wouldn't move much once we put them on her without us coaxing her with treats. We were definitely worried that we'd spent money on another product that our dog wasn't a fan of (and honestly, we're not going to make her wear something she obviously doesn't like), especially when we go backpacking so much and she wouldn't really take more than a couple of steps in them when we were at home.Then came two weekends of back-to-back trips, the second trip being to a river with lots of rocks, and on the evening of that second trip we noticed that our dog's paws were getting cut up in places. The next morning we didn't know what else to do other than put these shoes on her and trust that she was so attached to us that she wouldn’t let us leave her behind (after all she is a Vizsla, aka "Velcro dog"). Sure enough, she followed us as we started the hike, in her shoes and all, and while she looked a little awkward for a minute, she quickly realized that these shoes gave her sore paws some much needed protection from the rocks - and once that realization hit her, she was all over the place, going faster than we'd ever seen her! In and out of the water, up the trail and then back to us again, running around us like she was a puppy again! We were so happy (and relieved) that she was obviously as happy as she was with these shoes protecting her.To make it better, these shoes stay on amazingly well! I had to learn to not be afraid about tightening them pretty tight on her feet, but when I didn’t, it just meant I was stopping her to fix one every so often because it was slipping off - they never hurt her or bothered her. Now that I tighten them so they’re pretty snug on her, we have no problems at all. We’re starting to have her wear them more frequently, and you can just tell she really loves them with how much energy she has.We seriously never thought there was actually A) a dog shoe that out there that actually worked and stayed on a dog or B) even actually a need for a dog shoe. We were wrong about so many things, and are now totally sold on these!

Jax, our 70 # lab/irish setter/ Rottweiler mix is very furry ! Irish setter tail...long feathery hair,& very furry toes. EVERY time he goes outside, even for quick pee, the fur balls up with irritating ice balls between his toes. Then he begins to lick them,, only to make matters worst.This is the primary reason for getting him some boots. The first try he was very uncooperative, 20 minutes later, I won. After some dancing, we got him outside in the snow and it was beautiful !!!They stayed on, even after his usual charge at the ( Imaginary) bunnies/ squirrels that occasionally grace our yard. Did this several times and for the most part it was a success ! There always seems to be one boot that just isn"t on tight enough and need readjusting. Snow tends to gather in the small pocket that is created at the top of the foot. It melts a bit after time from the warmth of his foot and becomes a ice ball,... and he starts to lick it... GRRR. May need to add a extra layer of duck tape as suggested, Also the orange material is not entirely water proof. Gets damp from the snow that may collect at the top of the foot. I am going to spray with a boot water proofing spray, should help. Last try with these was a long walk around the block. Lots of sniffing and even some male foot scratching, these boots held up very well. He did his proud dominate foot thing several times, and when we got home & I took these off, there were no marks, thinning of material, or and kind of signs of use on the black part. I'm very impressed as Jax has some long nails he is use to digging in with.After some trial and error, I found the best was to get them on Jax was to have him completely lay down & the he let me gently slip these on him. After about the 3rd time he much more cooperative.I would definitely buy another pair of these.

These a great boots!!!! My dog is a odd shape so when it comes to boots and jackets it is an almost impossible fit. The boots are well made and looks like they would wear well. But couldn't say for sure cause they don't fit my dog.

Excellent product. Good service.

these are the best of the many boots & balloon type booties Ive tried on my dogs. They are flexible, keep feet dry and stay on better than other boots (you do need to snug them on well with the syraps that go in either direction). No matter how many times they wear them, my dogs always do a funny walk for the first few minutes, then forget the boots are on and go about their walk as usual.

Very disappointed because the boots do not stay on with or without socks, very stiff . But the boots look good in their package and prior to dressing my dog’s paws. I sure wish I could return the dog boots. I will eventually throw them into the garage because to give them to someone else for their dog would be a bad thing to do.

Awsome boots , dog can now live upstairs on our pine floors