We get a lot of people asking us about J’s dog boots. He has two sets of boots from Ruffwear: a winter set and a summer set.
James tends to get snow packed in between his pads in the winter. He will just stop walking and lift up a foot and then switch and lift up another foot. After a few snowy nights where Chris had to carry James home in the middle of our evening walk, we decided to buy some dog boots.
James during a snowstorm in Georgetown, Washington, DC:
J’s winter boots are the Ruffwear Polar Trex boots. We bought them from Zappos. But you can also find them at REI. Make sure you buy a set of 4 boots. Ruffwear does sell a pair of boots as an option (probably because the boots sometimes get lost in the deep snow – luckily we always find a boot if it slips off).
We also bought the Smartwool infant/toddler sock set from Zappos. We love our Smartwool socks since they dry out pretty quickly. Ruffwear also makes socks – they call them boot liners. The socks really help hold the boots in place and they also help keep James’ feet warm. He can stay out for hours in his winter boots!
To figure out what size of dog boots you need, you will need to measure your dog’s feet. Have your dog put weight on that paw as you measure it. Ruffwear does have a printable measuring chart you can use:
We decided to use a measuring tape with James. James’ feet are about 2.75 inches wide and that is the size of Ruffwear boots he wears.
They are a little tricky to put on, but James doesn’t mind:
We were in Arizona last summer when we decided to buy a pair of summer Ruffwear boots for James from Zappos. The pavement was really hot and we were worried that the Poodle was going to burn his feet!
James in Sedona sporting his summer haircut and his summer Ruffwear boots – these are the Ruffwear Grip Trex dog boots:
We were at REI recently and we spotted the Ruffwear boots. Here are the boxes – a full set of 4 boots:
And here are the pairs of replacement boots (or you could buy two sets if you can’t find the boxes of four boots):
Here are the Ruffwear boot liner socks:
REI always has a large selection of Ruffwear dog gear – boots, balls, frisbees, toys, backpacks, personal flotation devices, travel beds and more!
If you want to get a fun toy from Ruffwear to help take your dog’s mind off the fact that they are wearing boots, we highly recommend the Ruffwear frisbee. James was dancing around like a silly puppy when we first put the winter boots on him in DC years ago. But now he knows they are protecting his feet and he doesn’t mind when we put them on him. If he is standing up, he will actually lift each paw to let us put the boot on that foot.