Dog Shoes

Reasons to use Dog Shoes

Main Reasons:

I get so many questions about why Chiffon wears shoes! She wears them for several reasons:

  1. To protect from sharp objects (broken glass, needles, sharp rocks for certain hikes, etc.)
  2. To prevent paw burn from ice melts in the winter. These salts are corrosive and can damage your dog’s paws.
  3. To prevent paw burn from hot asphalt in the summer.
  4. Paws stay clean! (Great for paws with injuries and just general hygiene)

Please note that Chiffon doesn’t wear them 100% of the time! When she doesn’t wear shoes, we will use wipes or give her paws a little wash when we get home. This is what I’m using now: Earthbath Hypoallergenic Grooming Wipes

Avoid burned paws in the summer!

The ground can be a lot hotter than you think! If you are unsure if it’s too hot for your dog’s paws, check if you can put your hand on the ground for 10 seconds.

Air TemperatureAsphalt Temperature
77°125°
86°135°
87°143°
(Stats from Dr. James Berens work on thermal contact burns published in 1970 in the Journal of the American Medical Association)

Rifrufqueens dog shoes:

My favorite dog shoes are Rifrufqueens! I love that they’re made like a human sneaker and are very durable. I like them best during the warmer weather. But as they’re like a sneaker, they are not waterproof unless you are to spray the shoes with a waterproof coating.

If you’d like to try them too, make sure to use my code ‘CHIFFON15’ to save pn your first purchase and shop through my link here:

Rifrufqueens Shoes

What if my dog doesn’t like shoes?

Not all dogs like shoes! Some things you can do include:

  1. Protect your dog’s paws with paw wax when you go outside. They can help protect from heat, snow, sand and dirt! I like to use this:
    Mushers Dog Paw Wax
  2. During the summer, walk your dog during the cooler hours (early morning/ late evening) or on the grass, which is cooler than the asphalt.

What about my dog’s dewclaws?

Dewclaws are the extra digit on the inside of the front paws. They are completely normal! But sometimes shoes can irritate your dog’s dewclaws if they are more prominent so it’s important to check out the different styles of shoes to see which is best for your dog. For example, Rifrufqeens Caesar 1 shoes has a gap on the side where the dewclaw might be while Rifrufqueens Caesar 1s would cover the dewclaw completely. For Chiffon, she has never had an issue with any of her shoes.

Watch for more tips on how I put on Chiffon’s shoes!

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