Dog booties

Small dogs such as this poodle often need protection from extreme weather. Dog booties prevent ice balls from forming between dogs' toes.

Dog booties, commonly called "booties", are rubber, fabric, or plastic coverings for dogs' paws, used to protect the animal from cold weather, rough terrain, or injury. They are analogous to human shoes and are most common in sled dog races. Many races require booties as a basic element of dog care. The Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race, for example, requires mushers to carry no fewer than eight booties per dog.^[1]

Many dogs are resistant to wearing booties, and the velcro straps typically used to secure booties often are inadequate on active dogs. During the Yukon Quest, a musher will change between 2,000 and 3,000 booties during the course of the race. Changing booties is necessary when they become wet or fly off a dog's paws.^[2]

Sometimes dog booties are worn for hiking, especially on rocky ground.

Like shoes, booties wear out with use. In long sled dog races or over an extended period of time, booties need to be replaced due to wear.^[3]

References

1. Saari, Matias. "Yukon Quest rules range from the practical to the peculiar", Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. February 14, 2009. Accessed February 23, 2009.
2. Killick, Adam. Racing the White Silence: On the Trail of the Yukon Quest. Penguin Global, May 2005. p. 167.
3. Killick, p. 212