Dog Snow Booties = Fail

Poor Flutie - will his suffering never end?

The chemicals and salt poured onto icey sidewalks and roads during the winter are hazardous for little puppy paws. After the first big snow fall just before Christmas, I attempted to take Flutie out for a walk sans footwear. We made it just a few houses down the street before he began absolutely screaming in pain. He was jumping like crazy, trying to get his paws up off the ground - it was truly awful. I had to pick him up and carry him thrashing and crying home. A warm wash-cloth wipe-down later, he calmed down and seemed to put the unpleasantness behind him. I knew that we wouldn't be able to go on another winter walk unless something could be done for his tender paws.

Just a few days later we went to the dog park on a snowy day - they don't salt the dog park, for obvious reasons, but I did have to carry him from the car to the park over the painful road. Many of the other dogs had on these little rubber booties, like little balloons pulled over their feet. They don't provide warmth, just water-proof their feet from the chemicals - perfect! Luckily, they were available at Polka Dog just around the corner, so I bought a pack to try out on Flutie.

See the results for yourself:


Flutie's Winter Woes on Vimeo.

Ridiculous, right? And this video didn't even catch the best part; when we very first put them on, before I whipped out the camera, and plopped him on the floor he freaked out and flattened out on his belly, flailing around, unable to get up. I should mention that none of the other dogs we saw wearing the exact same thing seemed bothered at all, or even like they noticed the booties' presence. Flutie is such a drama queen. I took him right out for a walk just after the end of the video, thinking that once we got going and he became distracted he would forget all about it and just go with flow. That did not happen, he refused to walk around outside in them - just dug in on the sidewalk and would go no further.

Now I am at a loss. I can't walk him when the sidewalks and roads are so painful for him and he won't suffer the inconvenience of water-proof slippers. It's going to be a very loooong winter for Flutie and for me. As if I didn't already hate this time of year enough, now add in a dog with a season's worth of pent up energy.

Fellow dog lovers: any suggestions? Or am I the only with an emotionally unstable puggle living in the land of untamed winter?