So Momo got his Christmas present early–it came in the form of RuffWear Bark’n Boots Grip Trex booties for him. You can view the company information from this URL. 

Many may ask, why it is that we would invest what we would consider a lot of money into getting foot accessories for our dog. Here are a few requirements that we have that drove our decision to make this investment. 
  1. During various times of the year (mainly end of Summer early Fall), we notice that Momo will start to chew on his feet, leaving them bear and sometimes to the point where he breaks the skin as you can see little scabs on his paws. We believe that this is probably due to some chemical irritant that he walks through, perhaps those inconsiderate folks in the neighborhood who decide green lawns are a more worthy cause than consideration for our 4 legged friends. We’ve asked our neighbors and HOA to post signs whenever their lawns are treated with anything, but we have found that folks take this to little or no consideration. 
  2. During the winter time, especially when the weather gets really cold, Momo will start to walk like his paws are freezing to the ice or concrete, as you see him trying to walk with one paw raised, than after hobbling along will try and raise another paw. In the past I’ve had dogs who just lie on their back with all their paws in the air as its more comfortable than walking on the sub-zero temperatures beneath them. I think as humans, we forget that we invest quite a bit of money into technology that is put between our natures barrier (skin) and the elements–whether that be in the form of boots with hi-tech synthetics and tech to keep our feet warm and dry, or jackets of equal technological marval!
  3. When Momo comes inside, his first act is usually to lick his paws clean–and god knows what he picks up as he’s walking along!
  4. When it rains, we have a wet dog walking through the house leaving his paw prints on everything. Generally in addition to the dampness, there is also mud as naturally he walks through that as well as he tries to do a number 1 or number 2 (or both if nature prevails!). 
  5. No matter what it seems that we put on his feet, his feet must be a delicate part of him as he doesn’t like anything on them! He tries and usually succeeds in kicking off whatever we put on his feet, through vigorous shaking and biting at whatever is on his feet.

So given these requirements, we have been scouring high and low for something to address all of these requirements. We’ve tried a few products with limited success, but nothing that really has had long term possibilities. That is until we heading in to our local REI store in search for a parka for me actually, and found they had quite a large pets selection in the store (score!). We found these and the first thing we noticed was how the velcro fastener made a very tight fit possible–this was important to address the issue of him kicking off the boots after we put them on. 
Next we noticed that the soles were made by Vibram, and my wife is absolutely taken to town with this as she looks for this on practically all her shoes from now on as she’s convinced of their superior fit and comfort (Merrell shoes is one that she’s particularly fond of at the minute).
Aside from the above, we saw that the construction was very well done, and when his paws are in them gives a lot of room for movement. The box that they came in with also lists the following which are not on the website:
  • Built on an anatomical mold like human shoes for consistent fit, sizing, and shape
  • Air mesh upper is comfortable, breathable, durable, and drainable for all-season wear
  • Grip cuff hugs the leg, stays in place, and improves comfort
  • Expansion gusset makes the boots easy to put on and enhances fit
  • Sure Cinch closure strap and lash tab ensure that the boots stay on the paws
  • Seamless construction reduces abrasion and improves fit
  • Reflective trib adds safety and nighttime visibility
  • Vibram high-grip, high-traction, high-performance sole
  • Omnidirectional X lug for stability and traction
  • Nonmarking sole for nautical and home interior uses
  • Extradurable for miles and miles of adventure

After we made this purchase and got home, we fitted Momo with these, and decided to take him on an extended walk. Now it has been snowing here in Chicago for the last week, and while there isn’t a lot of buildup, there is some snow on the ground and more importantly ice that is beneath it. Now Momo doesn’t like ice at all–he actually avoids it at all costs if he can, and I imagine this is because he feels unsure of his footing and the tendency to slip is a lot more prevalent. He faught for the first few minutes, and take it from folk who have tried a number of various products, this is normal. You just have to get the dog walking to keep his mind focused on something other than what’s on his feet. After the first few minutes, he started to act normally and the walk was on. We immediately noticed that it seemed like he had a lot better traction, as he didn’t slip once on the ice and he didn’t seem to be phased by ice or snow. He was able to make his usual movements, including the stances for number 1 and number 2 activities. He was playful in the snow and energentic, and it certainly seemed like the boots were able to move with him and did not cause discomfort moving from stance to stance. He was walking as well as running, activities that we would not have expected from previous products we have tried.
The proof was in the pudding when we got him home and did the paw test, and sure enough they were dry to the touch even though the boots themselves had bits of caked on snow that had turned into ice and were very wet. All in all I’d say this was $60 well worth it and I would recommend this to any dog owner who has/is going through similar types of things as I’ve listed above. Feel free to comment on your experiences success or failures as I’d be interested in what others have noticed about this product.