I’ve been making booties for my dogs. I’ve been experimenting with different material which may work best and so they won’t fall off in the desert. As far as the dog pen, may I make a suggestion to put small wheels on it to tote it along. Then it would not be so heavy or awkward to carry. I have the large pens to and I know how hard they are to carry.
Dogs
- Thread starter Suezq
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LivGolden said:
The ground varies greatly in the desert, from sand to hard sharp volcanic rock. Dogs get their paw toughened by walking on something other than grass. Mine used to have to get used to walking on sidewalks in urban areas after having them out in the country for a while.
I haven't seen a dog yet that actually liked booties. They all walk hilariously funny when first introduced to booties. It's a case of training them, same as anything else you want them to learn to do.
Instead of staking dogs out, a lot of dog owners figure out a way to tie the dog off to something on their vehicle. In a lot of cases trying to hammer a decently strong and stable tie out in to the hardened desert soil is a no win situation. Also tying off the dog to the vehicle lets them get underneath for shade and cool ground.
As to dogs not being welcome at group dinners - the answer is generally no, they're not welcome. We've had too many bad experiences with multiple dogs attending human dinner parties. 10 or 15 people all sitting around in lawn chairs, balancing their plates on their laps doesn't make for a good scene with dogs running around. The tables we use are not kitchen table or counter top height, more like medium size dog nose height....
Generally, the dogs are welcome to join after everyone is finished eating and the tables have been cleared off.Thanks for the information. I worry about her more than I should, I guess. She's under the weather, this week. Trying to keep her rested is a chore. That also got me to thinking about WRTR/RTR. She is used to being with me 24/7. It's mutual.
Those booties were a no-go from the beginning. She hikes so maybe her paws are tougher than I think. We'll see.
Those booties were a no-go from the beginning. She hikes so maybe her paws are tougher than I think. We'll see.
Spaceman Spiff
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The beagle absolutely will not tolerate booties (shreds them in minutes). Tuf-foot (Bonaseptic Co.) is what I use to toughen, condition, and sooth my dog's paw pads:
https://www.gundogsupply.com/tuffoot.html
https://www.gundogsupply.com/tuffoot.html
max+sophia
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Suezq said:
How about attaching the bootie to a harness. You know, like old gentlemen kept their socks up with an elastic gizmo.
^^^^^Suezq
I made dog booties in the past for a boarder collie mix I had. To get them to stay on I used a bit of elastic on the outside cuff of the bootie and then ran a bead of silicone craft sealant around the top of the inside (opposite of the elastic). That way the elastic held it tight and the silicone kept it from slipping off her foot. I think the only reason she tolerated them was she was ALWAYS ready to go for a run.
Hope that helps,
~angie
Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk
I made dog booties in the past for a boarder collie mix I had. To get them to stay on I used a bit of elastic on the outside cuff of the bootie and then ran a bead of silicone craft sealant around the top of the inside (opposite of the elastic). That way the elastic held it tight and the silicone kept it from slipping off her foot. I think the only reason she tolerated them was she was ALWAYS ready to go for a run.
Hope that helps,
~angie
Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk
^^^^^
>Does elastic work better? - Elastic worked better for me and for that dog. I had tried a set of storebought Velcro booties for her and they didn't hold on too well. Plus the way the Velcro was sewed on on one of them rubbed her hind pad raw and that inspired me to chuck that set and borrow a friend's sewing machine to see if I could make her a better pair.
I used a pair of Carhartt work pants (for the outside layer) and a pair of jeans (for the lining layer) to make them. Before I sewed them together I cut an extra circle of work pants material and affixed it (using a very thin layer of silicone spread with a painters knife, and then just pressed the two layers together firmly til the silicone hardened) to the inside of the outer layer, so that between the dogs foot and the ground there were 3 layers of fabric. The elastic was a bit tricky. What ended up working was making an elastic ring that would fit (snuggly but not too tight) around her ankle (this was by trial and error, since a dogs feet are not all the same size[emoji3]), once I had a elastic that was tight but not too tight, then i stretched it out and hand sewed it firmly onto the booty about a quarter inch down from the seam where the outer fabric and inner fabric met. This made kind of a little cuff, once I was done sewing it. Sew it evenly around so it is evenly tight all around the cuff.
>How does Silcone help the booties from slipping off? - so I got this idea because I had some bras that had what looked like a bead of rubber/silicone running along the edge of the straps and cups to keep the fabric from slipping when I wore them. In the years since I made the booties, I've since seen this technique used on no-show socks to keep them from slipping, too. The idea is that a thing layer of silicone (or rubber) grips the ankle and prevents the booty from slipping down and off the dogs foot.
In order to do this cleanly, I turned the booty inside out and stuffed it full of newspaper. I then used the tube of craft silicone to run a small bead around the seam where I stitched the elastic on the outside of the booty. This way (once the silicone was dry) when I took the newspaper stuffing out and turned the booty right-side-out again, the elastic would press the booty to the dogs foot in the place where the silicone was all around the inside of the booty.
You do not need a large goopy line of silicone, just a small thin line will do. It is much easier to add a little more later than to try to take it off if it is too globby. If you do end up with a glob, scrape it up while it's still wet. That's much easier to clean up than after it has hardened.
~angie
Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk
>Does elastic work better? - Elastic worked better for me and for that dog. I had tried a set of storebought Velcro booties for her and they didn't hold on too well. Plus the way the Velcro was sewed on on one of them rubbed her hind pad raw and that inspired me to chuck that set and borrow a friend's sewing machine to see if I could make her a better pair.
I used a pair of Carhartt work pants (for the outside layer) and a pair of jeans (for the lining layer) to make them. Before I sewed them together I cut an extra circle of work pants material and affixed it (using a very thin layer of silicone spread with a painters knife, and then just pressed the two layers together firmly til the silicone hardened) to the inside of the outer layer, so that between the dogs foot and the ground there were 3 layers of fabric. The elastic was a bit tricky. What ended up working was making an elastic ring that would fit (snuggly but not too tight) around her ankle (this was by trial and error, since a dogs feet are not all the same size[emoji3]), once I had a elastic that was tight but not too tight, then i stretched it out and hand sewed it firmly onto the booty about a quarter inch down from the seam where the outer fabric and inner fabric met. This made kind of a little cuff, once I was done sewing it. Sew it evenly around so it is evenly tight all around the cuff.
>How does Silcone help the booties from slipping off? - so I got this idea because I had some bras that had what looked like a bead of rubber/silicone running along the edge of the straps and cups to keep the fabric from slipping when I wore them. In the years since I made the booties, I've since seen this technique used on no-show socks to keep them from slipping, too. The idea is that a thing layer of silicone (or rubber) grips the ankle and prevents the booty from slipping down and off the dogs foot.
In order to do this cleanly, I turned the booty inside out and stuffed it full of newspaper. I then used the tube of craft silicone to run a small bead around the seam where I stitched the elastic on the outside of the booty. This way (once the silicone was dry) when I took the newspaper stuffing out and turned the booty right-side-out again, the elastic would press the booty to the dogs foot in the place where the silicone was all around the inside of the booty.
You do not need a large goopy line of silicone, just a small thin line will do. It is much easier to add a little more later than to try to take it off if it is too globby. If you do end up with a glob, scrape it up while it's still wet. That's much easier to clean up than after it has hardened.
~angie
Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk
I would definitely pay for a healthy set of booties. Most likely we will eat alone and join the crowd before or after. My Golden is a dolphin with fur. She loves to love - not a lot of sway there...Thanks for the info.!
I was glad to see you scoot with them. Do you run both at the same time, or individually? What kind of scooter? If you do get a trailer of some kind, you could get a (small) cart and drive them. That way they could go faster--more their speed. Do you use driving commands when scooting? Have you tied one out in front and let her pull you? There's a lot of dryland mushers all around the country. May be a fun way to meet people, exercise the pups, and have a great time.
As far as bugs in the fur (even in their insides) buy some FOOD GRADE diatomaceous earth. Rub a little where the dog can't lick it--you don't want them inhaling it. Maybe on the head and neck areas. Stir a spoon or two into moist food a couple times a week to help control internal parasites. Several years ago I got 50 pounds at the large animal feed store for about $25, in a pet store it's really expensive. Maybe at the RTR some of you can join in the purchase of a large bag, splitting the cost. Even 10 pounds will go a long way.
As far as bugs in the fur (even in their insides) buy some FOOD GRADE diatomaceous earth. Rub a little where the dog can't lick it--you don't want them inhaling it. Maybe on the head and neck areas. Stir a spoon or two into moist food a couple times a week to help control internal parasites. Several years ago I got 50 pounds at the large animal feed store for about $25, in a pet store it's really expensive. Maybe at the RTR some of you can join in the purchase of a large bag, splitting the cost. Even 10 pounds will go a long way.
Ella- I have been running them both. It is so much fun. The dogs love to run. The experience of dryland mushing is so awesome. I do give commands-hike for go-wowa for stop-gee for right-haw for left-on by for passing by someone. I’ve been working with the dogs for sometime now with voice commands. They are strong and good at pulling. I can go pretty fast on the scooter. Hope to get a dryland mushing rig. They are a bit pricey. Plan is to go to different dryland mushing events around the country eventually working my way up to Alaska. I got my scooter on the internet.
I'm sitting here turning green with envy! I guess I was thinking you had a dog in a brace at your side on the scooter. I used to bikejor and canicross with my girl, an 80 pound sheepdog. Both were pretty much at MY speed--not very fast. She was a service dog, and took good care of me. We used the voice commands for both. I never made it to any of the meets. The first one I had planned to go to was in Tahoe I think, in October about 10 years ago, sadly it didn't happen.
How did you learn about it? My intro was by accident, I happened upon the dogslovetorun yahoo site years ago, Daphne Lewis. For several years the group had a slow growing DOGS ACROSS AMERICA challenge. Due to temps, they even split dates, early for southern states, a few weeks later for northern, before it fell apart. The goal was to get people out walking, riding, mushing, somehow their dogs on a sat and Sun, and combining the miles, to get the 3000 or so of the distance across America.
Best wishes to you and your pups.
I guess I was thinking you had a dog in a brace at your side on the scooter. I used to bikejor and canicross with my girl, an 80 pound sheepdog. Both were pretty much at MY speed--not very fast. She was a service dog, and took good care of me. We used the voice commands for both. I never made it to any of the meets. The first one I had planned to go to was in Tahoe I think, in October about 10 years ago, sadly it didn't happen. How did you learn about it? My intro was by accident, I happened upon the dogslovetorun yahoo site years ago, Daphne Lewis. For several years the group had a slow growing DOGS ACROSS AMERICA challenge. Due to temps, they even split dates, early for southern states, a few weeks later for northern, before it fell apart. The goal was to get people out walking, riding, mushing, somehow their dogs on a sat and Sun, and combining the miles, to get the 3000 or so of the distance across America.
Best wishes to you and your pups.
Ella, Having Huskies and running them is something I’ve wanted to do for a while. Now that I am retired, I have the time to pursue the dream while I can. I. I have studied up on the subject quite extensively. This is good exercise for any dog who likes to run and fun for its owner. See you at the RTR if your going.
