Gun Dog Forum

Me and my GSD go hunting every time. I was thinking of getting him a pair of boots to make his trek more wonderful. Any suggestions on which brand I should opt for?

I run GSP's and mainly chase Chukar. We hunt at least 100 days a year. Never booted a dog.

The biggest problem I see with boots on other dogs is fit and the ability to keep them on.

You will need vet tape to keep from chaffing and duct tap to keep them on.

You will also need a good sense of humor the first time your dog tries them out.

Unless your dog is having real problems, no need for the boots. GSD's are usually tuff dogs. Maybe there is a conditioning problem?

Lewis dog boots?????

gypsy wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 26, 2022 9:34 am

I run GSP's and mainly chase Chukar. We hunt at least 100 days a year. Never booted a dog.

The biggest problem I see with boots on other dogs is fit and the ability to keep them on.

You will need vet tape to keep from chaffing and duct tap to keep them on.

You will also need a good sense of humor the first time your dog tries them out.

Unless your dog is having real problems, no need for the boots. GSD's are usually tuff dogs. Maybe there is a conditioning problem?

Lewis dog boots?????

Lewis boots are a nice option. I asked the same question in the other group, and they suggested me go for Ruffwear Polar Trex Boots. I searched for the Ruffwear boot on Google and read its review here: https://doggyshoe.com/best-hunting-boots-for-dogs/, found it somewhat a better option, have you got any experience with it?

The best thing you can do for your dog’s feet is condition them on gravel roads and have kennel material that toughens up their feet. They were born with feet that were made to be used. I rarely if ever use boots on my current dog, although I have had a dog that was unable to keep his feet together.

In the certain situations where boots have been necessary (some frozen snow/ice conditions, multiple day chukar hunts on shale or lava, or after injury) I have found the simple cordura sled dog boots are the best option, followed by bicycle inner tube. Most boots will cause more problems to a dog’s feet than they help. Vet wrap and tape can mitigate some of this. The cordura sled dog boots are a wear item and need to be replaced so I buy a few sets and either dip the bottoms in rubber coating or buy the sets that come with a rubberized bottom. They are very inexpensive and are more flexible/comfortable for the dog and easier to pack in a hunting vest than the other options mentioned. Slip them on, wrap some tape over the elastic velcro and they are as secure as anything else I have seen used or personally tried.
Garrison

No boots required!

Garrison wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 27, 2022 8:03 am

The best thing you can do for your dog’s feet is condition them on gravel roads and have kennel material that toughens up their feet. They were born with feet that were made to be used. I rarely if ever use boots on my current dog, although I have had a dog that was unable to keep his feet together.

In the certain situations where boots have been necessary (some frozen snow/ice conditions, multiple day chukar hunts on shale or lava, or after injury) I have found the simple cordura sled dog boots are the best option, followed by bicycle inner tube. Most boots will cause more problems to a dog’s feet than they help. Vet wrap and tape can mitigate some of this. The cordura sled dog boots are a wear item and need to be replaced so I buy a few sets and either dip the bottoms in rubber coating or buy the sets that come with a rubberized bottom. They are very inexpensive and are more flexible/comfortable for the dog and easier to pack in a hunting vest than the other options mentioned. Slip them on, wrap some tape over the elastic velcro and they are as secure as anything else I have seen used or personally tried.

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Garrison

Thanks for the suggestion. Will surely try that

Garrison wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 27, 2022 8:17 am

BAAA33A9-51AF-455F-9698-4C40AC748607.jpeg

No boots required!

The last time we went on the hunt, he injured his paws. There were some broken glass shards on the hill and mistakenly he stepped on them. Since then I got really scared and would never want to see him that way again. Hence, the shoes.

What Garrison said. When needed - cordura all the way. Dogbooties.com or these

https://www.mtnridge.com/AllGrip-Boots- ... _p_89.html

Marty Rider wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 28, 2022 1:24 am

Garrison wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 27, 2022 8:17 am

BAAA33A9-51AF-455F-9698-4C40AC748607.jpeg

No boots required!

The last time we went on the hunt, he injured his paws. There were some broken glass shards on the hill and mistakenly he stepped on them. Since then I got really scared and would never want to see him that way again. Hence, the shoes.

I understand. Some of the best bird hunting is on private ranches and farms. Too bad so many of them have trash, barbed wire and other trash hidden in the tall grass. Stopped hunting on a very good friends ranch that holds many roosters and 1000's of quail. After over a hundred years of ranching no one knows what or where. Injuries are not limited to the paws.

Sand burrs and goat heads are problematic in some areas of Texas. They will stop a dog. You can hunt the clay where the rattlesnakes are or the sand where the burrs are. I prefer the sand. Down on the desert the rock is hard on a dogs feet if they are not conditioned to it. Homemade boots made from motorcycle inner tubes are what most here use. Lewis boots are tougher but keeping them on can be a chore. The Lewis boots will rub the top of the toes raw after a few days of running them hard. The open toe of the inner tube boots is easier on the dogs toes and the top of their feet. A blend of athletic tape, duct tape, and electric tape is used to keep them on. They stay on, hold up well and are easy on the dogs feet. Most times the front feet are all I boot. The first time you put them on the dog will look like a Lippazaner Stallion. Roading the dog on a gravel road for 6-8 weeks will toughen the feet up for hunting on rock. The harder a dog runs, especially if it makes tight turns at high speed, the more likely he is to blow out or cut a pad.
As for your dog getting nicked up in the field. You don’t like to see it but it happens. The harder a dog runs the more likely it is to get nicked up. It is a catch 22…

If you run a dog in CRP, the grass will cut between their toes to ribbons. I use the 1000 denier booties from dogbooties.com for them. If I were hunting sand burrs or checker country, they'd wear Lewis boots. There is a knack to taping them on but when you do it right, they can go in water with them on and not loosen the tape or lose a boot. You WILL lose the occasional boot so buy extras.

If you choose to condition his feet. You might want to rub bag balm on the feet. Rubing bag balm on the feet makes them more plyable.. less prone to cracking and splitting. It will also help to reparing the feet.