How long is he out?? Mine both love the cold, and the colder the better.? With all that hair, it keeps them warm.? Unless Reilly is out for extended periods of time you should not have to worry about it.? Jasper did just fine? a few years ago as a puppy, and he was born in August, so he was only 4 months old when winter hit.
As far as boots, here are my thoughts.? First off, the hair between the pads should be trimmed.? Otherwise, they get ice balls in the hair which can be painful.? The only other real problem you should have with their feet is not the cold, but the salt.? If you walk them in the neighborhood and people put down rock salt it can also be quite painful.? I have tried boots for days people have just salted, but they are a real pain to get on.? My two will pick up their feet and won't walk if they get salt in them.?I then use my glove to get it out from between the pads. Mine I put in the sink and wash their feet if they have been in the salt, or if they have ice between the pads.? It they are just wet from being out or have ice balls in their hair, you may need a hair dryer.? Now, I have heard that Mushers Secret is fantastic to protect their feet.? It is more of a wax you put on their feet.? They use it on the sled dogs in Alaska.? Here is a link: http://www.amazon.com/Mushers-Secret-Invisible-Shield-200/dp/B0002XIZXY/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1225310435&sr=8-1 I got some last year, but only used it a couple of times.? It seems to work just fine, and we take a couple of walks everyday. Sue, M, and J My thought process is, better to prevent then have a vet bill. any suggestions on things other than boots? I was thinking of having a cup with warm water by the door where i would dunk his feet in after coming from outside to do his necessities.
