How To Teach Your Dog To Wear Booties
Booties can be an amazing tool for keeping your puppy’s paws protected throughout any season. However, getting your dog to accept booties and wear them without a fuss is a whole other discussion. Luckily, we’ve compiled some of the best tips to teach your dog to wear booties. With a little patience and practice, Spot will be sporting his new shoes in no time at all.
1. Give Your Pooch Time To Sniff His Shoes
This may sound silly, but giving your pooch ample time to familiarize himself with his new footwear can help Fido learn to love his booties. Place your pup’s new shoes in the middle of an open area, with treats on hand. Whenever your dog interacts with the booties in any way (i.e giving them a sniff), reward them with a treat and praise.
Rinse and repeat as necessary. You’ll soon find that your dog will create a positive association with the booties, making him much more open to placing them on his feet.
2. Practice With Paws
Once you feel like your pooch is ready, go ahead and call him over and ask him to sit. Take one of your dog’s paws and give it a quick rub, then reward with a treat. The goal is to get your dog used to you touching and holding his individual paws so that you can easily put on booties moving forward. Continue practicing with treats and praise until your pooch has no problem with you picking up his paw.
3. Make Sure You Pick Out The Right Shoes
Before picking out your dog’s booties, make sure you’re following the manufacturer’s sizing guide as closely as possible. You may be asked to measure your dog;s paw in order to find the right size. Be sure to do this as needed- Those extra 5 minutes of measuring make all of the difference and ensure that Spot’s shoes are a secure, snug fit. Your dog will only successfully wear booties if they are fitted properly.
4. Start With One Boot First
Once you have the right-sized booties for your best buddy, start by putting on one boot first. To be extra cautious, hold off on fastening the boot until your pup feels comfortable. Reward your dog with a treat for successfully wearing his bootie.
5. Proceed With The Other Paw Protectors
As soon as your dog has nailed putting on a single boot, go ahead and proceed to put on the remaining booties. It’s natural for your dog to walk somewhat oddly at first while he’s adjusting to the sensation of the paw protectors. Give your dog lots of praise and treats. Practice walking around the house with the new booties until your dog is ready to roam out into the real world.
6. Take The New Shoes For A Spin
While out on your first walk, start slow and work up to a speed that your pup is comfortable with. Over time, wearing booties will become more and more natural to your pooch. Be sure to keep a keen eye on the booties as well– If the shoes weren’t properly secured, it’s easy to lose one or two booties while strolling about. Don’t forget to give your dog lots of treats for a successful walk with booties.
When in doubt, you can always seek other alternatives like paw wax or balm, or even doggie leggings. With the help of these tips, your pooch is sure to have no trouble keeping his paws protected while out on a walk. Enjoy safely adventuring with your best furry friend throughout any season.
