Dog Boots

Something that is fairly common when you see a Service Dog out in public is they may be wearing shoes or goggles. But why do they?

The main reason my dog would wear boots is simply the same reason we wear shoes: to protect her feet. This is most common when there is salt on the ground in the winter. The salt gets stuck in my dog’s paws and burns her paw pads. Since my dog is going to places most dogs don’t go to, there are patches of salt that I need to protect her feet from.

Another common reason to wear boots is when the pavement is extremely hot in the summer. If you can’t keep your hand on the pavement for more than 5 seconds, your dog should not be standing on that pavement without protection.

Lastly, you may see some Service Dogs wearing goggles. I do not use goggles as I live in an area where debris is not an issue. Some handlers have experienced people throwing crap at their dogs; this is another way to protect them.

Since these dogs are so special, they get some special gear to go along with it! But I encourage you to consider using appropriate gear for your dog to protect them from environments near you!