You Should Buy Your Dog a Set of Summer Booties
If you’re a dog owner in a place with cold or snowy winters, you’re probably used to wrangling your pup into a pair of dog booties to protect their paws from the cold, ice, and salt. But those paws need protection from burning hot summer pavement, too. Consider the fact that July 2023 has already notched several of the hottest days on record globally, and get that good boy some dog shoes.
Why your dog needs booties in hot weather too
Reddit user u/RealSimplexity put out this PSA to pet owners who are very likely wearing shoes themselves during those hot summer walks, and who may forget that paws can burn just like feet:
As I was passing a corner store today I spotted a poor pup trying his heart out to keep his feet off the burning sidewalk. Most people don’t think about it outright but the pads on animals will burn on hot surfaces just like yours. (Especially during the hot summers.) Normally if it burns you it will burn them. You can buy some pretty cheap booties online and save your furry friends some pain!
Protect your pups paws with these booties:
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Best overall booties: Ruffwear, Grip Trex Dog Boots $40
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Best booties for hot pavement: Canada Pooch Dog Boots for Hot Pavement $50–$60
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Best budget option: QUMY 2PCS Small Dog Shoes for Hot Pavement $11
Apply the seven-second rule
VetsNow, an emergency vet service in the U.K., suggests dog owners utilize the “seven-second rule” when determining whether the sidewalk is safe for their dog’s toes. Simply place the back of your hand on the pavement’s surface for seven seconds. If you struggle to hold it down, it’s too hot. Or, just walk on it with bare feet yourself for a few seconds and see how quickly you start hopping from foot to foot. (Also, if you want to see what a dog’s burned paw looks like, click through to VetsNow’s article. If I wasn’t already convinced, that photo would have done it for me.)
If your dog gets dry paws from the weather, u/vollkoemmenes suggests applying a paw balm on their pads, which will help moisturize and protect them.
Meghan Walbert is Lifehacker’s Managing Editor. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a graduate certificate in nonprofit leadership and management from Arizona State University. Meghan started her career as a reporter for The Arizona Republic, then worked in public relations for a career and tech high school and a private university. After her son was born, she freelanced for several years, writing primarily news and features articles as well as creative nonfiction.
When she and her husband became foster parents, she began writing and speaking about the experience and authored a 26-part Foster Parenting Diary Series for the New York Times, was named a BlogHer “Voice of the Year” two years in a row, and was a cast member of the “Listen To Your Mother” show. She also contributed to the 2016 anthology So Glad They Told Me: Women Get Real About Motherhood. Meghan has done a variety of radio and podcast interviews advocating for the need for more foster parents within the U.S. child welfare system. She was a keynote speaker for the New York State Citizens Coalition for Children’s annual Foster Care and Adoption Conference, and she served on the board of directors for One Simple Wish.
Some of Meghan’s favorite work for Lifehacker includes the publication of “Big Talks,” in which she and other writers aimed to help parents navigate the most serious conversations they’ll have to have with their kids over the course of their childhood, from sex and porn to online safety and divorce. She lives in Eastern Pennsylvania.
