Dog Shoes: Do You Need Them?

Dog shoes have gotten quite a bit of attention in recent years.

There are a lot of dog owners who have grown tired of watching their dogs lick their hurt paws for excessive periods of time. 

Wearing the right shoes can protect your dog, keep them comfortable, and also help heal paws that are already injured.

With the ever-increasing demand of many dog owners for good-quality shoes for dogs, brands have stepped up to meet this demand. 

Finding the perfect pair can be challenging with so many models available, but it doesn’t have to be (Spoiler: We recommend Ruffwear Boots . Keep reading to learn why below). 

In this article, we’ve taken the guesswork out of finding the best shoes for your dog. We’ll help you figure out which shoe is right for your dog by describing everything from fit and support to durability. Let’s get started.

Are dog shoes good for dogs?

Admittedly at first it may seem like dog shoes are yet another unnecessary accessory for our dogs. But when doing more research, you find that there are multiple situations where shoes can be good for dogs.

These include:

• Dog sports
• Dogs that are healing from injuries
• Senior dogs 

Should dogs wear shoes?

Dogs don’t need to wear shoes every single day, but there certainly are situations where they can help to keep your dog comfortable.

Dog sports and hiking

Let’s face it – rough terrain with sharp edges can put our dogs at risk of getting their paws injured. So does hot concrete. Dog shoes can help protect your dog from terrain-related injuries.

Shoes for older dogs

If your dog suffers from health issues with movement disorders, then you may be looking for a way of giving your dog a better quality of life with shoes.

Also, many dogs tend to suffer from mobility issues as they grow older, which can affect their balance, coordination and ability to carry out daily things like getting up from their bed or walking.

Dog shoes with anti-slip soles can help those dogs to get up more easily and walk more effectively, by giving them a better grip on smooth surfaces. 

Dog boots for injuries

If your dog suffers from minor injuries and infections, dog shoes can support the healing process by preventing your dog from excessive licking.

Shoes for dogs: Pros & Cons

In short, here are the pros and cons of dog boots:

Benefits of dog shoes

• Help protect paws from injuries
• Increased stability and slip resistance when walking
• Existing paw injuries may heal faster

Downsides of dog shoes

• Some dogs refuse to walk with shoes
• Shoes that don’t fit well increase the risk of injury rather than reducing it
• It may take some time to train your dog to get used to wearing dog shoes

How much are shoes for dogs?

As with all products, the price depends on the brand you’re buying from. You can find dog shoe sets starting from around $25, and going up to over $140 for some brands.

Where can I buy shoes for dogs?

Finding the ideal pair of dog shoes online isn’t easy. To make sure they’re a good fit, it’s best to buy shoes for dogs in a specialist pet shop. 

That said, we know that unfortunately many Australian retail pet shops don’t stock a big variety of dog shoes, if any at all. 

So, in this article, we’ll show you how to measure the paws of your dog for shoes correctly, so that you can also conveniently buy dog shoes online. 

How to measure your dog’s paws

It’s actually quite easy to measure your dog’s paws for shoes. But it’s important to follow the sizing instructions from the brand you’re buying from. We recommend dog shoes from Ruffwear, so will use their sizing instructions to give you an example.

Ruffwear also provides a handy paw measurement chart that you can print to use for your dog.

By the way, if your dog is in between two sizes, they recommend going with the smaller size. I made the mistake of going with the bigger size once and they definitely turned out to be too big for my dog!

What are the best dog boots in Australia?

We’re not currently aware of an Australian brand that sells high-quality dog boots.

Ruffwear Dog Boots

At this time, we recommend the American brand Ruffwear. Their dog boots are known for their great fit and durability. You can buy them online via Australian retailers or Amazon, but we noticed that due to their popularity they’re out of stock often. Also, make sure you buy a total of 4 shoes for your dog. Dog shoes, including the ones from Ruffwear, are often sold in a set of two. So make sure you don’t end up ordering just two shoes for your dog (I did that once, and it’s annoying).

Dog Socks

Dog socks can help to improve the fit of dog shoes. It’s the same principle to human socks really. If you’ve ever gone on a walk, hike, or run with socks that didn’t fit well, you know what we mean. In other words, spend less time adjusting boots and more time exploring.

Love going for hikes with your pup?

You might enjoy our articles on dog backpacks and dog camping beds.