Muttluks!
Winter presents its own seasonal dangers to dogs: In the snow, ice can form between a dog's pads, and, if surfaces have been treated, salt and chemicals can cause a dog's pads to crack and bleed. Also, salt and chemicals can be ingested when a dog licks his paws.
Some dogs seem not to be bothered by ice and salt. Some dogs seem not to be bothered by salt and chemicals: they'll trot along with you through the slush for miles, only for you to find cracked and bloody paws when you get home.
Remember the first snowfall of the season on November 13? The som|dog Conway Park Clean-up had to be postponed.
Strummer and I took the Canine Good Citizen Test that morning (see Citizen Strummer). Strummer had been out playing in the snow, and when we got to Canine University for the test, she still had little balls of ice in the fur around her ankles, and she would not sit because she was uncomfortable. Fortunately, by the time we took the test, the ice had melted and the floor had warmed up a little.
Strummer's Muttluks arrived in the mail later that week. Strummer hides in her crate when she sees me coming with her boots. Then, when I put them on, she acts like none of her paws work and tries to hold all four off the ground at the same time. As you can see from this picture, though, she's stoic. (You can also see that she needs to be brushed!) She can't use her nails for extra purchase when she's wearing the boots, but, despite the handicap, she seems to do okay playing chase and play-wrestling with other dogs.
Via Boston Pooch*. See "Dog Boot Recommendations" and "Pooch paw protection," which discusses the boot alternative, Musher's Secret.
*UPDATE 22 February 2006: The BostonPooch site is, alas, defunct.