How-to Make Dog or Cat Booties at Home From Recycled Items for cold weather protection

How to Make Dog or Cat Booties at Home

For cold or wet weather and dog training on rough or contaminated surfaces.

I thought with the climate crisis ramping up to bring everyone winter weather and the past summer  extreme heat waves and wildfires this would be a good time to tell you a quick easy way to make some booties for your pets with recycled items at home. If you need to train your dog to wear the booties, here's a free online workshop where you can learn how. 

Recycle old socks and gloves for pet booties

Save these item to recycle into booties for your pets

Large Paws

Save old human socks when you buy new ones, cotton is best but any socks will work

Small Paws  

Save old used cotton gloves when you replace garden gloves or leather work gloves. Medium to Large size give the pets more room.

Waterproofing Material 

Recycle and save plastic grocery sacks, zip lock baggies and other lightweight flexible material that will be comfortable for your pet to walk on. Like old rain coats you would throw away or tents.

Lacing

String, shoelaces, ribbon, waterproof tape can be used to tie the Bootie on your pet's paws. 

To Make a Dog or Cat Bootie at home from recycled material

First Measure the paws .for a good fit

Measure a standing or sitting down pet's paw from the bottom of the paw at the floor to a height you may need in snow or water. 

Front Feet Measurements for Booties: 

Make sure to measure so the top of the Bootie is an inch or so above the unused Toe (Carpal pad) high on the back of front feet above the "pastern" area of the leg  (see pics below). This will help hold the Bootie up and prevent slipping off the foot. If the Bootie only goes over the dew claw (see pic below) the Bootie may slip off.

Image source and more paw care

 Back Paw Measurements for Booties


Measure the back feet the same way but to a height above the Hock on the back leg. See pic below.

Image source 

After you have the height of the Bootie determined follow these steps to make one Bootie for each paw.

Booties for small paws and pets 

1. Cut the fingers off of large sized cotton gloves, gardening or flexible soft leather gloves. Baby socks and other small bag like object that will easily slide over the pet's paw.

2. Punch small holes in the top edge of the cut off finger part of the glove or the baby sock.

3. Lace a shoestring, string or ribbon through the punched holes to tie Bootie on the paw.

4. Trim a square or round piece of the recycled waterproof material to cover the Bootie from the bottom to top by placing the Bootie in the middle of the square waterproofing and fold then trim to cover.

5. Punch holes in the plastic waterproofing cover and lace a tie string through the holes loose enough to slip this over the Bootie once the Bootie is on your pet.

 Putting the Boots on your dog or cat, rabbits and birds can wear these too.

Some pets will have to get use to the booties on their feet.

It's best to do the front feet first then the back feet.

Do one foot at a time to help your pet grow accustom to the feel and weight of the Booties.

Be prepared for your pet to shake its foot, walk funny at first or try to remove the booties. Some pets may chew the boot off and never get use to wearing one but most pets will learn the boot feels alright and its okay with a little patience on your part.

Allow the pet time to get use to it, let them dance around a bit getting the feel for the new thing on the foot, keep them out of harm's way, laugh a bit, and in a few minutes they will understand the Bootie is not going to hurt them and all is fine.

Put the soft sock or glove on first then the outer waterproofing cover. Tir the bootie in place using a bow like your own shoes or a quick release knot below.

Then put another Bootie on the next foot. Remember, it's best to do the front feet first then the back feet.

Tie the booties tight enough to not slip off but not to tight to block blood flow. You should be able to slip a finger in between the leg and bootie for easy movement.

Do Not use a knot or bow that will tighten and not release instantly

Never use a knot to tie on any animal that cannot be released quickly with one pull. 

See below








Below is a good graphic about animal knots and the linked article on basic horsemanship hold true for restraining or using ropes or strings on dogs too

From Think Like a Horse site 




Stay safe and warm!

Here's an awesome Free workshop for you ! 

Is It To Cold Outside for Dogs and Cats?

About Your Dog or Cat in Freezing Weather

Is it to cold outside for furry friends? 

While it is true that dogs and cats have fur coats that insulate them from extreme weather they can become stressed by the weather just like we do. Older, younger pets and animals that are kept in a heated or air conditioned home are especially prone to stress during extreme weather.

The amount of cold or heat an animal can take depends on the animal's internal comfort zone due to the environment they live in and not the breed of the animal.

My dogs outdoors  in play yard, Arkansas winter 2001

Animals have to acclimate to new climate changes and this means their body has to make internal adjustments and the body has to have time to get use to making this adjustment in order to stay comfortable.

If the body is not given the time to adjust to the climate changes then the body goes into shock like leading to hypothermia, this can happen quickly when the animal is working or slowly if the animal is resting.

All of a sudden you might find your dog or cat panting and unable to stand, they will get worst and can die if the temperature of the body is not brought back a comfortable level fast.

Either extreme reaction to the climate is treated the same. You have to reverse or bring the animal back from the extreme.

My Incredible Sue staying warm 2000

If pets are to hot, then you must cool them. If they are to cold, then you must warm them.

From PetMD.com  

Primary Cause

Hypothermia can occur in any of the following situations:

1     Exposure to cold for a long time

2     Wet fur and skin

3     Submersion in cold water for long time

      Shock

5      Anesthesia given for a long duration

Immediate Care

1     Warm some blankets on a radiator or in the clothes dryer with haste.

2    Wrap the dog in the blankets.

3    Wrap a hot water bottle in a towel and place it against the dog’s abdomen. Do not use it unwrapped, as this will burn the skin.

4     If the dog is conscious, give him warmed fluids to drink.

5     Check the dog’s temperature every 10 minutes: if it is below 98°F (36.7°C), get immediate veterinary attention.

6     Once the temperature is above 100°F ( 37.8°C), you can remove the hot water bottle to avoid overheating. Keep the dog in a warm room.

Wear a hat in cold weather so body heat does not escape!

Read about summer heat and overheating pets in my other article

Leaving a dog or any animal exposed to harm is against the law!

Detroit Dog Rescue said a man abandoned a Pomeranian mix in a cage outside their facility during the night. It was so cold outside fleas stuck to the poor little dog that froze before being found.

A dog named Nanas found dead in Toledo, Ohio, curled up on the porch of a home after getting out of the house. “She was frozen solid,” Megan Brown, cruelty investigator with the Toledo Area Humane Society, told The Toledo Blade.

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Infographic Source

 

Happy New Year 2018 is Here !

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The 5 Cutest Dog Breeds Around Right Now

I’ve heard some people say that dogs aren’t cute. Well, that’s just a load of rubbish, isn’t it? To prove how rubbish that statement is, here are five of the cutest dog breeds you’re likely to see right now.

 

Link

Yorkshire Terrier

Yorkshire is known for a lot of things; great cricket players, exceptional tea, and one of the cutest terriers around. The Yorkshire terrier is an iconic small dog that’s almost too cute to handle. Small enough to pick up and cuddle, with one of the cutest coats you’ll ever see. Their fur is just kind of scraggly and soft - it’s hard to describe! Factor in their pointy ears and little eyes, and you have an adorable pet. Plus, they all look like they’ve got long moustaches, which is quite frankly hilarious.

 

Source

Labrador Retriever

Fans of the old Andrex adverts will immediately know this dog breed. The legendary figurehead for the toilet paper brand has adorned our screens for many years and looked adorable while doing so. Labrador retrievers are so beautiful. Their coats are soft, and their ears flop down to make their heads look small and cute. There’s something about their default facial expression that makes them always look really upset too. This just makes us go ‘awww’ whenever we see one; such a cute dog like Follies Labrador.

Image

Pomsky

Pomskies are one of the more recent breeds of dog that you’ll find these days. As it says over on the Pomsky Dog website, it’s a cross between a Pomeranian and husky. When these two breeds are merged together, you get a super cute puppy. It has the small fluffiness of a Pomeranian, with the iconic silver and white coat of a husky. They’re very affectionate and don’t grow to be too big, making them ideal if you want a cute little pet.

pixabay

Pomeranian

It would be criminal of me to write a list of the cutest dog breeds and not talk about Pomeranians on their own. While this dog is used to breed with other dogs to create new breeds like pomskies, it’s still one of the cutest dogs around. They’re small little fluff balls that seem to constantly have their tongues hanging out. They’re so friendly and full of energy. Watching a pommie run around your house is one of the cutest things ever. Their legs almost move faster than their body, it’s adorable.

 

Pexels

Miniature Dachshund

Immediately, any dog breed with the word miniature in its name gets our attention. Normally, the smaller something is, the cuter it will be. The regular dachshund is still a very adorable puppy, with its sleek coat and sausage-like body, it looks so cute when it walks around. But, the smaller version is a whole new level of adorable. The stumpy legs are so funny but in a nice way. You can’t stop watching them move, and the long floppy ears just add to the cuteness. They’re very playful too, and always keen to have a cuddle.

If you’re having a bad day then maybe this article is just what you needed to cheer yourself up! Or, if you’re thinking about buying a dog for Christmas, these are some great options. I hope you enjoyed this piece, and check back for more doggy goodness in the future.