DIY Cold Weather Dog Booties
It was cold -- really cold before Christmas this year. -11F with -35F wind chills where I live in WI. Even my well-endowed, snow-loving Newfie did not want to go outside for long in those conditions. We take a much abbreviated walking route in inclement weather like that, but she still needs to go out ... Even at 6F, she lifts her feet.
A few weeks before, she found a lost dog bootie in the park and brought it home, as if to say, "Why can't I have these, too?" So I embarked on the research to make her a set for Christmas.
Here is the video that seemed the most helpful--esp. since she claimed that her version stays on dog's feet:
How to Make the Best Dog Boots Ever by PetPrepper.
She shows how to add the reinforcement fabric (Toughtec or ultrasuede) to the top and bottom. It's good to have that on the top, too so the claws don't poke through.
She uses simple square / rectangle shapes for the patterns. And she offers different cut sizes which is helpful when your dog is of unusual size.
Sher also offers help in fitting them to your dog, and advice on not making them too tall.
Making Dog Booties, a Sewing Tutorial - Stitches by Julia
I thought Julia had a nicely-shaped pattern, which I enlarged by 150% to make it work for a 120-pound Newfie. I wanted a bigger target than the reinforced circle her pattern offered, which is where the PetPrepper pattern worked a little better for me and my very large dog. Julia also offers some advice for getting your dog to wear them.
After doing the research (including taking some measurements from the Newfie herself that involved tracing her foot at rest, and in the splayed out sitting position), I gathered my supplies: I went to St Vinnies, and got some affordable fleece, some ultra-suede from my mom's stash, and asked my husband for the velcro ties to tame computer cords -- which he had in abundance. And then I retreated to my sewing room to put it all together.
2 Dog Booties: The one on the left side shows the bottom view -- That would be the part in contact with the ground. It has a bigger patch of ultrasuede for gription and reinforcement.
The one on the right shows the top view with the smaller reinforced patch on the top side, along with the velcro attachment point.
You can also see the tapered shape in this pattern. The fleece stretches in the width direction with makes it a little easier to get them over a big foot.
We still need to try them out, but so far so good. They fit! Of course, now it's quite a bit warmer, and she doesn't need them, but they are here and ready for when it gets cold again--and it will!
Update on January 31:
It's been frigidly cold again, and we had the chance to test Sophie's new booties. The temp was about 4F. We did our usual evening walk about 1 mile through the neighborhood. I was amazed that
1) She let us put them on her feet, and
2) that they stayed on her feet for the duration of the walk. She had a spring in her step and wasn't bothered by salty sidewalks or the cold. At one point in the walk, we have a choice to take a shorter walk and go home or take the longer route, and Sophie chose the longer route through the park and snow.
Bottom Line: They worked marvelously, and they stayed on her feet!
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