Thursday, January 14, 2010

The agony of 'de feet - Solved!!!



I think by now you all know what a cold, snowy January we've had here in the midwest. Between the arctic temperatures, snow, ice, and road salt/chemicals to melt it all, Brutus and I haven't had a good walk since early December. Ugh.

Well, thankfully that has changed! Yesterday I discovered something great, thanks to an online friend who also has a Frenchie. She used this product with her dog, Carmella, and posted a video to show how well they worked.


I'd seen these things in the store, but thought they were just another ploy to get me to spend money on the dogs (it's not that difficult, after all). They are called "Pawz", and look like little balloons.


They promise to be the best thing you have ever put on your dogs' feet, being economical (it was only $12 for a pack of 12, not bad) disposable, reusable, biodegradable, comfortable, easy to put on, fuss-free, water-proof..... Sounds like the best thing since sliced bread, right?? Turns out that Pawz live up to the hype - these things are the bomb!!


Brutus has never had anything on his feet before, so I didn't know how this was going to turn out. But what's $12 to find out, right?? Turns out that getting the boots on while working solo is a bit of a feat (or perhaps should I say feet??), but other than that it was pretty smooth. With two people - one to hold the dog, and one to stretch the bootie over their paws - it would have been a piece of cake. That being said, I had all four of Brutus' feet done on within less than 5 minutes.


Of COURSE there were some hilarious moments, which I had prepared for by having the video camera right there on standby!! (In case for whatever reason you cant watch the videos, not to worry... I'm including enough still photos to show you on how things went) .




And, as promised, still photos too!!

Hey mom - I got something stuck on my feet!! A little help here??


Oh. You're saying they are SUPPOSED to stay on? Fantastic....


We're doing WHAT? Going out in public with me wearing these?? Seriously????


I don't know. Just don't think they do much for my image...

Initially Brutus wasn't sure what to make of the booties. Unlike most dog boots, there is no padding or thick sole, so the dog can still feel the ground normally - that's why Pawz promises successful wear. There must be something to this, I can't believe how well Brutus took to them. A little awkward at first, but within a few minutes, he was zooming around (as the video shows) like they were some kind of athletic footwear. Listen close in the video, the Pawz make a funny little fwap-fwap-fwap-fwap sound as Brutus bounds around in them!

So after I was convinced that Brutus was pretty comfortable in his shiny red Pawz, we headed out for our first walk of 2010 (if you watched the video above, you'll see he was all about the idea). Brute was understandably a bit high-strung for the first few minutes, then settled in to the walk like it was nothing unusual. I forgot he was even wearing the Pawz (as did Brutus, I think), other than the looks we got from passersby!! Bright red boots on a black dog are bound to be noticed (oh, and the sizes are color coded, so I didn't have a choice!!)


In the house is one thing. Did you really have to buy red??


Oh, if you insist. I am finally getting a to go on a walk. Maybe this isn't so bad after all...


OK! Gettin' in the groove now! Step aside, folks - one hot Frenchie comin' though!!


Gotta keep up my buff physique, right?
Eat your heart out, ladies - this package is off the market!!
(wink, wink, Stella!!)


See how he makes almost normal footprints while wearing the booties? That's why they are so comfortable, the dogs can feel the ground!

Hey, these Pawz ARE really great - no foot freeze!! Glad I thought of using them, right mom?? (BOL)


Oh look....


.... A snow family!!
(Frankie, we thought of you!!)

And for all you out there in blog-land with high-speed connections, here is the walk in a condensed video version for your enjoyment. If I must say so myself, there are many nice moments of heeling here!!


In case you aren't able to see the film, the paws stayed in place perfectly, even in deep snow. Never bothered Brutus once, nor did I need to mess with them during the walk. Better yet, after a little over a mile on salty asphalt, snow and ice, Brutus feet were perfectly clean and dry (although he did need an undercarriage wash for his belly!).


The only visible sign of wear was a little dirt on the Pawz, which easily washed off - gotta think this set is good for a couple more miles at least! Not to mention we have 3 more sets (there were 12 pawz in the pack) for when these do wear out. Think we'll be puttin' lots of miles on the ol' pedometer again!!


If you live in snowy areas and/or are worried about the effect of chemicals on your dogs feet (or whole body, once they lick their paws), then Pawz are a must-have. I can also see how they might come in handy for a dog that has paw injuries that need to be kept clean/dry. Just click on their logo below to find out more about this awesome product. And BTW - I'm only posting about them because I was so excited! I'm not getting any kickback from the company! Now why didn't we all think of this??? Could have been millionaires BOL!!


As officially endorsed by the famous Brutus the Frenchie!!



35 comments:

Kari in Alaska said...

so glad those worked for you. When living in AK a lot of friends tried different products and lots tried PAWZ. I have to say that they do work a lot better on smaller dogs because they fit tighter on the littler legs. The bigger ones tend to stretch too much for a tight seal :(

kissa-bull said...

i must say you are quite stylish brutus and still manage to look beastly too so dont worry about your image
wiggles
the houston pittie pack

The Adventures of the LLB Gang said...

Brutus...they do look pretty comfy on you. I am so glad that you and your Mama found something to keep your feeties warm!!

Smileys!
Dory

Bijou said...

Hi Brutus,

You look pawtastic in your red booties. I will have my mom go check the Pawz website out right now. Thanks for the info!

Waggles,
Bijou

Smushie Ranch said...

Michelle and Brutus,

We've seen advertisements for the Paws, how great to see them in action. Seeing Brutus' paw prints in the snow while he had the Pawz on was amazing. I'd say they are a no-brainer if you lived in the snow.

Stella watched Brutus' firm little butt in each of his videos. She thinks he's lookin' mighty fine! She got a little excited when he did his zommies through the house. She thought he might come right through the computer screen. I had to give her a cookie to make up for her disappointment.

Hugs out to you both!
Shannon

The WriggleButts said...

What a GREAT idea! I'd love some for Bajas, but not like we get them around here... In a couple of years, though, if I'm lucky and they sell well. LOL.. I've given up on boots, as nothing sticks to glossy pug furs, but if they stick to a frenchie they should stick to a pug.

Ane

Frankie Furter and Ernie said...

Brutus you MUST get a gray sweater to go with the scarlet boots!! I'm just sayin'.
As for the snowfamily... Now I am sure that I was correct.. Those folks don't practice "Family Planning". No wonder there were so many "snowman" eggs falling all over the area. I think they need a visit to the VET for some... tutoring!!! I'm just sayin'.

♥♥ The OP Pack ♥♥ said...

We think they look great on you, Brutus, and if they help the feeties with the walkies, then why not? Maybe you can get Mom to get you a few different colors for some variety:)

Woos, Phantom and Thunder

Lucy-Fur, as typed by Dr. Liz said...

Dude! You are totally styling! I think the red looks pretty sharp. I'm actually a little jealous, as I've got this big black booties that I'm not too keen on. Luckily I don't encounter too much salt (I either just stay in the snow, or go straight from the car to the snow.)

Happy walkies!

*kissey face*
-Fiona

Asta said...

Bwutus

Amazing! and Cool!!!!!!

I was amazed how quickly you adapted to youw new booties..fwankly, I think you look totally hot in them..and evewyone knows that those wed soles belong to the coolest shoes awound(laboutin's ...the shoes mommi covets, hehehe)

If we evew get snow awound hewe, I'm getting some too
Thanks you fow the info
smoochie kisses,ASTA

Sam said...

Those are really cool and a great idea. I've looked at booties before and they're all so big and bulky.. these seem really practical, and a big plus that they're cheap! Thanks for modeling them, Brutus!

Sonic said...

I hate shoes! Godma Des bought a set of shoes for me before, and Momma made me wear them and I looked ridiculous. They were red too. I felt so funny walking around in them, and then Pops took a video and they all laughed at me. Hiew hiew hiew!

Sonic

Two French Bulldogs said...

Oh Brutus,
We feel for you. You had to go in public with the red slippers. Thank goodness the flying monkeys didn't come after you. Oh well. You do look pretty cool in them and they are actully a great idea. However, we are hoping mom never hears about them!
Nite-nite
Benny & Lily

Puglette said...

oh my goodness! those look so cute on brutus!! i love the videos, so cute. the red is great, it really stands out on him. it looks like he has four little mittens. i wonder if ollie would like them for walking on our soggy ground.
thanks for sharing!
hugs,
puglette
:o)

Lorenza said...

Hi, Brutus!
Sure is great that your mom found those booties!
I had a good laugh watching your first video but in the second one I can see you were wearing them with no problem!
Kisses and hugs
Lorenza

Unknown said...

I think the red is a nice complement to your sleek black coat!

Rugby has some boots, but they fall off pretty easy so he doesn't wear them. Maybe these are worth looking into!

Lindsay said...

That's great! I bought some for my two last year, but never got around to trying them out. I should probably get around to doing that this year. I'm just worried that they'll be too tight around the ankle.

Unknown said...

Yo, Brutus, my condolences bud. As for the Momma, I'm sure you made some doggies very happy. Regardless of my obvious joke to Brutus, I'll recommend those to a friend who has a cut on his paw. This way we can go on a hike real soon. Thanks.
Twink!

Scooter said...

OH Brutus, I feel for ya there Bud!! I mean it is bad enough to wear clothing but boots?????
I thought maybe your were taking up boxing or something lol
Glad that they work and that you can adjust to them~~Me, dont think so~~So for my Mom, DONT get any ideas :-)

wags
Jazzi

Dexter said...

What is up with blogger??? Sometimes it makes movies play and sometimes not. Sob. But the photos tell all for sure. Those look pretty awesome. Although I think perhaps orange is not your color.

Slobbers,
Mango

Rocky Creek Scotties and Rocky Creek Ramblings said...

You look like you are ready for the ring!! And the red is a great compliment to your beautiful black self. We're glad they are working out for you - we hear that ice chemicals can really make one's feet sore.

XOXO
Lilly, Piper, Carrleigh and Java

Cheryl, Indiana, Shingo and Molly said...

Thos look almost.....enjoyable???? We just might consider it, if it means we get to leave the house!! Your zoomies sure looked fun!

Woofs and Kisses!

Golden Woofs! SUGAR said...

Woof! Woof! YES indeed ... I know PAWZ. I tried and did not work for me. Glad you are having a great time wearing them. You get to go out for a walk n I have a great excuse to stay indoors. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar

The Oceanside Animals said...

Huh, interesting! If we were still in a cold area we would try them with Tucker -- he hated regular booties.

Moose said...

Impressive! I know so many doggies hate the regular boots so Brutus' endorsement means a lot! I looked them up online and they are lovely colors IMO howver it would be nice if they made black or brown or grey or something neutral! Still it is a great idea and cheap too! Thanks for sharing

Molly the Airedale said...

You look very comfy in your Pawz, Brutus! We are so happy to hear that you won't be missing any more walkies! BTW, red looks great on you!

Love ya lots,
Maggie and Mitch

JD and Max said...

Hi Brutus - we think you look very snazzy indeed! We suffered terribly with ice balls forming on our paws during the very cold weather but normal dog shoes just looked - well, so 'affected'! Our human says she's will certainly give these a go. If we look half as snazzy as you we can't go far wrong! Glad you finally got to have a good walk. Schnauzer snuggles - JD and Max.

Daisy Dog said...

Cool. When I lived in Lake Tahoe I had problems with snow balls building up on my Lab Bears paws. I would have to pull them off. These would have been great.

Taffy said...

Brutus! Red and black are my daddy's favorite colors and he thinks you look pretty nifty. Do you feet still get cold when you wear those? I may have to check them out....thanks for the info.
Snuggles,
Twix

Amber and Nala said...

Hi Brutus, I'm Nala and was sent over by Daisy! I have been having some feet issues myslef. :( However, I did try my boots today just on a walk with the humans (no other doggies to rough house with) and they were great! Although they were not made for snow...still looking for some snow boots. Your PAWZ look interesting...were they slippery for you? I'm glad you didn't mind them. Nice to meet you!

Kisses,
Nala

Life With Dogs said...

What a brilliant invention - and you make the perfect model! :)

ScrapsofMe said...

I think you look extra sporty in yer new red boots! They look fab with your shiny black coat. I wonder if they would work on my furry feet? I'll have to look around and see if they have any locally. You dah man!
sniffies,
Bonnie

Pug(s) and Bugg said...

We use those too when we *must* go out in the snow (ICK!) They're great, glad you like them!

Joe Stains said...

Dude, they totally look like boxing gloves!! You are so cool!!

Sames Blogs said...

BARK! Hi Brutus, Moose sent us your way, when my paw nails kept bleeding. Mommy is trying the boots on me. I think I would have liked your color better. But mommy says I made a good Irish doggie. BARK! Sasha the Princess