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!!