Winter has arrived here in Maine. And it has brought along some bitterly cold temperatures! This morning it was below zero! Yikes… that sure felt cold when I went outside. My sisters and I quickly rushed right back into the house where it was cozy and warm!

Are the winters cold and snowy in the area where you live? My mom has some friends that live in parts of the country where it is much warmer and not snowy at all. The warmer part sounds very appealing, especially right now, but I sure would miss being able to play in the snow!

On the extremely cold days, my mom and I try to just stay at home. Although sometimes we still need to go out because she has an appointment or we need to do errands. Whenever possible we try not to venture out if it is stormy. But when we do have to go out on frigid days or during a storm my mom is sure to keep me safe.

My snowy pawprint!

During the winter we get many snowstorms and even some blizzards! The plows do a great job with clearing the roads so if we need to go places we can do so safely. In addition to plowing they use sand and a special type of salt on the roads that help keep them clear. Maine does a great job of clearing the roads during a storm. I think it must be because they get lots of practice! 

We seldom have to cross a street so the salt used there isn’t so much of a problem for me. But when businesses and hospitals clear their walkways they often put down rock salt. This helps with clearing any residual snow and preventing ice from forming. But can cause problems for me!

Most often the type of rock salt used has various sized pieces. Some can be as big as a large pea and they often have jagged edges. Walking on the rock salt can hurt my paws. Either from stepping on the large pieces or a burning sensation from the chemicals in the rock salt.

So how does my mom protect my paws? She has me wear boots! That is right . . . they make special boots just for dogs. Has your dog ever worn boots? Or have you seen a dog wearing them? My puppy raisers worked with me when I was young so I would get used to having boots on my paws.

Here I am wearing my favorite boots!

There are a variety of styles and colors of dog boots to choose from but most often they have to be ordered online. This can make it hard because a picture can’t show if they are soft or stiff. Or if they would be form-fitting or looser. Or even the ease of putting them on. Needless to say, my mom has ordered quite a variety of dog boots for me to try. With all the boots we have, I think we could open a shoe store just for dogs! 

Some of the boots fit better on my paws and some are more comfortable than others so I definitely have my preferences! I’m sure it doesn’t surprise you that my mom listens to what I like best and has me wearing the ones I find most comfortable!

The other important factor is my mom being able to easily get them on my paws. I hold very still and am cooperative but her hands don’t always work very well. She tells me that putting the boots on me makes her think back to when she always helped Eric put on his shoes and boots when he was a toddler! 

When the temps are bitterly cold my feet get really cold feeling and it hurts. I don’t want to move so my mom uses the boots on these cold days to make it more comfortable for me. I am not always thrilled about having to wear them but I cooperate because I know it will help my paws feel better. And my mom will be happy knowing I’m safe! Do you sometimes have to do something that you would prefer not to do but do it anyway because you know it will be for the best? 

My mom sometimes has me wear boots on other days that are not bitterly cold. But instead of the cold, they are the days when she thinks there will be extra salt on the areas we will be traveling. On these types of days, she sometimes has another way to protect my paws. It is a protective type of wax known as Musher’s Secret. My mom rubs the wax onto the pads of my paws. It kind of tickles when she is applying it. Are you ticklish? I try hard to stay still but sometimes I wiggle just a little bit!

Musher’s Secret was originally made to protect the paws of sled dogs during the winter months. Over time it has become a year-round option for protecting dog’s paws. I use it in both the summer and winter. Although for me it doesn’t help as much when the temperatures are bitterly cold so on those days I prefer the boots. My mom always has a container with her just in case I need some put on my paws while we are out. 

So as you can see my mom makes sure I’m safe and comfortable during our cold snowy Maine winters. There is the option of either wearing boots or having a protective wax put on my paws. Although I can easily say we both prefer the Musher’s Secret because it is easier to use! But sometimes I need the extra protection with the boots.