# Booties for SAR dogs



## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Long story short.. a friend of mine is from Ecuador and the earthquake just hit there. Their search dogs are getting their feet all cut up and she would like to buy some booties of sorts for them to help.. do you have any suggestions on kinds to buy?


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

:help:


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Nope. Maybe someone who has done disaster.


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## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

I think if you google "Kevlar dog booties" you may find something suitable. Kevlar is pretty tough stuff!


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

We have booties in our cache, but rarely use them. Our USAR dogs splay their feet and need to be able to feel what's under them, so the booties are not used. I need my dog to be able to use her feet to get over obstacles.


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

Whitney I think remember that during 9/11 many people donated booties to the dogs working the site. I will check out some SAR sites and see. I agree Kevlar would probably work. I also remember another disaster where folks were donating to the SAR and detection dogs.I just saw this post two minutes ago. Ill check around.


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## DutchKarin (Nov 23, 2013)

I would think it is pretty risky to run a disaster search dog in 4 booties, if they can't grip they are at risk. I just carry booties (Ruff wear) for injury. You could just get regular sled dog booties. They are just the fabric but will serve as some protection. Mind have a bit of rubber plastic on the bottoms. Kevlar might cost a bit.

Let us know what you find out.


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## DutchKarin (Nov 23, 2013)

Kevlar is about $60-$90 dollars. I'm thinking something like this to have on hand but again, there are risks to using these.Amazon.com : Lonsuneer Protective Dog Boots Nonslip Breathable and Flexible for Dog Daily Walks, Size M, L, Xl, Red Color (Large - Inner Sole Width 2.83 Inch) : Pet Supplies


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## Mister C (Jan 14, 2014)

I don't know much about SAR but I have some experience with dog booties. Check my post here.

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/senior-dog/619330-dog-shoes-seniors.html#post7660233

I would also suggest having your dog wear them a while before you deploy for actual SAR. Many dogs find booties awkward and it will take a little time and patience to get them used to wearing them.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I did the sock thing for Grim when he got a staph infection on his foot and it was healing. He even passed his NAPWDA test while we were dealing with it but I pulled off the sock during the rubble test and then washed his feet off with betadine rinse when he was done. That picture is exactly how I did the sock.


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## jaudlee (Mar 28, 2013)

I have previously used the Ruffwear GripTrex (I think) boots for my dog and broken glass/debris had no effect on his feet thanks to them. Mind you my boy is not a SAR dog though. Just a suggestion! goodluck


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## GSD2 (Jan 27, 2012)

I got mine at ruff wear as well. The dogs do need to get used to them. I did get a discount for being a SAR member. I didn't like the ones I got tho, I think they were the grip trex, the ones I got were sturdy but that meant the rubber sole of the bootie was bulky and very clumsy for walking. I did not get my dog used to wearing these as they were just to bulky in the sole, I thought the smaller bootie would probably work. Only bought them to keep in my pack in case of need, never did need to use them.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Thank you so much guys. The problem is that the dogs are cutting up their pads and feet and I think they are having to take their dogs out of searches because of it.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Yeah. My guess is the dogs weren't conditioned properly to the conditions they are searching on. So not sure if these are trained USAR dogs, or just local search dogs. But in circumstances like they are faced with, I guess you go with what you have. 

I would not put booties on a dog on the rubble. It's something to get caught, which can injure the dog more. USAR dogs work "naked". If a bootie gets hung up on a nail or something as the dog takes a jump, you now have a seriously injured canine. It's just not safe. 

Please wish your friend a good and fruitful search. God Bless


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

gsdsar said:


> Yeah. My guess is the dogs weren't conditioned properly to the conditions they are searching on. So not sure if these are trained USAR dogs, or just local search dogs. But in circumstances like they are faced with, I guess you go with what you have.
> 
> I would not put booties on a dog on the rubble. It's something to get caught, which can injure the dog more. USAR dogs work "naked". If a bootie gets hung up on a nail or something as the dog takes a jump, you now have a seriously injured canine. It's just not safe.
> 
> Please wish your friend a good and fruitful search. God Bless


Definitely will. Thank you for the insight!


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## cgripp256 (Feb 7, 2016)

I was just having a discussion at work with a handler of a scent dog used for detecting fire accelerants (think arson) and asked if they wore booties into the scene and the answer was no. 

His explanation was that the dog needs to be able to feel the debris to actually navigate around and know when not to proceed. If for instance she got too deep into some hot debris things could get a lot worse than if she began to feel the slight discomfort early on. I was surprised but the explanation made sense too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

One thing i learned. Naked and offlead the dog is far less likely to shred paws than if they have to navigate with a lead. Some dogs are more kamikaze than others on rubble.


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