Change in Recommendation!

On the left side of this blog site, I have recommendations for resources I have used successfully for years. I am changing the resource for "dog boots" as of this posting.

In South Texas and many areas of the country, grass burrs (commonly known as 'stickers'), are a major problem for hunting dogs. A multitude of solutions have been used, from "duct tape" to "bicycle inner-tubes". Setter legend Joe Coleman was the first to introduce me to Cordura, an awning material that he used to design boots for his winning dogs. Dale Bush from College Station, a friend of Joe's, actually marketed the boots for awhile as the Coleman Dog Boot .

When Dick Nelson and I purchased Dos Jefes Ranch, south of Falfurias, we encountered major sticker problems. Early on, we purchased a Cordura awning material and had a professional seamstress custom make our own using velcro as the way to keep them on the dog's foot. They worked, to a point. The downside was that we frequently lost a few each hunt, leaving the dog unprotected on the exposed foot. We also had issuses with various types of 'threads' that eventually cut through the material, leaving the boots to 'flop' around freely.


NOT ANYMORE! Gareth Cook discovered www.dogbooties.com and all is well! The company is located in Duluth, MN--a long way from South Texas quail country -- but their boots, developed for large and competition dogs in the north country, have found a new life among an increasing number of Quail hunters!

The material is still Cordura, but it comes in a variety of strengths, and the sizes run from XXXS to XL. It's just that in Montana, a 'small' dog is not the same as 'our' small dogs!

The trick is ordering correctly. For my Brittanys, the 'extra small' size is perfect. Large Pointers might need a 'small". I advise ordering a couple of options and size them before placing a large order.

They also come with three 'closure wrap' options. I like the Velstrech Brand Fastener (these actually have a degree of stretch that I suspect is kinder to the dog's feet.) They also sell 'repair tape' and materials to make your own boots if you so desire.

The lightest material is the 330 Denier Cordura Booties and they come in many different colors, even pink (I still prefer the bright orange, easier to see if lost). The South Texas grass stickers did slightly penetrate this material, however they did not become lodged in the material. The 500 Denier boot, which comes in black only, is probably the better choice if you plan on more than one or two hunts a year! To the touch, the 330 and 500 feel the same, but our trip south two weeks ago sold me on the product so I'm ordering the 500, even though it makes less of a fashion statement!!!

Incidentally, this is not a paid endorsement....I just love this product!

Have fun!