Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Snowballs Between The Toes

I got a call from Justin  a few nights ago. Justin lives in  Colorado with his 9 mo. old Gordon,  Benelli. They hunt Blue Grouse on some of the highest ridges in the Rockie Mts. Up in the Stratosphere. Oxygen required. Benelli has a problem with ice and snow build up on his paws. It interferes with  hunting and can cause raw spots between the toes.

Booties are the obvious solution, but in snow the dog often leaves with 4 boots and returns with a lesser  number. My nylon dog boots have a slick bottom and would not do well on ice. I have heard of people using Vaseline or Pam non stick spray on the dogs feet [ especially between the toes] to prevent ice sticking, but have never tried it.  I always carry three dogs and rotate them. When dog #1 gets all balled up with snow, it goes into a crate to thaw out and #2 dog hits the ground. By the time dog #3 has hunted , dog #1 is ready to roll again.

Does anyone have a trick or advice for Justin to that would solve this problem?

Posted By: DWT

2 comments:

  1. Can't help on this one. I have the same problem when it snows and the dogs come in with lumps of snow stuck to their feet. Rotating the dogs sounds like a good solution.

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