Protex Pawz Protective Dog Boots Black Edition, Medium

Med was a perfect fit for our 14 year old 60lb black lab. They are almost invisible on a black lab. We only needed them on the hind legs for traction on the hardwood floors --WORKS GREAT! Our old dog is pretty numb in the hind quarters and it was fairly easy to get them on. She seems to really like the added traction and doesn't try to remove them. Take them off at night to let her paws breath and the pads were soft and moist (added bonus). Im interested to see how long they last....(4 months later) each pair lasted just over 2 months. She could have kept wearing them, but they would fall off once or twice daily. It was the elasticity that gave out before they wore out. Still highly recommend.

First of all, yes. These are basically super-thick balloons for your dog's feet. They look a little bit silly, but they work great. The hardest part was convincing my dog to let me put them on him. Once we got the first one on, with lots and lots of praise and soothing, he did great. He let me put the others on and he hopped around a little bit. I let him outside into our muddy yard where he was instantly distracted by something and totally forgot about them. He was running full speed and had no problem with them. When he came in, I pulled them off and inspected. A quick rinse and they were good as new. No holes even though he was running around sticks and pine-needles. The mediums work well on my miniature Aussie who is kind of big for his breed (36 pounds). They also seem like they will fit my other dog who is a shar-pei mix (55 pounds) but he is taking a lot more convincing to put them on.

My fifteen year-old Golden was born in my bedroom and is the last of a bunch that for a time was a family of five. Living in rural northern Wisconsin where daytime temps can go colder than 30 below and winters can last 5-6 months (only 4 snow-free months in 2013), my dogs have tried all kinds of booties over the years. Pawz are unlike other booties in many respects and have some unique advantages as well as drawbacks or weaknesses.

Pros:
1.Increased traction on hard floors for older dogs. In the case of my well-behaved old golden the difference has been dramatic and allowed her to maintain a decent quality of life - even the joy of visits to the homes of dog friendly friends and neighbors, whose hard floors would otherwise make this impossible.
2.Soft flexible latex Pawz are well tolerated. I suspect that this is in part because the material allows dogs to feel what they are walking on better than stiffer materials in other booties.
3.Offer some insulation against the cold in marginal conditions. By this I mean marginal for the dog: If a dog's paws get cold at 10 below (indicated by alternate lifting of paws and/or walking on 3 legs), these will extend comfort for another 5 or 10 degrees.
4.Good protection against slush, salt and road grime
5.Inexpensive compared to other booties. The many reviews complaining about the price are comparing them to party balloons which is unfair in my opinion. The thickness far exceeds that of party balloons and the shape is tailored for a dog's foot. I find Pawz both economical and effective - definitely worth the money!

Cons:
1.Not breathable so should be removed when not in use.
2.Less durable than other booties on concrete sidewalks, frozen ground and other abrasive surfaces. That said, they are reasonably resistant to wear on snow and indoor floors (in the case of an older dog). The material is thick enough but will break if a dog tries to remove them with his teeth.

Potential con:
Made of natural latex (rubber) and may provoke allergies in the rare sensitive dog.

Product flaw and custom solution:
Like other balloons, these are made by dipping a paddle-shaped mold into a vat of colored latex. The thin free edge of soft rubber at the neck of the paddle is rolled into a lip before curing the rubber and removing from the mold. The resulting opening is a bit too narrow and capable of exerting significant pressure on sensitive structures including the veins in front of and the tendon behind the leg bone. Ive found that carefully cutting off the the lip (avoiding nicks or other irregularities in the resulting edge) will make the bootie easier to put on and better tolerated. Make sure that the edge does not roll up on itself when applying the bootie as this too will cause increased pressure.

Large balloons with a small neck witch my dog wouldnt let me put on her. Way too tight to not have to struggle with.

product looked promising but the sizing is very variable. slipping it on and off is not as easy. if you have a so-called medium sized dog medium is not considered an appropriate size nor will it be easy to put the boot on, it takes two people to do it. my dog is a hyperactive little puppy but when it comes to the boots, he runs and hide. after a few times using the product, he views it as a form of punishment, he cries and becomes submissive whenever i try putting the boot on. also, although it works for protecting my dog's paws for hot weather, they are not meant for 2 mile jogs, hence they do not last long. lastly, although it was meant to keep my dog's paws mud free, it causes him to slip in the mud more often, making the rest of his body muddy. its something i would buy for temp use (small trips to the pet store or while waiting for a shipment of dog boots to come in) but not for jogging.