Hello all. With winter coming and already even underway, what do you all advise re protecting paws when outside in the cold or snow? Merry likes to play in the snow and to go for walks. I know there are booties out there, but do they work? Wax? Nothing? We have a little coat she wears when it’s below freezing. Thanks!

I rub a paw balm (Espree at the moment) on their paws daily, mainly as a protection against the salt and other chemicals they use on the roads and sidewalks. I’ve tried boots on my MinPin, but a) they fall off easliy and b) they make her walk funny. She would not get used to them! Perhaps I will test them on Bingo this winter if and when it snows : )

I honestly have given up on the streets in the winter with my guys. I worry too much about salt and chemicals, AND with long white belly hair on two of them, they come home looking like creatures from the black lagoon. So I end up having to at LEAST do "undercarriage washes" on them all. It' just too much work.

We walk in the winter, but only off streets, on frozen ground with snow that isn't too deep for them. ...Or Kodi likes to go with us if we sno shoe. He has enough sense to just walk in our tracks! LOL! When it's just snow, I just let them get wet. They wear coats, but no boots.

So if there is no snow and it’s just cold outside, do you think her paws will be ok? We’ve been having temps in the 20s, but earlier snow is gone. If it’s very messy out, we probably would wait to go out on the roads. We did have her out a few weeks ago when we got a lot of snow. She loved hopping around in it, but came back with quite a few snow balls attached despite her coat.

Around here they salt during heavy frosts and when roads are wet with rain and the temps drop below freezing. We don’t get snow too often, but as I mentioned, I like to protect paws from the chemical soup. Salt can irritate and sodium chloride can actually cause burns, not to mention other possible toxins they can absorb through their skin. The balm products contain beeswax amongst other things which creates a protective barrier.

You could also just rinse the feet with clean water after walks, but it’s not that hard to rub a little balm on their pads each morning (during the daily comb out, in Bingo’s case).

Ok! Thanks for the advice! I appreciate it.

I will take them out on dry pavement, but I do rinse and dry their feet if there has been previous salt on the roads. They do fine if it's not TOO cold. Just keep their core body warm. Mine have puffy coats for temps in the 20's. Below that, they only go out to potty (and then NOT wearing a coat makes them HURRY! ) You do have to remember how little body mass they have, and no matter how much clothing they have on, they cool down pretty fast at those temps. Likewise, if it's below freezing and very windy, we limit outdoor time.

Espree paw balm is my go to.
I have socks and all sorts of boots but my girls only go out to potty and it’s a pain to put on 8 boots just to potty. (And now I’ve discovered that Lollipop’s toenails are painfully sensitive and that’s why she hides... dumb mom)
The paw balm protects the pads. I would still wash them after if you are concerned about chemicals. It works like chapstick. It’s good in other seasons too to keep pads supple.

Merry loves her walks and so we have been trying to get her out when possible and she seems to do Ok when its in the 20s. We haven't ventured out when it's been any colder than that. Even in the 20s we keep it to a fairly short walk. We have this little fleece "coat" that we put on her that she seems to like. And I think I will get that paw balm for her paws.

Karen, what kind of coat do you use? This is the one we have for Merry. We do wonder if she's warm enough, but she seems to be happy to be out and about.

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Mine all have a "selection" of coats. LOL! Kodi and Panda each have a thin raincoat, a heavier raincoat, a lighter weight cordura with fiberfill and a really heavy "puffy" (like a ski jacket). Pixel inherited a HUGE wardrobe of "fashion coats" from a friend whose Papillion was killed in an accident. So she has the nicest selection of coats of any of them!

I would not use a coat like Merry's on either Kodi or Panda, because, with their long coats, that type of coat would mat them. Pixel (who is in a puppy cut) does have some cloth coats and if it isn't TOO cold, those work well on her. But if there is much wind, or the temperature is really low, I put a fiber filled coat on her too. Hers is like a little horse blanket, made by Weatherbeeta, a company that actually MAKES horse blankets. But they are pretty expensive. The only more expensive ones I know of (but also get top reviews are made by Hurta.

Unfortuantely, the jackets I like BEST on my long haired dogs are no longer available. Neither are my SECOND favorites. (both were reasonably priced, well made and THICK) When I looked on Amazon, these look closest to my second favorites. This is probably what I'd try if I were ordering on-line right now:
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0775CXT...f-81e1611457d6

There are two problems to keep in mind buying coats for Havanese. Coats, even the small dog ones, are sized in 2" increments. 14" is a bit too long for Panda, but 12" is WAY too short. 14" is a bit short for Kodi but 16" SWIMS on him. Length matters more in a Havanese than many breeds because of that high, curled tail. If the coat is a little long on many breeds it doesn't matter. It interferes with the tail on a Havanese. The other thing is that because their bodies are kind of "tubular", coats tend to shift to the side. The coats I like best have a piece that goes between the front legs. This stabilizes the coat and keeps it from slipping sideways. This section between the front legs serves another purpose too. It keeps their belly warm and protects belly hair from wet. The other option is hind leg straps, but my dogs don't like the feel of those, and they cause massive mats on the longhaired ones.

I've really had the best luck going to an independent "boutique" type dog "stuff" store, and just trying coats on until I find ones that fit.

Here are a few photos of my dogs in various coats. The first one is the one I like best for Kodi. I love this style because it is SO easy to get on and off. It goes over the head, between the front legs, then a "T" strap velcros over the back. This coat is very stable and warm. It was made by Petrageous, and I have one for Panda too. But I couldn't find them on Amazon when I looked just now.

The second is one of Pixel's coats. I like this one a lot too, but it is one of the ones we inherited, and it has no markings on it.

Next is a fleece coat that fits Panda HORRIBLY, but she was only 12 or 13 weeks old, and I wasn't going to buy coats for a fast-growing puppy when I had so many of Pixel's already. So she "made do" with some of Pixel's smaller ones that winter.

Next is Pixel in a similar fleece, but this one has leg straps so stays in place better. (Pixel was 11 months in these photos, but in full coat) This shows another reason fleece coats don't work in all situations... Besides not breaking the wind (there was none that day... although we had fresh snow, it was quite warm) They REALLY attract the snow!!! I do use this still for Pixel when she is riding in the cold car or cool but not windy days.

Last, I know you can't even see the coat, but it was SUCH an adorable "butt photo"! LOL!

While I was looking for these, I also found this video I took on the same walk around our farm. They were so cute together, I had to share. We had only had Panda for a few days at this point: https://youtu.be/2X8eZx_aPFE

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