We have a standard Golden doodle and we live in the mountains with a lot of winter activities. Unfortunately, the dog's paws would collect ice during snowshoe hikes and it really slowed her down and cut some of our trips short. After looking at a number of options, and not wanting to spend too much money on rubber soled boots, I thought about dog sledders and what they use. After some research and reading that this type of boot works best because the dog can run and still feel the ground, I placed an order. My mistake here but I did not do a good job of measuring paw size. When you measure the size, make sure to lift the opposing paws to get them standing on just two paws. This spreads out their toes and gives a much more accurate measurement. When in doubt, size UP! My dog was slightly between sizes so in ordering the larger size we got it perfect. When the boots arrive don't be surprised with how light the fabric feels. However, this is the reason they work so well; the dog can feel the ground and has just as much traction as barefoot. We just returned from a snowshoe hike and my dog loved her boots, and she enjoyed the hike far more than she has been lately. Leading to the trailhead there was about a quarter mile of mud, ice, and road gravel that the boots weathered just fine, and my dog wasn't slowed down one bit.
I will also mention the great customer service! After doing a poor job of measuring and ordering the wrong size, I contacted Neewa for help on the sizing. Felippo was extremely helpful and responsive and even followed up with me proactively to make sure the new size was correct. I don't encounter service like that very often.
Neewa has a customer for life in me. These boots are very simple, they work, and the price is right! Don't waste your money on the more expensive, rubber soled versions from other companies - Dogs weren't meant to wear shoes, so don't buy something pretending to be a shoe! Your dog will thank you for it.
