- It's really cold outside today.
And the winter can be really hard on your dog's paws.
So today I thought I'd talk about a couple of tips
for taking care of your dog's paws in the winter.
I'm Ken Steepe and welcome back to McCann Dogs.
(guitar strum) (dogs barking)
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Now I'm breaking the rules a little bit because
we were supposed to be on like a two-week,
channel vacation where we took some time off.
But because of this frigid weather we're having right now,
I really felt it was important to share
with you guys a few tips of how to take care
of your dog's feet in this cold winter weather.
Now the first thing you might notice is that
if you're outside with your dog and they start
walking funny, you know, they're doing like a hitching
behavior, holding a pop, or conversely, they're laying down.
They're laying down on the ground, and it just seems
so strange because the snow is so icy cold, then your dog is
probably doing that in response to having really cold feet.
Now we published a video about a month ago that was
a DIY paw protector made with all natural ingredients,
it's super easy to make, but it's a really great way
of maintaining the moisture in your dogs paws, and you know,
protecting their feet from some of this inclement weather,
and some of the deicing methods.
It's something that you need to keep in mind.
But there's a few other things
that I'd like to talk to you about.
First up is prevention.
Now a lot of dog breeds have really hairy toes,
so it's no surprise that when they're out in the cold
and in the snow and in the ice,
that stuff gets trapped in between there.
Now a really simple way to minimize the amount
of snow and ice that can get trapped in there is
by trimming the fur in between your dog's toes.
Now I have Rad here, our four-year-old Border Collie
and I'm just checking in between his toes and I'm gonna trim
just a little bit of the hair from in between his toes
to try not to get as much of the icy stuff
caught in there when we're outside.
Now here's a note for you guys that have a dog like a
Labrador Retriever or a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
or you know, a Portuguese Water Dog,
your dog has webbed feet, so they're even more likely
to be trapping stuff in between their toes.
And you need to pay extra special attention
to dogs of that breed, when in this time of year.
You know, they're way more likely to be trapping
that stuff than some of the other breeds are and you can't,
you can trim the hair away from that webbing,
but you still need to be extra aware
with that breed of dog, any dog with webbed feet.
Now public places are full of the deicing methods,
whether it's salt or brine or whatever.
It's all over our walkways and our parking lots
and our streets, so if you're walking your dog
in any places like that, it's really important
when you get home to clean their paws off.
Some people will keep a bowl of water by the door
that they come in with their dog, preferably something
that's a wide base so it's less likely to tip.
But when they get inside, they can dip each one
of their dog's feet in there, they can
inspect them thoroughly, and then dry them off
before they bring the dog inside.
I prefer the method where I have like a washcloth,
or even a heavy-duty paper towel, and I'll run some
warm water on it, and I'll clean each of the dog's feet
when they get inside because that salt can really do some
damage on your dog's feet and there's just so much of it
in these public spaces that you really wanna make sure
it's off your dogs feet when they do come in the house.
Since you're doing all these foot inspections this time
of year, it's a good idea to keep an eye on your dogs nails.
Now I'll post a video to one of the nail-trimming videos
that we posted earlier in the year, but something people
don't realize is that when a dog's nail grows too long,
it actually changes the way that they walk.
And in this weather, you know, when it's really cold,
and the salt, and the ice, and it's really nasty outside,
changing the way that your dog walks puts an unusual
pressure on their foot and it can really damage their pads.
So this is a great opportunity to be hyper-vigilant
about making sure that your dog's nails are trimmed.
And there's always the alternative of booties.
Now we're looking after a couple dogs
this week that use booties when they go outside.
They're pretty sensitive to the cold.
Now they're a little bit older but a lot of people have
tried booties and they thought, oh my dog hates them,
but the reality is it's like wearing a new pair of glasses,
you know, you really notice they're there at first
and you're constantly fussing with your glasses
until you just get used to them.
So when you try on a pair of booties on your dog
for the first time, make it really relaxed environment and a
really rewarding experience, maybe do it in the kitchen.
Or do it somewhere where it's really low energy,
low stress, lots of reward for your dog when you know,
they stop fussing with those booties.
The last thing you wanna do though is
slip those booties on and throw on your leash
and then head out the door for a big walk.
Because they haven't got accustomed to them.
So really take your time, and make your dog
comfortable with the booties before
you challenge them with the outdoor environment.
If you see your dog showing any signs of hitching
or walking strangely or even lying down,
it's time to scoop them up, and take them inside.
Now we've posted all kinds of videos about trick training
and fun things to do inside with your dog, so, you know,
I would really lean on those exercises to get your dog both
physically and mentally stimulated and exercised,
but keep the outside play sessions a little bit shorter.
You know, a lot of dogs are really sensitive
to the cold and you need to keep that in mind.
Know you dog, and I wanna thank you guys for watching.
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make sure you hit that subscribe button.
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And on that note, I'm Ken, happy training.
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