When I was in high school, I had a laptop that was able to be monitored when I was on the school’s Wi-Fi. This created a limit on what I was allowed to look up and do, and at this point in my school career, I would get regular afternoon migraines that prevented me from doing my homework a lot of the time. So what did I do? I looked up pictures of pugs in shoes. I thought it was cute, and most of the pugs on Google looked to be having a good time. 

However, there are pros and cons to putting your dog in shoes, despite how cute it may look at first glance. 

First, the (numerous) pros: besides accessories, there are several reasons why your dog might need to wear shoes. Maybe not as much down here, but shoes can help protect them from the cold. My pugs and older dogs wore coats when it got below freezing, and I can easily imagine them needing shoes if it had gotten any colder. 

According to FurryFriendsGear. com, “There are snow dog boots made specifically to keep your dog’s feet warm and make them comfortable in the snow.” 

However, it is best not to do that to a dog like a husky who is built for those conditions. 

Pavement is another reason that a dog may need shoes. That’s especially important down here, where dog’s paws can be burned in the heat. A good test to know if it is safe to walk your dog on the sidewalk without protection is to put your hand on the concrete or asphalt for five seconds; if you can’t, or if it’s really hot, maybe wait or put some shoes on your puppy. 

Old age is another reason why your dog may need shoes—specifically those with anti-slip soles. 

According to DogsOfAustralia.com. au, “Dog shoes with anti-slip soles can help those dogs to get up more easily and walk more effectively, by giving them a better grip on smooth surfaces.” 

In my personal opinion, however, as someone with geriatric pups, shoes might not always be a good idea. Take my dog Sascha, for example. She is 10 years old, blind in one eye, has joint pain and gets confused easily. Putting shoes on her would do more harm than good. It would scare her, and she might injure herself. 

My other old lady, Octavia, might be a better candidate. She is 12-14 years old, going blind, and has some digestion problems and ear issues. She is also a drama queen. I would probably put shoes on her for summer walks. 

The difference between the two is their level of pain and confusion regarding their surroundings. I think Octavia would be able to handle the strange things on her feet better, but it might still cause her unnecessary stress. 

Other cons include the fact that the dog may overheat in the shoes, which can be dangerous here especially. Even now, we are having highs of almost 90 degrees, and I don’t know about anyone else, but boots on top of fur covered feet does not sound fun. 

Another con, like I said earlier, is stress. If your dog is prone to freaking out over small things, or is easily confused because of age, avoid the shoes. 

In conclusion, it is up to you and your knowledge of your dog, but maybe don’t do it just to laugh at them. 

Story: Amelia Jennings