how to measure a dog's paw

the short version is right here. the long version, and the reasons, are further down.

the short version

1. paper on a hard floor.
2. dog standing, weight on the paw. a lifted paw measures small, every time.
3. trace one front paw, pen held straight up.
4. length: front of the longest nail to the back of the main pad. width: widest point, side to side.
5. do the other front paw. use the bigger one.
6. between two sizes, go up.

our chart

five sizes. these are the shoe's inside dimensions.

size	length	width	weight (guide only)
1	1.4 in / 3.6 cm	1.2 in / 3.0 cm	3.3 – 4.4 lb / 1.5 – 2.0 kg
2	1.7 in / 4.3 cm	1.3 in / 3.3 cm	5.5 – 7.7 lb / 2.5 – 3.5 kg
3	2.0 in / 5.1 cm	1.5 in / 3.8 cm	8.8 – 12.1 lb / 4.0 – 5.5 kg
4	2.2 in / 5.6 cm	1.6 in / 4.1 cm	13.2 – 15.4 lb / 6.0 – 7.0 kg
5	2.4 in / 6.1 cm	1.8 in / 4.6 cm	16.5 – 18.7 lb / 7.5 – 8.5 kg

if the measurement and the weight column disagree, trust the measurement.

questions

does my dog actually need shoes?

probably not. which is an odd thing for a page selling dog shoes to say, so here's the reasoning.

a dog's feet are how he reads the ground — hot, cold, wet, dry, what's underfoot. the pads are also where a dog sweats (akc). and walking on real ground is part of how his nails get worn down. a shoe gets in the way of all of that.

i think it's the same for us. we got used to shoes a long time ago and call it protection, but protection has a cost: a foot that never has to do its job gets worse at it. i believe a lot of what goes wrong further up — knees, hips, back — starts at the bottom. most people know this already. it's just hard to act on when every surface in a city has been paved and left in the sun. a park lawn is about the only place left where anyone takes their shoes off.

kele doesn't wear shoes. i tried once. it was brief. he doesn't like them, which is about as clear a signal as a dog can give, and i don't make him. what i do instead is not walk him on asphalt at noon in summer.

but if your dog has to cross ground that's been baking all day, a pair of shoes that keeps the heat off his pads is worth having. same as us: we'd rather be barefoot, and we still put shoes on to leave the house. just don't make it a default.

how hot is too hot for his paws?

press the back of your hand flat on the ground. if you can't hold it there for seven seconds, it's too hot for paws. that's the rule from dr. raelynn farnsworth at washington state university's veterinary teaching hospital (wsu).

this page used to say a count of five. seven is the vet's number, so it's seven now.

the air temperature on your phone tells you almost nothing. the same wsu piece: at 77°f air, asphalt can reach 125°f. at 87°f, 143°f.

why does my measurement keep coming out too small?

you measured the paw in the air. a paw is a set of pads that spread under weight. lift it and the toes pull together. the paw that has to fit the shoe is the one on the floor.

front paws or back paws?

front. on most dogs they're the bigger pair, and a shoe that fits the front fits the back.

can i just go by my dog's weight?

as a sanity check, yes. as the measurement, no. a stocky frenchie and a leggy whippet can weigh the same and have completely different feet.

my dog is between two sizes.

size up. a strap takes up slack. a shoe that's too small does nothing at all.

my dog is bigger than size 5.

then we don't make anything that fits him. the chart tops out at small-to-medium dogs, and i'd rather say so than take your money.

will they stay on if my dog runs?

the velcro can loosen if he sprints or digs. they're for crossing hot ground, not for trail running.

will my dog accept them?

some dogs never will, and no measurement fixes that. if you want to try:

• indoors first, on carpet. the strange part isn't the shoe, it's losing grip on a hard floor.
• two minutes, then off. stop while he's still fine, before he's decided.
• something good while they're on. dinner. the leash coming out.
• all four or none. two shoes walk worse than zero.
• don't rush. a bad first session sets you back a week.

how many come in a set?

four. one per paw.

the long version

you need paper, a pen and a ruler. two minutes.

1. put a sheet of paper on a hard floor. carpet lets the paw sink and spread differently, and you can't trace on it.

2. stand your dog with one front paw on the paper. a helper holding a treat at nose height makes this easier. without one, do it after a walk, when he's less interested in participating.

3. keep the weight on that foot and trace around it, pencil held vertical. tilting the pen outward is how you draw a paw a size bigger than the one you own.

if tracing turns into a wrestling match, use marks instead: one at the front of the longest nail, one at the very back of the main pad, one at the widest point on each side. four marks, same numbers, a tenth of the drama.

4. measure length and width between the marks.

5. do the other front paw. they're often not identical. use the bigger one.

6. check your numbers against the chart. if they land near a boundary, message us before you order. faster than a return, cheaper for both of us.

the sandals

the cherry jellies are the sandals you wore in 1995 — cherries, bunnies, dragonflies, the word DOG spelled out in plastic letters by an intern who was clearly having a good day. four to a set, five sizes, in gear.

for the hot days. not for every day.

go play.