Ideas on Pad Conditioning for Climbing

[FarmerChef]

Looking for your experiences hiking with or without booties in a climbing environment (like the White Mountains) and what helped your pup be more successful, avoid injury to their pads.

I'm hiking with a Husky (have for several years) and am considering booties for the northern end of the trail this summer. But as a minimalist runner I know the value of having as little on my feet as possible so long as they are properly conditioned - very time consuming and not easy. What I'm most concerned with for my dog is that her toes be able to spread. I'm also concerned that she can get a purchase on steep rock faces so she can climb effectively. Right now, she does this very well but I'm worried that a boot may restrict this function. On the other hand, granite can be abrasive, especially over long hot days and I'm concerned about excessive wear.

Aside form walks of several miles every day over gravel and pavement are there other things you've tried successfully to toughen up the pads for this kind of hiking? Did you have to give up and go to booties? Why and what happened?

(and yes, I've googled booties and read what I could find - this falls in the cracks a bit)

[johnnybgood]

A quick Google search didn't provide much information, like you said . My best guess is I'd buy the booties for purposes of having an alternative plan just in case.
If you have been walking her over gravel then it's possible that this is toughtening those pads enough to make a difference.
That's all I can think of. Maybe someone else can chime in with more suggestions.

Good to meet you & family last month , maybe we will see you on HikerMom's birthday hike this October.

[FarmerChef]

A quick Google search didn't provide much information, like you said . My best guess is I'd buy the booties for purposes of having an alternative plan just in case.
If you have been walking her over gravel then it's possible that this is toughtening those pads enough to make a difference.
That's all I can think of. Maybe someone else can chime in with more suggestions.

Good to meet you & family last month , maybe we will see you on HikerMom's birthday hike this October.

Thanks, Johnny. We had a great time too. I'm hoping her daily walks of 3 to 5 miles will do the trick but I don't want to get 3 days into a 3 week hike and find out I was wrong...gleeps!

And, yes, we're planning on the October hike. Should be a blast!

[Damn Yankee]

If you decide to use booties, it will take time for the dog to get used to them. Now would be a good time while you are on your walks. I have a pair I got from Ruffwear which has a Velcro strap to hold them on and vibriam soles.

[Snowleopard]

It's good that you're thinking about this now. Granite is rough on paws. I've seen dogs in obvious pain on little local hikes on granite. Dogs have had to be rescued in the Whites because of paw damage. On the other hand, some dogs seem to do fine; it seems to be an individual thing.

You might contact this fellow: http://tomandatticus.blogspot.com/
He and his dog have climbed the 48 4000' mountains in NH in winter. Perhaps he will have good info or know other hiking husky owners. His book sounds interesting.

[FarmerChef]

If you decide to use booties, it will take time for the dog to get used to them. Now would be a good time while you are on your walks. I have a pair I got from Ruffwear which has a Velcro strap to hold them on and vibriam soles.

Yeah. I'd like her to start wearing them for a couple months to get used to them while walking if we decide to go that route. But at the same time, I'm worried that for 2 months her paws will decondition from the abrasion of the varied paving surfaces we have.

It's good that you're thinking about this now. Granite is rough on paws. I've seen dogs in obvious pain on little local hikes on granite. Dogs have had to be rescued in the Whites because of paw damage. On the other hand, some dogs seem to do fine; it seems to be an individual thing.

You might contact this fellow: http://tomandatticus.blogspot.com/
He and his dog have climbed the 48 4000' mountains in NH in winter. Perhaps he will have good info or know other hiking husky owners. His book sounds interesting.

Thanks. I will check him out.