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Do dog shoes really work?
You may have come across some four-legged furry friend with stylish shoes on its paws. Isn’t it an excess thing to do?
We think that nature has provided the animals all that they need. No, this is not quite true when we make an animal a part of our daily life such as our pet dog.
As we introduce our artificiality in their life we gotta provide few man-made items for their easy adaptation. Like boots, sweaters, etc. So, let’s dive into this article about how to make dog shoes for summer.
Do dogs need shoes in summer?
These shoes make them comfortable for them to be by our sides. For instance, imagine walking on the hot asphalt of the road barefoot on a hot summer day. Even thinking about that makes your feet tingle. This is the mysterious reason for what your dear pooch is unwilling to go out on such days.
The hot asphalt hurts your cutie’s paws as they are soft and remain in a very friendly condition in your house. This unexpected exposure to the harsh elements raises the chance for the paws to get blemishes and turn hard and dark.
What are the best shoes for dogs?
Then the question comes, which type of shoes are suitable for them? There is no fixed answer. As there are many seasons, the needs vary on each of them. A boot suitable for the winter may not suit summer, and vice versa. Furthermore, we need to keep a few other things in mind too when choosing the shoes for our dear pet. Like if we need it to be waterproof, firm, soft, or breathable, etc.
Ways to get one
There are two ways to get shoes for your poochie, one is buying a readymade one and another is making them yourself. But ready-made products cannot please all. And having unique dress components is a food for a good talk. Also, none of us like to meet ones with the same wears as ours ever so often.
Those leave us with the second option. We need to get crafty and make them ourselves. Trust me, it is really simple if you know the process. And I am here to help you with that.
Tools and materials
Before getting started we need to gather all the things that are needed for this project. So that completing the project can be a breeze and it will lessen the chance of you leaving the project half done. These tools are, fabric for the sole, suede circles, velcro, elastic, scissors, sewing machine, a large sheet of paper, pen, and ruler. All tools are important in making the design of the shoe. You must choose the right tools to make the task easy. Now, I add some clarification to this,
- Right fabric for the shoe-This is where it starts. You gotta choose the right fabric depending on the occasion. Do you want to protect the paws from hot or cold? Does this need to be waterproof? Or is it breathability that you prefer? Regardless of what you choose the material has to be durable and of course comfortable.
- Fabric for the sole- The soles of the shoe are important for the comfort in walking. Don’t choose any slippery or high sole of the shoe to keep your little partner from discomfort and falling. The sole should never be too stiff as it may harm the ease of walking. With all these in regard, Vinyl can be a nice choice here.
- Elastic- You must use elastic that helps to keep the shoe tightly held to the dog’s ankles and should not add any discomfort.
- Suede circles- These are to aid the sewing process.
- Velcro- A value option for keeping the shoes secured while walking and real easy to open and to get the shoes off.
- Scissors- You surely need scissors to cut the materials in the desired size and manner to make and design the shoes.
- Sewing machine- to make the shoes firm, long-lasting you better use a sewing machine. In case, you don’t know the use of the sewing machine, resort to a professional tailor or a good tailor friend.
- Large sheet of paper- You will need to make an actual pattern of dog’s paws on it before starting to make the shoe.
- Pen and ruler- pen and ruler both help you to draw and measure your dog’s paws.
Another tip is to keep dog treats handy. As these may help you to keep your dog calm during the process.
How do you make dog shoes?
Firstly, you need to make the measurements for shoes. Lay the large paper on the floor and lure your dog to place at least one of its front paws on the paper. Then grab and lift the other front paw, the dog will shift its weight to the one on the paper for balance. This will make the toes spread the highest. Now, put markings on the inner and the outer side of the paw and rear and the front. Then repeat this process with the other front paw. Take notes of the measurements using a ruler.
As for the rear paws, make use of the dog treats. Place them in a way that the rear paws are placed on the paper. When it happens put the markings on the four sides of each paw and later transcribe them.
Now, I am going to tell you a how you can make dog shoes with a few easy steps:
Step 1
Cut the pattern out from the design paper by using scissors. You have to cut it a bit larger for the shoe. So that you can overlap your materials to sport the folds and close the end of the boot.
Draw and cut out the same pattern from the fabric into four pieces for the four boots. Then you will need to make wear cushions for the footing section to make the shoe more durable. These have to be of the same size of the paws. Or if you wish, you can make these larger but never smaller.
Finally, you should cut four slender pieces of velcro off nearly twice the size of the slimmest part of the shoe base.
Step 2
Time to put the parts together using a sewing machine. Firstly, you have to sew the wear cushion in the paw area of the shoe. Joining these two parts straight to the edge, but an extra wrap may be needed to keep it from slipping if your pooch has a large foot.
Next, we attach the Vinyl with the cushion part. This will keep the shoe from slipping and make it waterproof. While sewing it, be careful not to leave any gap as it may compromise the waterproofing. Better give it two runs of the sewing machine to make the shoes more durable.
Step 3
Here we will connect the shoe strap with the slender portion of the base material, going over the cushion area. This is to put a tight strap on the dog’s foot. Now is the time to put the velcro over the toe area and sew along the crease line. Then you have to fold the vinyl material over in a way that the shoe strap and cushion remain inside. Now sew along the sides to the top portion of the front.
Then cut the string, flip, and sew the other side in the same process. You have to repeat this whole process for every shoe.
Step 4
Trying them out is the next part. They should slide in smoothly. Then you lock the velcro straps. The dog will need time to get adjusted to the shoes and may try to get rid of them. So you best keep your pooch distracted with treats or toys till that happens and make your partner walk in this time.
Parting words
I hope this blog on how to make dog shoes for summer helps you make your furry friend’s walks a little more comfortable. Though it is quite detailed, there’s only so much Reading can do. So, if you face any confusion in the making process you can take a peek on youtube. I wouldn’t mind. Have a nice day.
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