Musher's Secret

[French Spaniel]

Those of you who have dogs who get snow balls on their paws and then the dogs start to chew ... then they are pretty well done for the day ... right.

Musher's Secret is kind of a waxy substance that you rub on their feet and inside the pads of their paws. I'm assuming that it was used originally by dog sledders by the name of the product.

You can find it at Lion Country Supply on the web. [Note from admin: Please read forum policy](no links to non-sponsors) Hope this helps anyone who has experienced this problem and doesn't want to buy dog boots.

[Redlantern]

I have yet to meet a musher who has used this more than once. I suggest trimming the hair on the feet if your dogs are getting snowballs. Or you can use booties. Just my opinion.

[setterguy]

I've heard that Pam works, but I just end up with butter flavored ice balls. Trim the hair and use a little vaseline.. That has worked the best for me.

[Jackpine Rob]

If you're running labs instead of those foo-foo Continental breeds, you don't have to worry.

[French Spaniel]

I think the Musher's secret works a little like your vasoline. I had to reapply it at some point during the day. I use this along with trimming the hair between the paws.

Dog booties are somewhat suspect. The taller ones work better. A little vet tape on top of the booties hold them in place. I have six dogs and I like to hunt a bunch of them at a time. So buying dog booties can get quite expensive. So Musher's Secret is a lot cheaper even if you have to reapply it.

[Redlantern]

Dog booties are suspect? I guess I don't understand what you mean by that. What kind of booties are you using? I get mine from a dealer in Duluth. I've had trouble in the past with them coming off. I found that I wasn't putting them on tight enough. If you're worried about them coming off or being too tight, buy the ones with velstretch. I do agree the shorter ones are harder to keep on. I used to use the fleece booties like most other mushers but have found that the nylon cordura booties stay on better and are easier to put on. I still think that trimming the hair once in a while is easier than bootying twelve dogs.

On another note, I think it's one of the most comical things in the world to watch when you put booties on a dog for the first time.

[GatorBait]

Yeah, I have a springer spaniel which is reluctant to the snow balling alot. The more the snow, the heavier they get and do wear the dogs fast. Vaseline has my favorite solution as this has worked for me alot. Running trials during the winter time alot, it's been the saver many times. Never heard or tried the above mentioned, but I assume it would provide the same solution.