Do Alaskan Malamute Need Winter Boots? Snow Shoes?

Alaskan Malamute are a tough, winter-resistant breed that was bred to run for many miles in ice and snow. Many owners rightfully assume their Alaskan Malamute don’t need winter boots or snow shoes, but is that correct? This article will explain in full detail whether your Alaskan Malamute needs winter boots.

So, do Alaskan Malamute need winter boots? Alaskan Malamute have specially adapted paws to deal with the cold weather, so winter boots won’t provide much help there. However, if you live somewhere with a lot of ice, winter boots will protect against rock salt and the chemicals used to melt ice on pavements and roads.

Does Your Alaskan Malamute Need Winter Boots or Snow Shoes?

Most Alaskan Malamute owners automatically assume that their Alaskan Malamute doesn’t need winter boots, and that’s kind of right, but not totally.

There are reasons for and against getting winter boots so let me break them down into their own categories.

● Why Your Alaskan Malamute WILL NOT Need Winter Boots

Alaskan Malamute were bred in arctic conditions and are one of the most resilient breeds when it comes to tolerating cold temperatures.

Through thousands of years of walking and running on snow, the paws of a Alaskan Malamute are quite different from other breeds.

Alaskan Malamute paws have adapted in a way that helps prevent their paws from freezing. This is done by their veins and arteries being much closer together than what’s usually seen in paw pads. This allows the heart to pump warm blood down through the arteries which keep the outer veins warm and stops them from getting too cold.

One of the biggest threats to most dogs when walking in snow is their paw pads freezing. This rarely happens with Alaskan Malamute.

So this is one reason why winter boots are not necessary for Alaskan Malamute.

● Why Your Alaskan Malamute WILL Need Winter Boots

There are still some reasons why you might want to consider getting winter boots for your Alaskan Malamute…

The issue when walking on icy pavements is that rock salt and chemical ice melt solution is often put down by your local council.

This is great for us, but for your Alaskan Malamute’s paws, it’s terrible. Rock salt can get stuck in between the toes and can cut the pads. This would be extremely painful and will prevent your Alaskan Malamute from walking properly.

Ice melt solutions are also full of nasty chemicals and are for the most part, toxic if got into the system. Mix rock salt and toxic chemicals and your Alaskan Malamute is in for a rough ride!

Winter boots will certainly help protect your Alaskan Malamute’s paws from getting cut or covered in toxic ice-melt solution.

Where Do You Usually Walk With Your Alaskan Malamute?

So the answer comes down to where and what surfaces do you frequently walk on with your Alaskan Malamute?

Winter boots may not be necessary if you have a big yard and your Alaskan Malamute exercises on grass that you know has no rock salt or ice-melt solution.

But for many of us, we have to walk along pathways, across other people’s driveways and roads to get to the local park. This is where you find the nasty rock salt and ice melt.

Consider where you usually walk and if you live somewhere with a lot of ice and snow, winter boots may be worth trying.

Best Winter Boots For Alaskan Malamute

Let’s run through what makes a good winter boot and some of the options currently available on the market.

Durability ✔️
There’s nothing worse than buying an item that’s supposed to be long-lasting, and it breaks after a couple of uses. Winter boots may be something you end up using every day, so it’s important to consider the stitching and the main material used to make the boot. Nylon & Leather are good options.

Flexibility ✔️
While some winter boots are made to be extra tough, this can sometimes come with a big downside, the material is too rigid and unforgiving. I’ve seen winter boots before where there’s almost zero flexibility. This makes the boot extremely uncomfortable to wear and over time will rub and cause a lot of irritation.

Visibility ✔️
Wintery days can be dark, gloomy, foggy, and snowy. It’s a good idea to get a pair that are colored or at least have reflective strips. This makes your Alaskan Malamute more visible BUT if a boot comes off your Alaskan Malamute’s paw by accident, you have a better chance of finding. Yes, this really does happen!

QUMY Dog Boots Waterproof Shoes for Dogs

● Easy to put on and take off. Many dog boots are admittedly hard to put on. These have purpose-made split seams that open up to allow ample space when putting the boot on and taking them off. Two velcro straps make for accurate fitting.

● Anti-slip tough rubber soles. Tough anti-slip soles prevent injury from sharp surfaces, glass, rock salt, and hot/cold surfaces.

● Waterproof. Although these boots will not resist water when completely submerged, for the most part, they are waterproof. This is helpful to keep paws warm and will also help to avoid soaking up any ice-melt chemicals along the pavements.

● Reflective. If your Alaskan Malamute does shake a boot loose, you have a good chance of finding it. These boots are bright red with reflective straps on the outside of the velcro.

● Comfortable material. These winter boots are made from tough, yet flexible high-quality materials. There are no reports of this shoe causing discomfort.

Check these winter boots out on Amazon. They have great reviews and are reasonably priced.

Final Thoughts

Winter boots may be of use to your Alaskan Malamute, but this depends on where you typically walk with your Alaskan Malamute and whether it’s icy or snowy a lot of the time.

Remember that Alaskan Malamute have specially adapted paws that do a great job dealing with cold temperatures, so winter boots are not needed because of this.

If you live somewhere with a lot of ice and snow and you usually walk on pavements where rock salt or ice-melt solution is used, dog boots will definitely help to protect the pads from getting cut and making contact with toxic chemicals.