by Whitney McKim

The is the second of a three part series! Part 1 is a review of the K9 Bike Jogger, a useful little, universal bicycle accessory to make biking with your pooch safe and easy. Part 2 is a review of RuffWear’s Bark ‘n Boots Grip Trex and their Bark ‘n Boot Liners. Part 3 will highlight one final product that Magnolia the Dalmatian has personally tested on her biking adventures! She know that you’ll enjoy the sport as much as she does once you’re all suited up and ready to roll!

In Part 1 of Biking with your Pooch I reviewed the K9 Bike Jogger, an excellent tool to make your biking trips with your pooch safer and easier! In this edition, I’d like to pass on Magnolia’s review of RuffWear’s Bark’n Boots™ Grip Trex™ along with RuffWear’s Bark’n Boot Liners™.

If you’re going to be biking on any kind of man-made surface (asphalt, gravel, and the like) you’ll definitely want some kind of foot protection for your pooch. Not only because these surfaces can be very abrasive to pooches’ paws, but in the summer time asphalt can get very hot! An article produced by Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), one the Nation’s leading pet insurance companies, warns owners that summertime sidewalks can cause serious burns to your pet’s paws. You might think that footwear for your pooch is a little silly, but you’ll be thankful when you don’t have to deal with vet bills and a very sad puppy dog with hurt paws!

The feature that sets RuffWear’s Bark’n Boots™ Grip Trex™ apart from other boots available on the market is their soles. The soles are made out of a high performance Vibram® sole. This is the same kind of material you find on high quality human hiking boots. The initial cost investment in a set of Bark’n Boots™ is more than many other doggie footwear cost. However, Magnolia and I can personally attest that these boots aren’t going to poop out before your dog does! We’ve had the same pair for nearly 2½ years now! There’s almost no visible wear on them!! Magnolia’s worn them hiking, biking, jogging, flyball-ing, and more. However, if your pooch does happen to be a bit harder on his shoes than Magnolia is, RuffWear offers the option to buy Bark’n Boots™ in a set of 4 ($59.95) or in singles ($15.00 each) if you only need to replace one!

Additionally, RuffWear also sells RuffWear’s Bark’n Boot Liners™, and yes, they’re basically socks for dogs. A little silly at first possibly, but Magnolia seems to prefer them over wearing her boots with naked paws. RuffWear’s site says that it can help “enhance the fit, upgrade the performance, and improve the comfort of dog boots.” Without the liners, Magnolia seems more conscious of the boots being on her feet (in flyball tournaments where I have forgotten the liners she’s all but flat out refused to run with the boots on without socks). I would suspect that the liners keep the upper portion of the boots from rubbing against the hock of the dog’s foot; a problem that I have seen actually rub the inside forefoot of a dog completely raw before! Unlike the Bark’n Boots, the Bark’n Boot Liners only come in a set of four (retailing at $9.95 for a set).

I have been particularly impressed not only with the Bark’n Boots durability, but they are semi water resistant too! I’ve noticed that short jaunts through damp (OK, snow covered) grass didn’t permeate through the Bark’n Boots to the liner layer! Magnolia’s feet stayed dry and toasty. We have not yet tried the boots out in the canoe, but I doubt that even these amazing boots could stay dry in all the river swimming that Maggie likes to do!

Monday, we’ll be wrapping up our Biking with your Pooch series with Magnolia’s review of an awesome biking harness; the finale on our essential biking equipment list!