Dog booties, commonly called "booties", are rubber, fabric, or plastic coverings for dogs' paw

Paw

A paw is the soft foot of a mammal, generally a quadruped, that has claws or nails. A hard foot is called a hoof. Paws are used to pad feet for walking and increase friction.- Common characteristics :...

s, used to protect the animal from cold weather, rough terrain, or injury. They are analogous to human shoe

Shoe

A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture to culture, with appearance originally being tied to function...

s and are most common in sled dog races

Dogsled racing

Sled dog racing is a winter dog sport most popular in the Arctic regions of the United States, Canada, Russia, and some European countries. It involves the timed competition of teams of sleddogs that pull a sled with the dog driver or musher standing on the runners...

. Many races require booties as a basic element of dog care. The Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race, for example, requires mushers to carry no fewer than eight booties per dog.

Many dogs are resistant to wearing booties, and the velcro

Velcro

Velcro is the brand name of the first commercially marketed fabric hook-and-loop fastener, invented in 1948 by the Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral...

straps typically used to secure booties often are inadequate on active dogs. During the Yukon Quest, a musher will change between 2,000 and 3,000 booties during the course of the race. Changing booties is necessary when they become wet or fly off a dog's paws.

Sometimes dog booties are worn for hiking, especially on rocky ground.

Like shoes, booties wear out with use. In long sled dog races or over an extended period of time, booties need to be replaced due to wear.