It is bound to happen. You’re having a meh day and while scrolling you come across the cutest thing ever since baby goats in pajamas–Dogs in “Crocs”! Pitties in pink Crocs, Pugs in green Crocs, Chihuahuas in sky blue Crocs, and Retrievers in red Crocs, there are literally endless pics to scroll through. Suddenly, your world is a bit brighter and you feel like smiling again! You may stop and ask yourself what it would take to get your Habibi Bear puppy, the Original Teddy Bear dog, into a pair of these trendy, yet practical, canine shoes for summer. Lucky for you, we at Habibi Bears have you covered with the why and the how to make it happen.
There are three good reasons why you may want to consider using dog crocs (or as they are properly known as WagWellies) especially during the summer months.
- Sidewalk temperatures in the summer can become dangerously hot [77 degrees can mean a sizzling 125 degree asphalt temperature] very quickly (Hot Dogs, Aug 2023) even on seemingly temperate days. Protecting your pup’s precious tootsies can be fashionably fun by using the wellies.
- While using unpaved trails, wellies can protect your dog from foxtails or thorns embedding in the pads of their paws (Keep Puppy Safe from Foxtails, Oct 2023).
- Avoid any tracking in or absorption of toxic chemicals through the pads of puppy’s feet such as Roundup, automotive coolant, or pesticides (Keep Puppy Safe: Managing Chemical Exposure, June 2024) by using the wellies while in unfamiliar areas.
These ventilated waterproof wellies are also easy to rinse off and air dry after use which rates them 5 stars in our book!
If you’ve decided to give them a try for your Habibi Bear puppy, we recommend that you start slowly.
- Acclimate your dog to the wellies by having them out and around where your dog is playing or resting, under supervision of course, to avoid them becoming a nice interesting chew toy by accident.
- Reward your dog with a treat when they approach to smell or inspect the wellies, and praise them profusely.
- Once the novelty has worn off and your Habibi Bear puppy is in a calm, relaxed state you can place them on their feet for a few minutes at a time. Let them walk around and reward them for walking in the wellies. It is normal that a dog tries to “walk” out of them. They are trying to reconcile the difference between walking bare-pawed and walking with something covering their paws. When they realize that the ground is still firm beneath their feet, they will regain their normal gait. Praise them and watch for signs of stress: yawning, slinking or whale-eyed cowering. If they exhibit these signs, take the wellies off and try again another time.
- When your Habibi Bear puppy is tolerating the wellies and walking normally inside, it is time to go through the same process out of doors. Remember, we need to take indoor learned tasks outside so your pup begins to learn the task in different environments. This allows them to make the necessary connections :
- mentally: hear the command
- physically: respond/perform command
- spatially: perform in a new place to repeat the task anywhere : parks, beaches, restaurants, etc.
Soon your phone will be filled with endless photos of your Habibi Bear puppy in wellies and when that happens, make sure you send us a cute photo or two of your puppy in their favorite color of dog crocs. We always love hearing from our Habibi Bear Tribe and we absolutely adore getting updated photos of our precious puppies. Reach out to us with any issues or questions anytime. We are always here for you, cheering you on!