Rocky Mountain Paw Protection was founded by Ryan and Jill based on their personal experiences as active dog owners in the Colorado mountains. They were unhappy with the existing dog booties that frequently fell off and caused secondary injuries. This became a bigger problem when their dog Ender had to wear boots around the clock after his toe amputation so Ryan utilized his sewing expertise to develop an alternative. The result was their first boot, the “Doccasin,” that we are reviewing today.
Doccasins
Designed and built in Colorado
You can use the code DOGGEARREVIEW for 10% OFF on their website!
Disclaimer: this review contains affiliate links, which support Dog Gear Review if you purchase the product after clicking on it without costing you anything extra. Using affiliate links will never compromise us in writing unbiased, honest reviews!
Rocky Mountain Paw Protection Doccasins Review
Rocky Mountain Paw Protection’s “Doccasins” are designed to protect the dog’s paws during activities on hot or rough surfaces but they can be used in light snow as well. The moccasin-inspired design ensures a snug fit without the use of buckles or zippers, eliminating potential chafing or rubbing under the boots. The leather soles offer a natural feel and excellent grip for comfort and mobility.
Each bootie is dual-sided (there is no defined top or bottom part) to increase durability and simplify use. They are available in sets of 2, 4, or 6, allowing for size customization between front and back paws.
The patent-pending solution includes using shoe horns (which come with the boots) to slide on the boots as the narrow neoprene cuffs are too tight to pull over the paws by hand. They have a video on the website showing the process of putting the boots on that is a must-see before trying it first.
In our case, the application process did not go smoothly at first but once you get it right once and get the feel of it, it is easier than struggling with small velcro straps. I like the idea of having the wider, elastic cuffs to distribute the pressure on their legs, especially for dogs with dewclaws, since we struggle a lot with chafing when using boots.
On the other hand, the lack of velcro straps or cinch points also means that you need to get the sizing perfectly right - and if the size is right, the boots need to be very snug when putting them on to ensure they stay on. For this reason, they offer one free size exchange with each purchase and I found their team very helpful and responsive when I needed help figuring out what would be best for Zu.
Zulu is wearing the small size on her front paws and XS on the back ones which is their smallest size. Boots always seem a bit baggy on her paws since she has short paws but they were perfect in width and stayed on pretty well.
Even though the boots are made of deerskin leather, they can handle being wet. However, they noted on the website that the boots can get soggy and heavy in rain and can slip off more easily when the dog is running. This happened to us only once and that was indeed a time when Zulu ran through a few puddles and the boots soaked in the water, and then one boot fell off while she was having the zoomies. Otherwise, they stayed on pretty well even on off-leash hikes!
The RMPP Leather Booties are great for summer adventure because they are durable, somewhat breathable, and offer protection on hot pavement or trails. I find them become a bit slippery when used on wet grass or a wet trail so that is something to keep in mind if you want to use them on steep, wet trails.
They recently introduced their winter boots as well to cover all scenarios and recommend using this one mainly for summer.
Rocky Mountain Paw Protection Doccasins Review Summary
After 7 years of reviewing dog products, I rarely have the chance to test something truly innovative so I enjoyed the opportunity to try out the Doccasins. I love that the RMPP team saw a problem and they started to think outside the box and came up with a completely different solution that no one tried so far.
Putting boots on Zulu’s tiny paws can be an annoying process and now I find the use of shoe horns easier than struggling (and readjusting) small velcro straps. I want to acknowledge again that first you might have a different experience but give it a chance, it does work smoothly once both you and your dog get some practice. I especially find the shoe horns helpful for the dewclaws - to ensure the boots don’t get snagged there when I try to pull them on.
When choosing to use a leather boot, you get more comfort and better ground feel than with boots that have thick rubber soles. However, as a tradeoff, you can expect to see some wear over time even though deerskin leather is stronger than cowhide which most people have experience with. Since we received these boots just before winter we have only done a few hikes so far but they are holding up well and I know many others who use these boots frequently and had no quality issues either.
Altogether, these are well-made, innovative boots that can be the solution for many dogs who struggle with chafing or boots falling off as long as you get the sizing right. As Zu is wearing the smallest size, it is best for medium dogs and up and I believe they currently cannot make smaller sizes due to material limitations (the thickness of the leather).
Doccasins
Designed and built in Colorado
You can use the code DOGGEARREVIEW for 10% OFF on their website!
Disclaimer: this review contains affiliate links, which support Dog Gear Review if you purchase the product after clicking on it without costing you anything extra. Using affiliate links will never compromise us in writing unbiased, honest reviews!
If you want to read more about dog boots, check out our article about things to keep in mind when using boots on hikes over the summer since there are just as many pros as cons around the topic. We also have another article on the different types of winter boots, the differences between summer vs. winter boots, and much more.
