Anyone out there find anything that helps to toughen pads? I have a friend who hikes with her dog all the time, but he keeps rubbing his pads off. Thought I'd ask and see if anyone had tricks that help.

build up the pad with walking on hard services and the trails.

Has she tried Mushers Secret or Bag Balm for his pads?? Kennedy's paw pads have never toughened up. Usually, we only walk on concrete as we have no trails around here. She has also ripped her paw pads running around at the dog park when she gets in the dirt. It's crazy and sad. Other then that, I don't have much other advice.

We don't have any nearby trails so we are constantly walking Anna on concrete. Her paws are all rough and at one point she ripped up parts of her paws. We actually just bought her booties, because I can only imagine how it feels. She throws a fit when I put them on but after we start walking she loves them and becomes even more enthusiastic than normal. We have only had them a week so I am sure she will eventually get use to putting them on, she is just being stubborn. She looks so cute with her booties, looks like a sled dog, minus the snow. We also looked into Musher's Secret and we will probably end up getting that as well. That is my only advice. Oh and if she gets booties don't get the velcro, it works but we will probably end up getting the ones with a hook or loop. If you don't pull the velcro tight enough they come off, and when Anna runs around kicking like a horse trying to get them off, sometimes she succeeds. I included the link to the ones we got.

https://www.dogbooties.com/shop/1000-denier-cordura%C2%AE-booties/

I use musher secret on Blaze and Kerian's feet about every two weeks or so.. The problem I have with it is I have to put on before we walk because they lick it off if we don't walk after I apply it..

I also apply coconut oil on their feet when they seem to have problems with them sores or the such. It helps them heal.

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that Mushers secret is a blend of waxes that protects the paws, I don't believe that it will harden or toughen the pads per se but probably the protected walking will condition and harden the paws over time.

Another product to try is Tuffoot or even strong black tea solution (4 tea bags in a cup of boiling water) cool and apply to paws or soak paws in solution. The tannic acid will assist in hardening.

The best way to 'toughen' up a foot is really just building it up like we would while walking barefoot.  Is this a Siberian that's having a foot issue?  If not, that could also be part of the issue.  Siberians have a naturally hardier foot than many other breeds, which is why you'll notice a Siberian team will go through less booties than other breeds on the trail- booties are always an option when you are dealing with problematic feet.

To go along with this topic. My puppy has also recently cut/ripped his paw at the dog park but no blood or anything? What's the course of action to let this heal??