My dog will not wear the Velcro-strap, rubber-soled booties that look so adorable on sled dogs. Whenever I put them on her, she goes into a berserker frenzy. So, when I saw Pawz Protective Dog Boots, I thought, maybe.

These disposable (but also reusable), natural rubber dog boots, like little balloons, slip on and secure without zippers or straps. Not your trail-buster style booties, this paw-ware is designed to protect against more urban problems, such as mud, lawn chemicals and pesticides, fire ants (do we have those around here?), and hot pavement or sand in the summer and ice and road salt in the winter. Tracey Morales, owner of Planet Poochie, where I saw the Pawz boots, suggested they would also provide good traction on deck-tops for boating canines and on slippery floors for geriatric dogs.

Affordable (12 for $11.95-$15.95) and available in a variety of colors, I could even coordinate Lulu's paw protection with her collars. Of course, Lulu, when presented with my latest brainstorm, still protests that bare paws are best.

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