Measuring your Sighthound's foot for V4 Hunnyboots®

One of the hardest things to do in the world of online shopping is to buy a clothing product without trying it on. Hunnyboots are designed to fit your Sighthound like a human training shoe or sneaker fits you – a snug and comfy fit.

You can see in this cut-away image that a perfect sizing is achieved when the measurements you take (red line to red line) match the inner curve of the heel of the boot. A correctly sized boot means the strap will sit where it is designed to go, between the 'natural widening' and the dew claw on the front feet.

This example is Hunny's left forefoot, measuring exactly 90mm flat nail to metacarpal. With the aid of some Photoshop trickery, we've bent the same ruler to show how a 90mm foot fits into a boot that is shorter than the flattened foot. "Digitigrades" (toe walkers) like greyhounds walk exclusively on their toes and under normal circumstances, that last third of their feet, what we think of as their heels dont make any contact with the ground, only their toes.

 

 

But first things first, let's understand your sighthound's foot anatomy and how best to measure it. What we're looking to measure is the length between the tip of nail to just past the back of the metacarpal pad on the fore leg, and the tip of nail to just past the back of the metatarsal pad on the hind leg.

It's important to measure both front and back as there will probably be a difference in size. As you can see in this photo, Hunny's back feet (75mm) are significantly smaller than her front (90mm).

You could have your hound stand still and crawl around with a cloth tape measure, but we know how hard that is and do not recommend it. By far, the easiest method is to take advantage of your sighthound's natural desire to spend all day laying down. Grab a ruler or tape measure and while their feet are extended and flat - press down on the knuckles and hold the foot flat against the ruler. Measure from the tip of the longest nail, to the back of the 'meta' pad. 

Once you have your measurements front and back, you're ready to choose your size.

Using your 'flat foot' length measurements choose your size:

WEENY (Iggies) – 4.5 to 5.5cm (1¾" to 2¼")

SMALL (Whippets) – 6cm to 7cm (2¼" to 2½")

MEDIUM (Whippets & Small Greyhounds) – 7cm to 8cm (2½" to 2¾") 

LARGE (Regular Greyhounds) – 8cm to 9cm (2¾" to 3")

X LARGE (Big Greyhounds) – 9cm to 10cm (3" to 3¼")

If the foot shape is 'flat' or 'normal', go up to the next size if on or over the size limit.

Examples:
If 7.8cm, choose Medium.
If 8.2cm, choose Large.

If the foot shape is 'high', err on the smaller size range.

Examples:
If 7.8cm, choose Medium.
If 8.2cm, still choose Medium.

Please contact us at info@hunnyboots.com if your hound has long nails or higher than normal knuckles so we can advise the best fit.