Karen Luther sees the difficulty in owning both wood floors and a heavy dog. "The unfortunate thing is that I don't think people realize dogs can damage wood floors before it's too late," she says. Luther started her Internet-only retail shop AllDogBoots.com in May 2010, and she's been surprised by how often people contact her with this problem, something to which any wood flooring installer or retailer can also relate. "I get quite a few phone calls for this, and it's not something that I would've expected," she says, "but a lot of people put in brand-new hardwood floors, and they've got a 40-, 50-, or 150-pound dog that has ruined the floors the first week." For the homeowner-cum-wood-floor-defender, Luther recommends Meshies by Barko Booties, an AllDogBoots.com house brand. Selling for $24.99 and available in red or blue, Barko Booties are lightweight, fit securely and won't slide-best of all, they're breathable so that dogs can still sweat through their paws when they have them on. (You knew dogs sweat through their paws, right?) So there you have it: Meshies will keep you, your customers and their dogs happy.
