Club World Cup sniffer dogs get booties to protect paws from heat

PHILADELPHIA — Fans and players weren’t the only ones coping with extreme heat this week at the Club World Cup.

Sniffer dogs — a common addition to the security details at many large sporting events — had a job to do at the international soccer tournament despite the sweltering temperatures.

And because that job includes walking on hot asphalt, it can be tough on an animal’s feet.

The solution? In Philadelphia, the sniffer dogs at Lincoln Financial Field were outfitted with brightly colored protective booties as temperatures soared.

“Every dog team is different, and there are different requirements; their precursors are different. However, we go by the seven-second rule. If us humans can’t put our human backside or our hand on the concrete for longer than seven seconds without pulling it off, then we require dog booties to go on,” said Cody Schwartz, manager of 3DK9 Detection Services, the private company providing the K9 teams at the stadium. The company also contracts with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.

Besides wearing booties, the dogs are kept hydrated and limited to 20-minute patrols at a time in the heat. They also enjoy cooling baths in kiddie pools filled with ice.

“Obviously, when we’re hot, they’re 10 times hotter. They’re obviously carrying a big coat of fur, so it’s a big thing for us. Our dogs are No. 1. We can’t do our jobs without them,” Schwartz said.

Heat has been an issue throughout the Club World Cup, a tournament featuring 32 teams from around the world playing in several U.S. cities. Teams have had to cut back on practice, substitutes have watched from the locker room rather than the bench and hydration breaks have become necessary.

While the booted canines drew a lot of bemused attention, footwear for working dogs isn’t all that uncommon. And it’s not just for hot weather.

In Portland, Maine, and other cities across the United States, police K-9 units have used booties to protect dogs’ paws from the ice, sand and salt that accompany winter weather.

Sniffer dogs can often be seen at work at airports and at sporting events or concerts because they can smell explosives, contraband and ammunition. Police also use sniffer dogs to help locate missing people or track suspected criminals.