"I've been a professional dog groomer for 10 years, and I use this product all the time. Looking through other reviews, there seems to be a lot of confusion about how to use this, so here's everything you need to know:
WHAT IT'S FOR: I use Musher's Secret to protect paws both from the salt and cold in winter , and it also helps protect paws from hot pavement in the warmer seasons. This doesn't mean that you can let them walk on burning hot pavement if they have this on, it just helps to prevent the pads from drying out and becoming damaged and uncomfortable.
HOW MUCH TO USE: YOU ONLY NEED TO USE A TINY BIT! It seems that some people are putting way too much of this on! What I have on my finger in the photo below is enough for two of my medium-size dog's paws! It should never be gloopy on their paws! It's just like putting on lotion, basically- you just put enough on to very lightly coat the paw. The product starts soaking in almost immediately; I've never had a problem with staining my couches or carpet with proper application.
PETS LICKING IT OFF?: If your pet tries to lick it off his/her paws, distract them for a few minutes until it's completely soaked in. I give my dogs very chewy sweet potato treats after applying this to their paws both as a reward for letting me and to keep them distracted from it while it soaks into their skin so they don't lick it off. If it takes more than a minute or two to completely soak in, you've applied too much.