“Trim it just enough so your finger does not get hooked and slides easily off the nail. “Since dewclaws may be hidden under your dog’s coat and be hard to see, you can run your finger under the nail to test if it catches on your finger,” says Dr. And since dewclaws don’t regularly touch the ground and get worn down, they may grow faster than a dog’s other nails. If dewclaws do get snagged, it can be quite painful for the dog. Price includes: Ear crop Tail docking Rear dew claw removal Microchip. R egular trimming prevents snagging and breaking, also preventing nails from curling around and growing into the foot. Dogs and Puppies, American Pitbull Terrier 7 week old pure-breed staffy puppies. When the puppies are small, the dewclaw is just a soft nail that is easy to detach. Not every Chihuahua has the hind dewclaws though because some breeders elect to remove them. In addition, Chihuahuas can have either one or two dewclaws on their front legs. Like toenails, dewclaws should be trimmed periodically. Chihuahua A Chihuahua has 4 pads and 4 main toes that have toenails. The rule of thumb is to care for your dog’s dewclaws the way you would for any other nail. Becker says that breeds like Whippets and Border Collies, who are known for being particularly fast, use their dewclaws to help them quickly navigate corners. “Dogs doing agility may grasp the sides of the teeter with their dewclaws to steady themselves,” says Dr. Interestingly, wolves and other wild canids do not normally have these extra digits unless their ancestors were cross-bred with dogs.ĭewclaws are also convenient in dog sports. The Briard and the Beauceron are known for their dual herding and guarding purposes, so the double dewclaws might also help them chase sheep-steeling predators over rough terrain. Great Pyrenees and Anatolian Shepherds are the two most common breeds that have the trait. In the Great Pyrenees, these may function as a brake of sorts since they often raced down mountainsides chasing wolves away from flocks of livestock. If youre looking for a pup with back dewclaws, then youre in luck. Some herding breeds or guarding breeds have double dewclaws on their hind legs. Helping a dog scramble up or down rocky, steep terrain.Adding grip and stability on slippery surfaces such as ice or when climbing out of water.Providing extra traction and stabilizing the (carpal) wrist joint when dogs turn at high speeds.Helping a dog grip a bone or toy between their front legs.Jerry Klein, Chief Veterinary Officer for the AKC. “There are a variety of ways dewclaws may help a dog accomplish different tasks,” says Dr. All dogs are born with a front dewclaw on each paw, and some of them have more: The breed standard for Great Pyrenees dogs is to have double dewclaws on each hind leg A select few breeds such as Saint Bernards (famous for their daring rescues and barrels of brandy), Icelandic Sheepdogs and Spanish Mastiffs have dewclaw s on their rear feet too. Some experts differentiate between dewclaws attached by bone versus floppier ones attached only by loose skin to try to distinguish why they’re there in the first place. Why Do Dogs Have Dewclaws?Įxperts have disagreed about the exact purpose of dewclaws on dogs. Depending on the breed, the double dewclaw may even be considered part of the breed standard. Certain breeds, such as the Great Pyrenees, Briard, Beauceron, and Icelandic Sheepdog, are known for having these rear double dewclaws.
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