rafiki Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Hello. I was wondering whether most breeders still remove dew claws these days? Is there a move away from it? I remember years ago everyone did it but lately we have been talking to some breeders (retrievers and poodles) and some have them removed at a young age them whilst others prefer to leave them intact.We've had dogs in the past both with and without them. Not wanting to start a debate, just curious what the current thinking was these days Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 There was a really good thread about this a while ago - to do with conformation .. running ...all sorts of stuff . Do a search on dew Claw Removal or similar, see what you can find :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjelkier Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 I leave them on my Samoyed puppies, in fact most breeders I know these days don't touch them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 found it!! LINK 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 I remove them from the Italian Greyhounds. Not a pretty sight to see them ripped from the leg during running and stopping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pjrt Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 I think I see a lot more dew claws these days than I did in the dark ages when tails were routinely docked. Breeds that were docked almost always had dew claws removed at the same time. In the conformation ring a lot of smooth coat dogs have them removed to get clean lines down the legs, or some such nonsense. Dogs injure their other nails just as often. Are we going start cutting them all off? Dogs injure their legs a lot. Are We going start cutting them off? Dogs injure their faces a lot. We going start cutting them off? There are a few breeds required to have rear dew claws. Should we start cutting them off? Personally, i put my flame suit on, and say I think dew claw removal can only be justified If and when a critical injury occurs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 As a rule , front dews should be left . I do believe though (from past experiences) if a household /facility with elderly people get a dog - removing front dews is a step forward in reducing injuries to fragile skin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebanne Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 I remove them from my greyhounds as babies and will continue to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 Thanks for the replies and for the link to the other thread. I will have a good read through. I guess I am trying to figure out whether removal (or not) would be reason enough not to go with a breeder if I otherwise liked the dog. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonwoman Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Hello. I was wondering whether most breeders still remove dew claws these days? Is there a move away from it? I remember years ago everyone did it but lately we have been talking to some breeders (retrievers and poodles) and some have them removed at a young age them whilst others prefer to leave them intact.We've had dogs in the past both with and without them. Not wanting to start a debate, just curious what the current thinking was these days Thanks. I am told we aren't far away from a govt ban on dewclaw docking.................my breed is not docked, except for rear ones some lines throw, personally you might as well dock legs, they get injured too LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Ermm. Tails are docked, not dewclaws. Dewclaws are removed :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diva Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Thanks for the replies and for the link to the other thread. I will have a good read through. I guess I am trying to figure out whether removal (or not) would be reason enough not to go with a breeder if I otherwise liked the dog. Thanks again. I wouldn't let it influence your decision unless you are serious about a dog sport where it might make a difference. Some good breeders are convinced they should come off, some equally good are convinced they should stay on. After reading a lot of info I leave them on, but I wouldn't judge someone for taking them off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Rear ones should always be removed, except in the very few breeds that are required to have them. Front ones are a personal choice, depending on breed. In some breeds they stick out and are a nuisance, in both my breeds they are tucked neatly into the leg so there is no need to remove them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Unless you're going to do retrieving on ice, in which case it's important to preserve the front dewclaws, I'd say don't let this issue weigh heavily on your decision about a breeder. There are valid reasons on both sides. I'm in the camp that's against dew claw removal, but there are cases of torn dew claws, and if I had experienced one of those, I might very well sit on the other side of the fence. If I really liked a breeder and wanted a pup from one of their litters, it would hardly bother me that dewclaws had been removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 My puppies had them removed, all my adult dogs have had them removed apart from our working BC. I have had no issues with joint issues. I have Whippets adn they do stick out a fair way. I have seen whippets come through my kennels with them still on adn the owners often comment on how often they are injured and the nails are quite often very deformed. Some have had them removed later with a much harder longer recovery. Dew claws are easy and very quick to remove. Mine were done in the whelping box and they protested more about being removed from the boob than their dewclaws being removed. I would do it again. If I really liked a dog I would not let it having it's dewclaws on, stop me from buying that pup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Podengo Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Dew Claw explanation by Christine Zink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 (edited) Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply. This has been very helpful information. I had a read of the Chris Zink stuff which makes sense in theory for sure. Has anyone actually observed anything like this in the 'real world' with their dogs in terms of injuries or arthritis or even increased sensitivity over those areas when grooming if dewclaws are removed? Sorry for all the questions! I think I have probably decided not to worry either way if I find the pup i really like but I still like hearing opinions form those of you with lots more experience in this. Cheers Edited March 14, 2015 by rafiki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 (edited) Many Dane Breeders still remove them. After my Canine Myofunctional course I would request that they stay on especially for active dogs, dogs who do a sport etc because they are actually used regardless of what someone else tells you. Some Danes don't have flat dew claws, they have weird ones that stick out and these can be an issue in terms of catching them and injury so in those cases removal could be a viable option. But if we look at the main reason why they are removed which is to create a nice clean line of the leg then we have to consider whether removing a functional body part (yes they are attached and by 5 tendons) is acceptable. I acknowledge that some rear dew claws don't have strong attachment points anymore and in some cases can be a bit mutant so for the purpose of this reply I'm commenting on front declaws. Edited March 14, 2015 by sas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricey Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Hi all, after much consideration around 9 years ago, I had both of Hobbes front leg dew claws removed. I did not have to give consideration to his rear dew claws as he did not have any. Hobbes is now a 13 year old American Pit Bull terrier and he does not move as quickly as he used to 9 years ago; back when he was 4 years old he was an incredibly active athlete of a dog. He ripped out both of his front dew claws twice in less than 4 months just chasing his ball. I'd take him to my vet; they'd bandage him up and 3 months later he'd do it again. And again..... So my vet suggested having his dew claws removed as a permanent fix. I was not that keen (I'm a physiotherapist and I think that most parts of us and our dogs are there for a reason and should not be cut off) so I looked into the issue in a bit of detail. If Hobbes actively used his front dew claws for manipulating objects or climbing trees, he'd have kept them. But he didn't, so they got lopped off. And I believe he is better for not having them. I have no regrets about having Hobbes' dew claws removed; I think that on balance, it was the best for him. However, I have huge regrets about having him neutered and I will never ever have a dog of mine neutered or spayed again; if you are a responsible dog owner, there are far better ways of ensuring that that your dog does not cause unwanted litters. You do not need to remove their testicles or their uterus and ovaries. These bits are important. You just have to be a little more careful. That's called 'responsible dog ownership' "cough" and isn't that what we all want? ricey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply. This has been very helpful information. I had a read of the Chris Zink stuff which makes sense in theory for sure. Has anyone actually observed anything like this in the 'real world' with their dogs in terms of injuries or arthritis or even increased sensitivity over those areas when grooming if dewclaws are removed? Sorry for all the questions! I think I have probably decided not to worry either way if I find the pup i really like but I still like hearing opinions form those of you with lots more experience in this. Cheers None of my dogs have had any soundeness issues relation to the area around where their dewclaw has been removed, arthritis in that joint or hyper sensitivity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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