Feet hair?

As a groomer/bather, my biggest pet peeve is letting dogs go out without having their feet done. It just looks neater on the long-haired breeds to have their feet tidy.
"Slipper feet" just don't look nice!

But in all reality, it's good to keep inbetween the dog's feet trimmed because it's warm and moist and nice yeast like to live there, so keeping the hair out will make it a less habitable place to live?? Also in the winter-time places that have snow, the webbing inbetween the feet can collect snowballs (So I am told- I dont live in a place where the white stuff comes down! [])
 
Daisy gets her pads shaved out with a blade (#30 to be exact) because she gets matted inbetween her toes and tries to chew them out- which hurts her feet.
 
I usually don't trim the feet on a short haired dog (lab, beagle, etc) unless it's just stick-up hairs all over. I always trim the feet on Cockers, Goldens, Shelties, etc.

Okay, thanks!  I dont think Im gonna do anything with it... its very short.

You're right about the snow in the fur on their feet.  My bc and I were walking on a snowy trail and she started chewing on her front paw.  I checked it and there were little snowballs, hard like ice, stuck in there on all 4 paws, poor girl.  I carried her over to a picnic table, placed her on top, took off my gloves, and not only pulled, (gently!), but tried to melt them off with my hands.  Maybe she should wear boots too!  (I doubt she would put up with them though.)
Now I trim their "unsightly foot hair", but how do you do it without tickling them?
I agree about the slipper feet, not that I have her trimmed, but when her feet are clipped and smooth looking, she looks so much better.  (So stylish!  LOL)

Thanks for posting this Amy, I was just about to post a question about this.  I wasn't sure if I should trim Dasher's hair on his feet.  He doesn't have slipper feet, as he is short coated, but if you look underneth his feet there is hair sticking out. I thought I heard that clipping feet hair will help traction?  Is there any truth to this? 

ORIGINAL: jen_s

You're right about the snow in the fur on their feet.  My bc and I were walking on a snowy trail and she started chewing on her front paw.  I checked it and there were little snowballs, hard like ice, stuck in there on all 4 paws, poor girl.

That happens to Spot's feet in the winter too! When we get inside he starts yanking the snowballs of his toes with his teeth, hehe.

Also it gets matts from debris sticking in there too and they will eventually get annoyed and chew on them and it gets inflamed, I had this happen w/ my first pap, I did'nt know she was a pap, and didn't know that had to be done, I am still killing myself w/ guilt over that, I use electric clippers.

I trim Emma's and Teenie's. Teenie's is crazy long and doesn't look very neat (she also gets sticky outies around her scars trimmed).

Emma *needs* the traction, as she doesn't have full control of her back end. Yes, it helps! Imagine standing on hair, vs standing on feets

I scissor Blue's hair between his pads to help him have cool paws in the summer time and get rid of any mats or snow balls that get up in his pad. Plus it drives me crazy.