Dewclaw question

Every pure bred dog I have bought has had them removed.  I wouldn't get a pure bred dog with them personally.  I get scratched enough without that to deal with also.  We had seen several irish setter pups with them and I didn't even consider contacting the breeder because most good breeders have removed them.  Again just my opinion!  My husband feels it looks more attractive and enlongates the dogs leg.  Not that we have a show dog by any means but he is gorgeous to us!

it depends on the breed..my golden retriever has no dewclaws-hers were obviously removed as a puppy, because you can see the scars

 My akita has front dewclaws..*knock on wood* ive never had a problem with them getting caught on anything.  Not sure the purpose of leaving them on there, but i dont think ive ever seen an akita without them.  They are very tight and close to the leg.

My beauceron, of course, has 6 DEWCLAWS!  It is a breed trait, and They must have them in order to be shown..1 on each front leg, and 2 on each rear.  The ones on the front are normal, and tight.  The ones on the back legs are fairly close/tight to the leg...again i have yet to have problems with them getting caught on anything.  Not sure the exact purpose of this, the best answer ive heard is that it aids in movement and sharp turning when herding..seems to me like theyd be more of a hindurance then help overall, but for a breed thats been around for so many hundreds of years, and im just getting into it..i guess i dotn know it all!

Breeders (I mean good breeders here) always remove rear dew claws unless the breed standard calls for them, like Great Pyrs and a couple others.

For the fronts, it varies by breed. In some breeds they always remove, in some they often leave them. In my breed most but not all remove the fronts. I think it tends to go by how much bone they should have. For example, in Rottweilers and Malamutes you want a big sturdy leg. Leaving the front dew claw can add to the appearance of size. In a breed that should be refined like a Standard Poodle then I think they always remove.

My dog is a shelter mix and she had hers done by I don't know who. She's a terrier mix and they docked her tail and removed her dew claws at birth, but I don't know why they would do that and then dump her at the shelter.

     I always remove dewclaws. If I have a litter that I want a pup to show, it needs the dew claws removed for the cleaner appearance. I also have a stud that frequently throws large, bulky rear dewclaws, so those need to be removed for safety reasons. They'd get caught on brush in the field and would bleed like crazy! Removing the dewclaws is not cruelty in any way, shape or form - it's actually doing a service to the dog.

 I totally get removing rear dews because of their generally floppy nature, but why remove a well attached front dew?!  I have seen how much both of my girls use those front dew claws, both when making fast turns as well as manipulating bones, etc. and I would never want to take them away - their nails on those toes are always worn down so I know they're used frequently.  Seems silly to me to remove usuable body parts in general though.

My husky has her front dewclaws and she's never had a problem with them. They are attached really well and I don't see a reason to take them off.

My 2 aussies had all their dews removed. However, my foster aussie has all 4 dewclaws. I'm going to have her back ones removed when she's spayed and keep her fronts. They are well attached like my huskies and I just don't see a reason to take them off. 

When I got Tootsie her front dewclaws were removed. 

My Maggie is a Great Pyr with double dew claws and I think they are cute!  Its her breed standard but I still would not remove them if they were not.  I see no need.  They don't bother her, never get caught or ripped off.  Just kinda flop around...I personally like the look of her tootsies.

I would refuse to buy a dog that had its front dewclaws removed. Dogs use them to an amazing degree, especially when whizzing around sharp turns on agility courses.

mudpuppy

I would refuse to buy a dog that had its front dewclaws removed. Dogs use them to an amazing degree, especially when whizzing around sharp turns on agility courses.

Guess I should send Sequoyah back... 

Some breeders remove them on working dogs, and if you want a working dog you take the dog without its dewclaws.  That said, while I would not have refused Sequoyah because of her lack of dewclaws, I would not have had them removed myself for the reason you state.  I didn't even get referred to that litter until after they were removed, because they were done at the same time her tail was docked (yup, another issue - I would have preferred her with a tail, too) at three days of age.  But, because health (no epilepsy) and ability (strong working lines, and the desire for a pup from a particular line) were important to me, I didn't turn my nose up at her.  My Sioux and Maska have their dewclaws and I would not remove them, especially after the neonate stage.

Emma had lovely, attached dewclaws that had to be removed at 14 months because of multiple rips and nasty infections. She sucked her dewclaws, so when they were torn, they stayed wet and got infected. Every. Time. I prefer to see them removed, as a groomer, because most folks don't have their dogs' nails done nearly enough. I've pulled countless dewclaws out of pads.

Ena's (Chinese Crested) were removed, and Teenie's were intact.

In rhodesians we almost always remove the dews. While not a requirment we have all seen the profound damage done lure coursing. We do it on day 3 , they need no pain killers anf heal very fast !!

Bonita of Bwana

Here's a pic of the "stub" and the claw on the other side. I don't think they look "loose"? This happens when she plays ball (retrieves a tennis ball) she does some awsome quick turns on smooth grassy surface. so yeah she uses them for traction, but gosh, thats not so great for her I think!

anyway, I don't think I'll ever get a dog from a respectable breeder   (don't worry, rescues for me) I just wondered what the usual practice is. I prefer she would not have dewclaws. Both my other dogs don't abuse theirs this way, so those don't bother me.Any opinions on having them removed now? I think that would be awful for her to go through, But then again to rip the complete nail out of the toe is probably no fun either.

thanks for all your replies