Working Dog Forums banner
Cancel

Dew Claws

Jump to Latest Follow
1 - 20 of 37 Posts
Connie Sutherland

· Premium Member
Joined
·
20,208 Posts
Discussion Starter · #1 ·
OK, until Sue mentioned it, I had no idea that there was mega-controversy about whether to remove the front dew claws on a GSD. I thought it was generally done.

But Sue mentioned that GSD people often do NOT, so I Googled.

I see vehement opinions on both sides, so I'm going to have to look at some authoritative (vet college) sites and see who has the most experienced opinion behind their stance.

If anyone has an excellent URL, I'd appreciate it. Meanwhile I'll look at the ones I have. This is one of the (many) subjects I have never looked up or saved sources for.
 
J

· Registered
Joined
·
112 Posts
#3 ·
Connie... we (the puppies and I) wait on your opinion as they are suppose to have the Dew claws removed per the vet recommendation tomorrow... but I don't want to act on this if this is not the proper thing to do. My puppies will be working / sport if that makes a difference.

PS... no pressure :wink:
 
H

· Registered
Joined
·
942 Posts
#6 ·
ok found this too


A dewclaw is an incompletely developed toe in a dog, usually the first digit of the foreleg, although it can also be found on the rear leg. Rear dewclaws are absent in most dogs, although single and double dewclaws are normal in some breeds such as the Great Pyrenees and briard. Dewclaws are attached to the toe bone or to the skin only. Dewclaws are removed because they are easily traumatized, especially those attached only to the skin. Removal should be performed in dogs that require frequent grooming such as poodles, schnauzers, and fox terriers and in hunting dogs to prevent trauma.

Dewclaws are best removed (amputated) at 3 to 5 days of age, because no anesthesia is given at this young age. Animals that are 1 week old or older require local anesthesia. Surgery on animals older than 1 week should be postponed and done under general anesthesia at 12 to 16 weeks of age.

But some still say dont do it.............I have never dont it with any of my dogs( ok not gsd's) and they have never had any problems whatsoever. Nail just wears down like the others do.
 
G

·
#7 ·
Off the top of my head, I can't think of any of the working dogs I've met who *don't* have them. Caleb and Apollo both have them. Why not go to reputable breeder websites and see if they come w/or w/out dewclaws? I bet they keep them.
 
G

·
#9 ·
Caleb isn't exactly a puppymill dog or a BBB dog; I would think if they should've been removed, they would've. I don't think most breeders still do this; I have a showline Peke (father is 9th in the world)...with dewclaws. I had a show quality cocker spaniel...with dewclaws. Widget has them as well. I think this may be something people are getting away from. I am a real stickler for leaving nature alone, so I'd definitely leave them alone. The worst case scenario with them isn't life-threatening.
 
H

· Registered
Joined
·
942 Posts
#10 ·
Jenni Williams said:
Caleb isn't exactly a puppymill dog or a BBB dog; I would think if they should've been removed, they would've. I don't think most breeders still do this; I have a showline Peke (father is 9th in the world)...with dewclaws. I had a show quality cocker spaniel...with dewclaws. Widget has them as well. I think this may be something people are getting away from. I am a real stickler for leaving nature alone, so I'd definitely leave them alone. The worst case scenario with them isn't life-threatening.
Click to expand...
Agree with Jenni 100% I would leave them be.
 
Connie Sutherland

· Premium Member
Joined
·
20,208 Posts
Discussion Starter · #11 ·
Jenni Williams said:
Caleb isn't exactly a puppymill dog or a BBB dog; I would think if they should've been removed, they would've. I don't think most breeders still do this; I have a showline Peke (father is 9th in the world)...with dewclaws. I had a show quality cocker spaniel...with dewclaws. Widget has them as well. I think this may be something people are getting away from. I am a real stickler for leaving nature alone, so I'd definitely leave them alone. The worst case scenario with them isn't life-threatening.
Click to expand...
Well, one breeder site I looked at said they could do quite a bit of damage if caught and pulled because of the area -- that's an area where a dog bleeds (like a human, in fact) a lot.

I am still reading. Several vet sites call them vestigial and say that there are now starting to be some GSDs born without them...........i.e., that nature appears to be phasing them out anyway.

(Had to go away for a few hours, but I have a bunch of sites bookmarked now.)
 
Jim Nash

· Registered
Joined
·
2,644 Posts
#12 ·
I'm not a breeder but I've dealt with alot of GSD's . Generally speaking the rear dewclaws in a GSD are usually removed and the front dewclaws are left on .

I've found it to be different from breed to breed . I've also dealt with hunting Labs and it's common for them to have front and back removed .

I can't remember the last time I saw a GSD with it's rear dewclaws on . I've also never seen a GSD with it's front dewclaws removed unless they had been injured . The front dewclaws on a GSD are usually fine if kept trimmed . I'm not sure how long the rear ones on a GSD get but if they tend to be larger they could get caught on something if left on .

We have also dealt with French Bourgerians(? spelling) and they have extremely long dewclaws and actually have 2 front dewclaws , which we removed on our street dogs . Found out later that is a big no-no with people that work that breed .

Long story short most GSD's I've seen work with front dewclaws (trimmed short) and the rear dewclaws are removed . Some of the breed standard books note that also . In the end it's up to you though .
 
Connie Sutherland

· Premium Member
Joined
·
20,208 Posts
Discussion Starter · #13 ·
Julia Tompson said:
Connie... we (the puppies and I) wait on your opinion as they are suppose to have the Dew claws removed per the vet recommendation tomorrow... but I don't want to act on this if this is not the proper thing to do. My puppies will be working / sport if that makes a difference.

PS... no pressure :wink:
Click to expand...
As Jim says, it's up to you, and also as Jim (and the internet) says, most GSDs tend to keep the front ones.

I think if I had it scheduled for tomorrow, I might change it to another day in order to read a little more or hear from the vet his/her actual reasoning.

In general, so far, the VET sites tend to say yes if the puppy is very young (because of the lack of anesthesia needed on the soft claw at that stage) but not-so-much on an older dog (say, a rescue).

But here are just a couple of the ones who tend to agree with Sue and others (and there are many):

Front dewclaws:

http://www.workingdogs.com/doc0019.htm

http://www.faqs.org/qa/qa-5727.html

http://urban-agrarian.blogspot.com/2006/03/dewclaws-yes-or-no.html

As far as the AKC is concerned, either way is OK with them.
http://www.akc.org/breeds/german_shepherd_dog/index.cfm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewclaw
 
Connie Sutherland

· Premium Member
Joined
·
20,208 Posts
Discussion Starter · #18 ·
Julia Tompson said:
We must have been posting at the same time. After reviewing the links you posted... I see no urgency to removing them. I took the vets recommendation to heart... not thinking that he was probably lining his own pocket :evil:

See... that is why forums are so great! Thanks again Mike!
Click to expand...
Well, it IS accepted practice in many areas...........and now it's being questioned. He might well have learned that it was correct to do when he went to school. (Or you might be right too! LOL!)
 
J

· Registered
Joined
·
112 Posts
#19 ·
Jim Nash said:
From the photo on your blog it looks like Marsha has her front dewclaws . They are on the inside part of the leg about 3-4 inches up from the foot .
Click to expand...
OMG... they are by her elbows. I was looking at the puppies and then her. The puppies have like a hand with fives toes. Marsha’s is way up buy her elbow.

Jim... thanks for pointing that out.
 
1 - 20 of 37 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
About this Discussion
36 Replies
15 Participants
Last post:
Konnie Hein
Working Dog Forums
A forum community dedicated to working dog owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about breeding, health, behavior, housing, adopting, care, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
General Working Dog Discussion Diet & Health New Member Introductions Breeding Newbie (Beginner) Discussion
Top