Re: [PyrNet-L] dewclaws

["Donna Coffman" <dcoffman@erols.com>]

In many instances, the dewclaws are NOT "essentially hanging skin."  They
are lower on the foot and add shape to the foot.  If they are high on the
hock and really "essentially hanging skin," I would reconsider my earlier
post about never removing them.


----------
> From: JGentzel@aol.com
> To: pyrnet-l@gamerz.net
> Subject: Re: [PyrNet-L] dewclaws
> Date: Monday, June 22, 1998 2:55 PM
> 
> In a message dated 98-06-22 14:38:01 EDT, you write:
> 
> << but it's obvious to me that those toes dangling off my
>  dogs rear legs aren't going to cause H.D. if they're removed. >>
> 
> I would have scoffed at this post a couple years ago, but think it should
be
> pondered.  True some of the dew claws are essentially hanging skin.  I
think
> these are not the historical dew claws of the breed.  Lets not get into
the
> question of when is a dew claw a dew claw, please!!!  But-I have
carefully
> inspected dew claws in France the past couple years and there are
differences.
> They do have the hanging skin as well, but they also have a fair amount
of
> bony attached dew claws low on the side of the foot and it is actually a
sixth
> toe.  I cannot claim any tendons or musculature attachments for mobility,
but
> they are large and definitely increase the surface area of the foot
(snowshoes
> anyone?).  Speculative, but they do give the dog a different dimension. 
I
> have not seen these here (North America) to the same degree.  We do see
> sometimes a bony attachment, but it seems higher on the foot or hock. 
The
> French dogs have a longer hock for all practical
>  purposes and the thought has occurred to me when we correctly supplied
our
> dogs with those great driving rears we ended up with somewhat shorter
hocks
> and less outward turned toes.  Maybe the two events are connected.  Hard
to
> imagine they would not be associated.
> 
> Joe