Someone recently told me that when my quickly approaching litter of puppies is coming that I should take the dewclaws off of the puppies immediately after birth. I have looked everywhere and they all say they are normally left on. Should I take them off or leave them on? Will it decrease the value of the puppies?
Any information is appreciated.
2006-11-30 02:45:32 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
This is DIRECT from the AKC breed standard!!
Forequarters
The shoulder blades are long and obliquely angled, laid on flat and not placed forward. The upper arm joins the shoulder blade at about a right angle. Both the upper arm and the shoulder blade are well muscled. The forelegs, viewed from all sides, are straight and the bone oval rather than round. The pasterns are strong and springy and angulated at approximately a 25-degree angle from the vertical. Dewclaws on the forelegs may be removed, but are normally left on.
The feet are short, compact with toes well arched, pads thick and firm, nails short and dark.
LEAVE them ON!!!
Pepsie....you missed the boat AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2006-11-30 11:40:41 · answer #1 · answered by ARE YOUR NEWFS GELLIN'? 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Think about this, what advantage or benefit is it for the Dog . Time and money for you, i have seen plenty of Dogs at the parks that are not Dewclawed. Keep the dogs best interest in mind, i too have heard of this but do not believe it is nessary. After all Dogs were born with dewclaws!
2006-12-02 11:14:36 · answer #2 · answered by wood'y 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Even on the show dogs we don't remove dew claws on the front on our German Shepherds. It will not decrease the value of the pups at all. Now, I will tell you if you get any rear dew claws, those should be taken off right away after birth. There are some lines that carry rear dew claws. I have seen it more in the white lines. If you see rear dew claws, they will most likely be not formed claws and very easy to snip off. Leave the front dew claws alone on a Shepherd.
Hahaha, it is funny that Pepsi says she shows and trains dogs and that her favorite breed is the GSD!! LOL Pepsi, if you have ever even been to a GSD specialty, you would see most of the Shepherds in the shows have front dew claws!!
2006-11-30 04:29:50 · answer #3 · answered by bear 2 zealand © 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dewclaws are prone to getting snagged and ripped, so many breeders prefer to have them removed when the puppies are just days old. If you're not showing your dog, discuss dewclaw removal with your veterinarian during your first appointment. Many vets will remove dewclaws at the owners request, during the spay or neuter, so you can always give the option to the new owners and not make the decision yourself. Many dogs live their lives with their dews and have no problems. Some can result in serious injury to the dog. Bring the pups to the vet and she can examine them and give suggestions.
2006-11-30 03:00:07 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Do NOT take the dewclaws off of your GSD. Dewclaws are only taken off of dogs when there is a reason to take them off, i.e. labs, weimeraners - dogs that are running through the brush hunting. This is not the case in a GSD. If you went to any dog show and watched the GSDs in the ring - you will see that all of them have their dewclaws. Take to a GSD breeder if you have any questions. There are many helpful breeders out there that are willing to answer questions from other breeders.
2006-11-30 04:05:07 · answer #5 · answered by GSDotch 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Read the standard - it says dewclaws may be removed but are usually left on. That means just that - show dogs don't need them removed, neither will decrease the value.
Since I've had a number of dogs who have ripped their dewclaws, I would have them taken off for that reason alone.
2006-11-30 02:51:28 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
Most dogs get their dewclaws taken out. Alot of people don't care for them properly and they grow in a circle and grow into the dogs legs and that's not good. It also looks "cleaner". But there are many dogs who have their dewclaws in, so its comes down to personal preference. I personally, prefer the dewclaws taken out. Dewclaws on the hind legs look creepy to me. :-/
2006-11-30 03:26:23 · answer #7 · answered by waterglint 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You do not have to do this, but it is often recommended because the dew claws can get caught on things as the puppy (and then dogs) plays and rough-houses. They can then either damage them or pull them completely off (causing more pain than it would to have a vet remove them). I would suggest you talk with your vet about it and see what they suggest.
2006-11-30 02:55:11 · answer #8 · answered by Stephanie H 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Veterinarians will routinely and safely remove them when that are spayed or neutered. The dew claws often catch on things and get ripped off, causing the dog discomfort. My German Shepard mix was supposed to have hers taken off when she was being spayed but she woke up from the anesthetic too soon. She lived a long life with her dew claws on. Occasionally she would get one caught on something and the nail would break off but it wasn't a big deal.
2006-11-30 03:02:03 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
On show dogs remove the dewclaws, but wait 24 hours, the pups need to get over the stress of being born.
For a pet the choice is yours, although I have seen dogs rip their dew claws when they were older and then you need a vet to step in simply because it's a bigger wound.
2006-11-30 02:49:00 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋