Dewclaws - To Be or Not to Be
This is my first post to this board, and I am looking forward to being part of the larger sheepie community. We have just adopted a rescue OES from petfinder.com - he was formerly named "Kobe" if you saw him there. He is now Theodore because he is such a Teddy bear! Teddy is my third OES - the first, Watson, was a rescue who is still with my ex, and the second, Spencer, just passed over the Rainbow Bridge at age 3 after complications following abdominal surgery. Teddy will never replace the Spence-Man, but he sure is good therapy. That all being said, I have a question about dewclaws. In stroking/patting/grooming Teddy, I noticed that he still has his dewclaws. Does anyone have any opinions as to whether these should be removed? Teddy is 2, so this could be painful and traumatic, but if removal could stave off future problems, I'd go forward with it. If it is unnecessary, they stay. Also, I'm wondering if the fact that he still has these is a sign of bad whelping care/puppy mill origin. His tail was also sloppily docked - it's about 3 inches long and looks like a "bun." I look forward to your comments. GatorJamie |
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| It is too late to worry about why his tail wasn't docked right or why the dewclaws weren't removed.
Just trim them every time you groom or when they need it. Otherwise they will hurt the dog when they grow towards the skin or when the dog rests. If Teddy is already 2, he's used to them and probably has a callous built up already. Not to mention the trauma. Right now it would be better to work on bonding with the dog. When a dog is adjusting to a new home they do not need any added trauma or big change. Unless a problem develops, just make sure either you or your groomer trims the dewclaws and checks them out every now and then. As for the tail, you could poof up his rump hair and make it a lot less noticeable. Our dog was docked incorrectly, but usually only fellow OES owners and vets notice. In Europe we saw quite a few OES with their tails  intact. It was a lot easier to see how friendly these guys are, their tails wave about like humming birds wings when they are happy.
Accept your Teddy for what he is, a big loving cuttle pooch.
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| Thanks for the tip re his dewclaws. I just worry about them being snagged because he is such an energetic boy, but you have a point re calluses.
As for his rump, it's funny-looking, but in no circumstance would I have anything done to it. I can't imagine how extremely painful that would be at this age. In fact, if I had a sheepie from birth, I would insist that his/her tail NOT be docked -- even funnier-looking, but way more humane. |
| I have 3 daughters. The first OES we ever actually petted and played with was in Holland. He had his tail, and it looked normal. When we bought our OES in Argentina, and its tail was docked, we were disappointed. You could see the puppy was trying to wiggle it ... but she actually the stub going now.
I can see why people would dock them, as they are like a Lab's tail in that they are medium lenth and very strong. I guess theyu would bump everything if they actually had tails, although our lab never did. We also owned a standard poodle, but its tail was docked too. So I say I wouldn't mind undocked, but I keep picking dogs with docked tails. Not very consistent am I? But you are right. At 2 it would just be cruel to even consider it. As far as getting it snagged, it could happen. More likely you will forget when you are grooming him and try to comb it off. Abbi has 2 warts and I keep catching them in the slicker. I am going over them very lightly, and I still snag them every once in a while. Do tell anyone who grooms Teddy about the claws. |
| Belive it or not Pisco was born without a tail.... I took him to the vet for his first shots and he was the one that notice it and told me...he has absolutly no rump at all...my vet says that sometimes happens in this breed....
dewclaws he still has his..... he`s 7 month now and it will be traumatic...I check them once a week and so far no problem..... |
Sorry but... what is a dewclaw  |
| The dewclaw is the one claw dogs and certain animals have at he back of esch leg...around what should be the wrist.... |
| I have heard of about 3 or 4 OES born without tails. One breeder up north of here advertises that all of her puppies are born tailess.
Dewclaws are found up on the forelegs right before the first joint from the paw. Even if it is removed, there's a pad there. |
| any undocked oes owners out there in the uk please contact us.
C Barnes |
| I've had everything from a properly docked to stub to full tail and frankly I love them all. Currently I have a stubber and a full tail. The stub I clip to make a poodle pom-pom. The full tailer is no more trouble to keep clean than the no-tailers, maybe even less.
As for dews, I've never had a dog tear one out. Oh yes, broken nails if I neglect their clipping. Speaking of dews, did you know Great Pyrennes (and many other French breeds) have double dews on the rear legs? They are actually semi-toes and should never be removed as the dogs can acually use them like toes. |
| I've heard of a few tearing them off. A friend has a lab that didn't have it's dew claws removed and at 9 months old the dog was playing outside and got it caught on a tree stump. It tore right off and the dog almost bled to death, so my friend rushed the dog to the vet where they were properly removed under anesthetic to stop the bleeding and prevent it from happening again. |
| My Pooh Bear has his.....should I look into having them removed? I'm a bit worried about them now! |
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