Dew Claws

Question
We recently purchased a pure bred GS puppy ( a red saddle back) and noticed she has both frot and rear dew claws. I have never seen a GS with rear dew claws and am wondering if this is a rare or not that unusual of a occurance. I would like to know what the recommendations are as far as removing them so it doesnt cause any type of injury to her. She is going to be groomed for Search and rescue starting in a few months. Thanks for your time and answers.

Answer
Hi Larry,  Rear dew claws are not that common, but you see them once in awhile.  The front ones are supposed to be there on GSDs, so leave them there.  It is genetic, so if you plan on breeding her, you will pass them on. If you have puppies with her in the future, have the rear ones removed at 3 days of age.   You can have the rear ones removed on her, but once the puppy is over a week of age, it is considered an amputation because it is a bone, and not just cartlidge.  They can catch on things though, so if you find they are a problem (you can keep them trimmed down) with her doing S&R work, then I would recommend getting them removed.  For just a pet, I wouldn't put her through a major surgery of having them removed, I would just keep them trimmed.  Again, it depends on how much they are in the way.  Hope this helps,

Dawn