fur on dogs paws

Question
Hi Gail! My name is Emily and I am the owner of a 1 year old golden retriever. I have seen him constantly biting and pulling on the fur on the bottom of his paws. I tried trimming the fur. I made him lay down, and I held the paw in one hand. With the other, I carefully and slowly trimmed the tips of the fur. When I did so, he cringed and pulled his leg away. Is there something I am doing wrong, and is there a better way to fix it? Thanks in advance!

Answer
Hi Emily,

Goldens can grow a lot of fur in their pads. When they get professionally groomed we take a clipper and carefully shave the pads of the paw clean. Goldens also tend to have a lot of allergies that make them itch and chew on their paws, legs etc. I am not sure if that is the case or he just has a lot of fur in the pads. If the hair is left in the pad it can mat and cause discomfort to the dog. It probably feels like if they are walking an a rock in the shoe. I would recommend taking your dog to a professional groomer and have him get the "works". You would be surprised what a great job a groomer can do to help with the coat, pads, nails etc. I hope this helps. thank you,

Gail