pads turning into hair

Question
My Golden Retriever has very thick hair growing on the pads of her paws. At first it looked like the pads were turning into hair. Then I thought it was growing through the pads. Then a revelation hit me. It looks to me like the pads are made up of small cells, like a broccoli bud. It struck me that my dog has been an inside dog for a year and a half, walking on carpet 5 percent of her life and sitting and sleeping the other 95 percent. What if the pads are actually hair-like follicles that stay hard and black when the dog is walking and standing on the ground outside most of her life but, revert back to hair when the pads aren't used much. I say this because the hair is thick, stiff and Brown like the rest of her hair and it looks like it is not growing through the pad but is actually the pad material itself.

Am I right? I know you had the same problem a few years ago.  What did you come up with? If this is the case then I think the answer is to keep the dog outside to toughen up the pads and turn them back into hard Black pads. What do you think?

Respectfully, Steve

Answer

Hi Steve,

I'm not sure I understand your question. A dog's foot pads are not hair-like follicles that are hard, they are hard calloused skin without many nerve endings. Hair grows from between the pads, not from the pad itself.

The answer isn't in keeping your dog outside. If your dog was being walked on sidewalks or in the street more often, the hair between his pads would naturally be worn down. If you're careful, you can gently clip the hair between the foot pads (use baby manicure scissors - the kind with a rounded tip) if the hair is getting very long. Clip the hair to barely reach the pads on your dog's feet, not so close that the dog's feet are bald.
You could also use an electric mustache trimmer. You may need the help of another person to hold your dog when you attempt this.

Best of luck,

Patti