dog fifth paw

Question
Was there ever a function for a dogs fifth paw?  

Answer
Hi Bob

Unless your dog has five legs I think you are referring to the dew claw.

In some breeds, the dewclaws are used to lightly grip bones and other items that dogs hold with the paws.

There is argument as to whether dewclaws should be removed. The argument for removal is that dewclaws are a weak digit, barely attached to the leg, so that they can rip partway off or easily catch on something and break, which can be extremely painful and prone to infection.

And there are those that say the pain of removing a dewclaw is far greater than any other risk.

If a dewclaw is to be removed, this should be done when the dog is a puppy, sometimes as young as 3 days old, though it can also be performed on older dogs if necessary (though the surgery may be more difficult then). It is straight-forward procedure that requires special scissors.  But caution should be taken, if not removed correctly, the dew claw can grow back.