# Feet



## Purley (May 21, 2010)

This might seem like a dumb question - but why do people shave Poodles' feet? Is there any reason other than they like them that way? I think they look horrible and wouldn't have my dog's feet like that unless there was any other health type reason.


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## Rockporters (Jan 14, 2010)

In addition to preferring them that way , it keeps my dogs from slipping and sliding so much on the travertine and wood floors. Clipping nails is much easier. It cuts down on matting in an area that gets muddy, and lots of wear and tear. And after the last round of ticks I am a huge believer in keeping any part of the dog's coat short that you can LOL.


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## cbrand (Aug 9, 2009)

First.... Poodles have very velcro like hair that picks up all manner of debris. Shaving feet keeps the Poodles from dragging dirt et al into the house. Even if you don't want a shaved foot, it is important to shave the inside of the pads so that thorns and foxtails don't get caught in the hair and ultimately work their way into the foot. This can lead to a lovely abscess!

Second... Poodles have very dense hair and I truly believe that a shaved foot helps keep them cooler.

Lastly.... In the ring, a shaved foot shows off the quality of the foot which would otherwise be hidden by hair.


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## PonkiPoodles (Feb 25, 2009)

As cbrand said, I heard it keeps them cooler. Apparently dogs release a lot of body heat through their pads?!?! (which is something I heard only recently)
I don't know how true that is, but I read it on a dog forum where people where giving advice about running with your dog on black top.


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## Pamela (Sep 9, 2008)

do you use a different clipper for the inside of the pads?


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

You can recognize health problems much sooner, like toe cancer, and without the hair, like cbrand said, foxtails and stickers don't have much to grab onto. It's also much cleaner.


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## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

The inside of the pads picks up a lot of dirt and debris. If you don't like the top shaved, I'd make sure to shave the inside of the pads. They also stand on their feet differently if they have too much hair in between the pads.


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## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

PonkiPoodles said:


> As cbrand said, I heard it keeps them cooler. Apparently dogs release a lot of body heat through their pads?!?! (which is something I heard only recently)
> I don't know how true that is, but I read it on a dog forum where people where giving advice about running with your dog on black top.


Dogs will actually sweat through their pads. We see it all the time at work when they are nervous. You can see their little wet footprints when you take them off the table. :biggrin:


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## Purley (May 21, 2010)

Oh for sure, my shih-tzus always have the bottoms of their feet cleaned up at the groomer - and their nails cut. But they have hair that goes down their legs and onto their feet. Mind you - its not very long when they first get clipped - probably half an inch. I wouldn't leave all that hair on the bottom of any dog's feet.


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## partial2poodles (Feb 11, 2010)

I groom a buff cocker and a B/W shih tzu that always get "poodle feet". Their owners like to wipe the morning dew and dampness off their feet and not track it inside. At first I thought it was dreadfull looking. But then again, some people think that poodles with "Poodle Feet" also look retarded. So now I just do what people want. My opinions are just that : my opinions. I live with my dogs the way I want to and other people do the same. I think it WOULD look really dumb if someone asked me to shave a golden retriever with poodle feet. I might draw the line there.


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## Cameo (Feb 5, 2010)

way back in the day, poodles feet were clipped to make their movement in the water easier for them. They have a very DEEP foot and that improves their ability to swim (along with their webbed toes). Their fur holds A LOT of water too, so it would take a LONG time for that tight space to dry out and would collect ice cyrstals from being in the cold water in a cold climate, as well as, bacteria and such from the water etc could accumulate UP in that space if the hair was left and it didn't dry well. 

In essence, it was a practice that allowed the dog to more effectively do it's job. Today, all those things still apply, but I do it because I LOVE a beautiful poodly foot  Especially those high on the toe and nice tight pads! It really adds to the gracefulness of a poodle when they are on the prance.


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

I am nutso crazy about Chagall's pretty, tight feet. At first, I thought they looked rather eerie and belonged on a monkey or something, but now--I just LOVE them! Especially right after he's been groomed and they're freshly shaved. I swear I would have a bronze statute made of his little feet if I could. Gosh, wouldn't that just make my husband go off the deep end?? We live in the country and there's no way I could keep his feet healthy and safe without shaving them; the ticks, the thorns--so many menaces! And in the winter those ice crystals between the toes can really build up and hurt the poo if there's hair left between the toes. It's a smart thing to keep those pretty feet trimmed and shaved so your poo can always put his/her best paw forward. And Cameo is so right; it makes their prancing look all the more dramatic.


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## poodleholic (Jan 6, 2010)

I love naked feet for all of the reasons stated in the posts above, and, I just love kissing 'em, too! Nothing prettier than a tight little Poodle foot (well, unless it's a Poodle face, a Poodle butt, :laugh


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## puppylove (Aug 9, 2009)

Could someone post some pictures of nice poodle feet and not so nice poodle feet?


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