To do or not to do? Money is not an issue. Showing at specialties and all breed shows.

Many opinions ranging from OMG no - to yes!

I prefer the dews taken off! I have hunted upland game birds all over the country. Ihave seen to many dogs with dew claws cut or completely ripped off.

Another reason - I have been told if it is done before the pups nurse - it a great time to test for EIC and a few other dilemmas.

Additonally, my dogs don't like having their nails done - so that makes for less stress when doing nails.

Just my thoughts!

I don't!!

I have been doing them for years. Think region don't. In my area we all do. But some think its awful and the rest of us just do them. You will hear all sorts of silly things. You decide.

Using dew claws to test for CNM or EIC has nothing to do with the pups nursing!!! The genetic content of the tissue/blood in their bodies does not change when they nurse.

Besides, you can't remove dew claws as the pups hit the ground...they are normally done at3-5 days old.

MWK

This has been discussed over and over and I do believe that the majority answer is no.

I did my first litter over 25 yrs ago and will never do it again. No reason is good enough.

The majority of lab people don't hunt. Even most hunt test people don't really hunt. The OP is looking for reasons, not a popularity contest. This isn't the House of Representatives. :)

Having said that, I do upland hunting and don't do dews anymore. Many of the people I hunt with do however. I think there are good reasons for having them done and good reasons for not. For me, most of my pups go to non-hunting pet homes and doing every puppy from every litter for the debatable benefit of one or two pups from each litter doesn't seem worth it to me.

Can't think of ANY reason I would want to mutilate my newborn babies. I think there is enough involved in raising newborn born pup without adding in another stress factor.
I know someone who lost their entire litter the day after dew claws were removed.
I will NEVER do it.

I remove mine.

I don't know where some of you breeders get your dewclaws done, but mine are done at the vet and there is no mutilation going on.

I have always felt God made the perfect dog when he made the labrador we don't need to mess with it. I leave mine on .

Didn't mean to upset a few of you. Really sorry.

JH, SH and MH have very little in common with actual hunting. It is a test - really fun to watch - I love dogs who run these tests. It says that the drive hasn't been bred out of the lab. The enjoyment of learning with a dog to pass a test really makes for some happy times for owner and dog.

Hunting upland game is a lot different under some very difficult terrain. Burs, barbed wire fences, cactus. Anyone who hasn't seen a dew claw ripped off - well it is awful.

I totally respect people who elect not to take off dews - just like I respect people who take them off.

I never really thought about dew claw removal as mutilatiuon - any more than I think that circumsision is a form of mutilation.

Testing for all genetic's with the dew claw would seem to make sense at least to me.

If you want to debate, have the courage to put your name with your comments. After all, we were not talking about someone's breeding reputation or business ethics or labs - just thoughts on to do, or not to do.

And thanks for some very good comments on the thread, does give pause to think and rethink the subject.

I think in the future, I will just read and not comment - lots more opportunity to learn , than opinions and knowledge to share.

Remember what the N on a Nebraska football helmet stands for - knowledge! I always liked that joke.

I do too. And actually if the litter is as strong and mobile as mine have been from certain studs, I do them at 2 days. The vet argued w/ me at first but he learned quickly that puppies from litters already standing to nurse at 12 hrs (really) were far stronger at 3 days than he bargained for. My last litter was born 4 days early, and despite that we still did them at 2 days as I felt waiting until Monday would be too traumatic for them. They were plenty strong at 2 days! Mine never seem bothered after the initial squawk.
I've heard of folks having issues w/ infection but those were ones who did them themselves and lacked sterile conditions, apparently. If I had to do them myself, I'd not do them probably but I've seen enough irritated dews over the years and had friends w/ ripped ones that I'll continue to have my vet do them.

I think there is a fair amount of regional differences but overall would say far fewer lab breeders remove dew claws now compared to years ago. I don't do my labs. I do quite a bit of dew claw removals for clients'litters and can't remember the last time someone brought in a labrador litter.

In regards to the issue of dogs catching the dew claw and having it tear. I commonly see dogs come in for breaking off a nail, I rarely see dogs come in because the actual rest of the digit is torn and in cases where I have seen that it is just as easily ANY digit not just the dew claw. I know that is the reason everyone uses (active hunting dogs can injure that digit) but truly I see all sorts of cuts and injuries in my active hunting dog population and it is varied and torn dew claws is not at the top of the list of things I see.

I do agree with the poster who will often bring them in at 2 days... some of these guys are too big by 4 days and are a lot more difficult to hold and there is more bleeding the older they are. (as long as they are good healthy pups).

I usually do them. I don't know how long I will continue to do them. Many puppy buyers still ask about dew claw removal. I do like the look of the leg without them, but it is painful and not required.
I think I will be leaving them on in the future. Have done many litters and never one problem. We do them at day 3-5.F6CT