I had a little mixed breed named Frisky that I got as a young adult. She weighed between 10 and 12 pounds. She had dew claws that would have fit better on a 20 - 30 pound dog. Darn things stuck out and she caught them on several different occasions. She'd let out a loud yelp and bleed like crazy. But it was over in no time. I am sure it hurt, but I was not remotely tempted to have them removed. She used those dew claws with toys and bones very effectively. In my mind, removing dew claws is merely a cosmetic procedure.