Do Golden Retrievers Have Webbed Feet?
Yes, golden retrievers do have webbed feet. They were originally bred as gun dogs and meant to retrieve downed waterfowl such as ducks. For this reason, it's understandable that a golden retriever would need to be an efficient swimmer and webbed feet definitely help with that.
A golden retriever's webbed feet help them swim faster and much more efficiently than a dog without webbed feet such as a boxer.
While it's true that webbed feet help a golden retriever swim faster, you may be surprised to find out that swimming is not the only benefit for webbed feet.
What Else Are Webbed Feet Good For?
As we discussed, webbed feet are great for dogs that need the extra advantage while swimming, but did you know that some dogs such as the Dachshund also have webbed feet but for a whole other purpose?
Dachshunds were originally bred to hunt badgers and other small, burrowing animals. The webbing in their feet helps them move more dirt while digging making them more efficient diggers!
Other Cool Things to Know About Your Dog's Paws.
Cool Paw-Fact #1 - Dogs can get sweaty hands just like us. I know that sounds strange but it's true! Here's what we know... The inner layer of skin on a dog's paw has sweat glands that moves perspiration to the outer layer of skin. This helps to keep your pooch cool and helps to keep you dog's pads from getting too dried out.
But we also know that dogs can exude moisture from those sweat glands when they get nervous, stressed, or anxious (aka: sweaty hands)!
Cool Paw-Fact #2 - Dogs put most of their weight on their digits when they walk/run unlike humans who put most of the weight on their heals. Because of this, a dog's toe bones are very important.
Cool Paw-Fact #3 - A dog's dewclaws are thought to be vestiges of thumbs. Can you imagine if dog's had evolved with opposable thumbs? The world would be a very interesting place indeed.
Cool Paw-Fact #4 - Some cold weather breeds such as the St. Bernard and Newfoundland have large, floopy, wonderful paws. That's not by accident. These dogs utilize their seemingly over-sized paws as snow shoes to move around better on snow and ice.
Cool Paw-Fact #5 - Our furry buddies may just enjoy a massage as much as we do. According to the ASPCA, a paw massage will relax your dog and promote better circulation. They recommend rubbing between the pads on the bottom of the paw, and then between each toe.
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