Whippet Feet

[~JO~]

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Thought it would be interesting to discuss feet!

The UK breed standard is:

Feet

Oval, well split up between toes, knuckles well arched, pads thick, nails strong.

I have always understood that a whippets feet should neither be 'cat like' nor 'hare like' but somewhere in between the two which I presume is perhaps what 'oval' is trying to describe.

I have seen over the last 12 months quite a few whippets with cat-feet, and the paw so small and tight it barely looks like they were feet at all! I also think a more 'hare-like' foot is more common on the rear.

I am sure this has been discussed to death previously and in the breed council but thought it would be interesting to hear view points from the UK and overseas.

Here is the US standard

Both front and rear feet must be well formed with hard, thick pads. Feet more hare than cat, but both are acceptable. Flat, splayed or soft feet without thick hard pads should be strictly penalized. Toes should be long, close and well arched. Nails strong and naturally short or of moderate length. Dewclaws may be removed.

 

[dessie]

I can feel cameras coming out!!! Good one Jo

 

[T Hoare]

Yes good thought JO

If the nails are let to grow too long this does give the feet a flatter look also.

 

[seaspot_run]

The US standard is pretty wishy-washy. I have never been able to determine from that description if hare and cat are to be judged as equal, and if so, then why bother to add "more hare than cat"?

Most of the time, cat feet over here come along with bolt upright pasterns, so I've been able to penalize the cat feet by penalizing the pasterns, but that's not always true. I've had hare-footed dogs that I know judges have penalized. A lot of the toy group and Non-Sporting and Terrier judges like a little round foot.

For me, I like the foot to look like a nice half-walnut shell. That's how I like to think of a food that is in between hare and cat.

 

[argos1]

feet hhmmmmmmmmm no matter how often they are washed phoebe has cheeseyyyyy ones lol :b

 

[~JO~]

The US standard is pretty wishy-washy. I have never been able to determine from that description if hare and cat are to be judged as equal, and if so, then why bother to add "more hare than cat"?

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:lol: It is a bit strange, I guess it is saying somewhere in the middle but more hare-like. Therefore I would take that cat feet are more incorrect than hare feet.

I know also with very tight feet they can also 'knuckle over' when they are older.

Under non-breed specialists, in stakes classes for example I have sometimes found they check the pads for hardness which is almost unheard of in breed classes.

 

[JAX]

Feet.obviously are a very important part of any dog ,but esp in a running breed.

Im sorry to say, but I had the odd really flat feet on Sunday. mainly the back ones , Some had too tight a foot , all which makes for easy injuries when running I would have thought

 

[bertha]

Good feet are usually inherited, You can improve flat feet by walking on stoney ground. rearing puppies on soft and hard surfaces should keep their feet correct, in theory!

I think the foot is so important, it should be as our standard says, the American one is not very good, round cat like feet are so wrong in a running dog.

The saluki and borzoi have hare like feet! they run, weird isn't it? :b

 

[~JO~]

I think the foot is so important, it should be as our standard says, the American one is not very good, round cat like feet are so wrong in a running dog.
The saluki and borzoi have hare like feet! they run, weird isn't it? :b

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I agree - so has anyone got any pictures? I've had a look around online to find pictures of a cat foot and hare foot but to no avail...

 

[T Hoare]

I can feel cameras coming out!!!  Good one Jo

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I may have to take some!?

 

[T Hoare]

The US standard is pretty wishy-washy. I have never been able to determine from that description if hare and cat are to be judged as equal, and if so, then why bother to add "more hare than cat"?

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:lol: It is a bit strange, I guess it is saying somewhere in the middle but more hare-like. Therefore I would take that cat feet are more incorrect than hare feet.

I know also with very tight feet they can also 'knuckle over' when they are older.

Under non-breed specialists, in stakes classes for example I have sometimes found they check the pads for hardness which is almost unheard of in breed classes.

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I found when I am judging I had to stop doing the 'lifting up of feet' to feel the pad thickness as it normally made the dog move on the table because they feel unbalanced. I think this probably was because fewer judges do it so the dog is not used to it.

 

[JAX]

Good feet are usually inherited, You can improve flat feet by walking on stoney ground. rearing puppies on soft and hard surfaces should keep their feet correct, in theory!
I think the foot is so important, it should be as our standard says, the American one is not very good, round cat like feet are so wrong in a running dog.

The saluki and borzoi have hare like feet! they run, weird isn't it? :b

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the Saluki is a desert dog ( sand )and the Borzoi is from Russian ( snow , one would have thought) Just an idea as toway they have those sort of feet o

 

[Seraphina]

I do agree no running dog should have cat feet. As the correct oval shape is closer to hare foot than to the round cat foot, I would think that cat foot is more of a fault - just MHO.

The dogs that I have seen, who do have round feet seem to have tendency not only to be upright in pastern, but also have round bone.

However, the shape of foot can be affected by outside forces; I managed to ruin perfectly beautiful correct feet on a dog by allowing her nails to grow very long. In my defense I have to say, that to cut her nails used to be impossible without the help of couple of other people and afterwards she sulked for days looking at me as if I am beating her :b

It is bit easier with dremmel now, but still an unpleasant task.

 

[doris]

So what about injured toes? For example, if a dog had a knocked up toe that never quite went back in place and the nail always stayed a bit stickie-uppie, would that affect the dog in the show ring, assuming that it didn't affect his movement?

 

[05whippet]

So what about injured toes?  For example, if a dog had a knocked up toe that never quite went back in place and the nail always stayed a bit stickie-uppie, would that affect the dog in the show ring, assuming that it didn't affect his movement?

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Obviously not to some judges,because I know of dogs that actually have missing toes and have still gone BOB. :thumbsup:

 

[JAX]

So what about injured toes?  For example, if a dog had a knocked up toe that never quite went back in place and the nail always stayed a bit stickie-uppie, would that affect the dog in the show ring, assuming that it didn't affect his movement?

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Obviously not to some judges,because I know of dogs that actually have missing toes and have still gone BOB. :thumbsup:

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Dont forget when judging , we have to take the dog as a whole . Ive yet to find the PERFECT dog . all have some minor fault some where along the line o

and I dont think in the breed standard its states how many toes they should have :wacko:

 

[05whippet]

So what about injured toes?  For example, if a dog had a knocked up toe that never quite went back in place and the nail always stayed a bit stickie-uppie, would that affect the dog in the show ring, assuming that it didn't affect his movement?

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Obviously not to some judges,because I know of dogs that actually have missing toes and have still gone BOB. :thumbsup:

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Dont forget when judging , we have to take the dog as a whole . Ive yet to find the PERFECT dog . all have some minor fault some where along the line o

and I dont think in the breed standard its states how many toes they should have :wacko:

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Hehehehehehe.....nor legs Jackie!!!!!! :lol: :teehee: (w00t)

 

[doris]

you girls! :lol:

 

[dawn]

Dont  forget when judging , we have to take the dog as a whole . Ive yet to find the PERFECT dog . all have some minor fault some where along the line  o
and I dont think in the breed standard its states how many toes they should have  :wacko:

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[SIZE=21pt]BALLS[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt] are the ONLY thing that must be counted when judging. [/SIZE]

 

[T Hoare]

Dont  forget when judging , we have to take the dog as a whole . Ive yet to find the PERFECT dog . all have some minor fault some where along the line  o
and I dont think in the breed standard its states how many toes they should have  :wacko:

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[SIZE=21pt]BALLS[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt] are the ONLY thing that must be counted when judging. [/SIZE]

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Presumably the dogs :teehee: