Just asking this for a friend who is purchasing a puppy.
In my breed HPR Gundogs the hind legs dew claws if present are removed within a couple of days of birth. My friend  is purchasing a medium side Pastoral breed puppy and the breeder who is very reputable has said that they now leave all dew claws on. Just wondered what others thought as she is intending to show the puppy, and also I know it is far more expensive and uncomfortable for the dog to have them removed at a later date.
Just wondered what the experts on here thought so I can pass on the information.

Don't know about the showing side but from a practical and aesthetic point of view, I'd want them removed. Ugly and tend to catch/rip off.

Obviously I don't know the breed, but when the KC revamped the breed standards after the first PDE, several, including BSD that I have, had the requirement for rear dewclaws not to be present removed from the standard, so that it is now allowed. However I'd NEVER keep them on. My mentor had a dog she left them on, he kept getting his rear dewclaws stuck in each other. They are often flimsy. I get them on both my breeds and remove them on both. Little ones are easy to do yourself in newborn pups, bigger ones with bone all the way I take to the vet, mine do it free of charge. I can't see the logic in leaving rear ones in a breed NOT required to have them.

Luckily we don't get hind dews in our breed, but I think hind ones should be removed.  I fostered a Husky cross Elie bitch and she had vestigial rear dewclaws which had no Bone but had a claw, and they were a nuisance and shortly after being homed she tore one badly  and had them both removed.  Unfortunately he had not insured her yet and it was expensive.

It's a pain to get them and I'd never have thought it happened in Papillons, but it does!Ideally I'd like to try to breed away from it, it can be done quite easily, but when faced with the best pup in a litter being the one that had the biggest rear dewclaws (or as in one case, the ONLY bitch pup), then I'd rather have them removed in future litters and concentrate on more important things -it's so easy to  do after all. (Especially now when my vet does it for free LOL.)

Thanks for the replies, it sounds like due to the KC changes the breeder has decided not to remove them, as the puppies are now several weeks old, I assume the best option is to make sure my friend takes out adequate insurance cover for their removal should it become necessary.
I have never come accross it before as in gundogs some are born with them others are not, but those that are are whipped off to avoid injury later in life.

Just out of interest how much would it cost to remove Dew Claws ? If she decided to have them removed before the pups show debut.
The pup is pick of the litter bitch and my friend has been looking for a considerable time and done a lot of research into the breed, but as the puppy is a four figure sum, which is the going rate for the breed this will be an additional cost that was not expected.

It will involve a general anaesthetic once the pup is older than newborn, but exact costs can of course vary a lot. I once had rear dewclaws removed on an adult rescue bitch, I asked for them to be removed at the same time as she was spayed but of course I'd assume this pup is not going to be spayed.

She intends to show the bitch and also do all the relevant health tests, and then decide if she is good enough to breed from. So unless she does not turn out to be as gorgeous and healthy as her realtives she will probably not be spayed till later in life.
Will the presence of Dew Claws put some judges off ?

I've got a pastoral dog of medium size who had rear dew claws....he was left too late as a pup to have them removed, so the breeder said they would pay for the vet to do it....the vet wouldn't do it til he was 6 months because of general anaesthetic, and the cost was £100.  The op was no problem, and now looks a lot better than if he'd been left with the dew claws on.

Thanks Sunbeams I will pass the information on. Not sure in this case if the breeder didn't notice or took a conscious decision to leave them on. This pup has been waited for a long time and in every other way is perfect for her, but she has been saving for the puppy and equipment, travel, vet fees etc. for a while so this is an additional expense and will probably delay her being able to show her if she has to recover from an operation.

Just a thought, will they have to request permission to show if her dew claws are removed as it will be a surgical alteration to her natural conformation?

No; dewclaw removal is exempt.

>d never have thought it happened in Papillons, but it does

Happens in Long Coat Chihuahuas too.  Have never kept smooths so no comment.  But, as I didn't realise until too late, I've had 2 pups with rear ones.  My vet won't remove after 3 days.  I haven't kept the lines that produced them, simply because I hate holding pups when it is done.  (Even though I won't let anyone else hold them!)  :-)

Have them removed within 3 days of birth, they are such horrible things and can cause so many problems later in life,  and at a far greater expense!

In both my breeds have to have rear double dew claws is a must we have had several owners ring us up when they take there pups to the vets with the vet saying they need to be removed but in my breeds they have to have them we dont find them a problem . And they are checked in the ring for them.

Perhaps, as a hairier breed, the Briard's rear dewclaws are less on show so (a) so not so unsightly and (b) less likely to catch on things?

Thanks for all the replies I am passing them on, and have also advised a chat with the breeder as they may be a requirement of the breed as Marisa stated. Something I had not thought of to be honest.
In my group they are always taken off except in pet dogs. But you learn something everyday !!!
Pups are now over 4 weeks of age so now too late to remove, but a very good point about the vet, I think just as well to find these things out now as it may be a genuine reason that the breeder has left them on.
I knew that the people on here would be able to help so thanks again for pointing both sides out, obviously not as balck and white as I first assumed.

I knew that the people on here would be able to help so thanks again for pointing both sides out, obviously not as balck and white as I first assumed.

It's not so much two sides as a case of some breeds are required to have DOUBLE rear dewclaws as per their breed standards -but most are not.