“For want of a nail-a shoe was lost. For want of a shoe a horse was lost. For want of horse a battle was lost……”

“Paw shape and color are two other factors that determine whether dogs are more prone to pad and webbing injuries. “If dogs have long toes and a long slope to their foot, it means the paw is going to flair out more when it trots,” Reynolds says. “By contrast, dogs like the German Shorthair Pointer have what we call 'cat feet,' where the paw is tight because there is little webbing in between the toes, which provides less chance for injury.” Reducing Paw Pad Injuries in Athletic Dogs Robert Gillette, D.V.M., M.S.E, director of the Sports Medicine Program at Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine.

The Alaskan Malamute standard lists a brief description of feet under FOREQUARTERS:
“Pasterns are short and strong and slightly sloping when viewed from the side. The feet are of the snowshoe type, tight and deep, with well-cushioned pads, giving a firm, compact appearance. The feet are large, toes tight fitting and well arched. There is a protective growth of hair between the toes. The pads are thick and tough; toenails short and strong.”

Samoyed
“Feet - Large, long, flattish-a hare-foot, slightly spread but not splayed; toes arched; pads thick and tough, with protective growth of hair between the toes. Feet should turn neither in nor out in a natural stance but may turn in slightly in the act of pulling. Turning out, pigeon-toed, round or cat-footed or splayed are faults. Feathers on feet are not too essential but are more profuse on females than on males.”

Siberian
“Viewed from the side, pasterns are slightly slanted, with the pastern joint strong, but flexible. Bone is substantial but never heavy…. Dewclaws on forelegs may be removed. Faults--Weak pasterns;…. Feet oval in shape but not long... The paws are medium in size, compact and well furred between the toes and pads. The pads are tough and thickly cushioned. The paws neither turn in nor out when the dog is in natural stance. Faults--Soft or splayed toes; paws too large and clumsy; paws too small and delicate; toeing in or out.”

Saint Bernard
“FEET: Broad, with strong toes, moderately closed, and with rather high knuckles.”

In the Saint Bernard Illustrated Standard they include this interesting note, “which some state is unnecessary and illogical since they prefer to have the dewclaws removed. 'The dewclaws are set low, such that they are positioned almost at the same height as the sole, whereby the pad area is increased and the dog cannot break through a snow surface as easily'……”

It is hard to consider the feet without including the condition of the pasterns because so many of the movement problems we find are caused in part by incorrect or lax pasterns.

American Eskimo
These dogs were long considered to be the reindeer herding dogs of northern Europe before AKC recognition and the hoopla about being circus dogs began. These tough little working dogs are described as possessing “Feet are oval, compact, tightly knit and well padded with hair. Toes are well arched. Pads are black to dark brown, tough and deeply cushioned.”

I can tell you with over 40 years of personal experience that I have seen very few of these little dogs with splayed feet and virtually none with flat feet.

The unifying message in all of these snow working breeds is two: The well-arched toe and the tough, deep-cushioned pad. When a dog enters the ring and that front foot snaps into the air like a soft damp leaf you know that the entire dog will be a bag of bones covered with fat and hair. A soft limp handshake that cannot do a days work is evidenced by the way the poor dog carries himself. So many of our dogs are lacking in condition, that it is becoming difficult to discern if it is environment or inheritance.

Long toenails throw the weight of the dog back on the heel of the foot and lose the natural spring to the gait, created by being up and over the foot, losing power and pull strength. Curve your fingers and put the heel of your hand on the table and push down. Now curve your fingers and raise your hand so that heel of your hand rises just off the table. Do you feel the difference in the power of your hand? That is what happens when the long toenail throws the weight backwards so that the dog is not up and over the foot. Many of the dogs that are seen in this condition also have soft, flattened toes that cannot grip the ground and help to pull the dog forward efficiently.

Bob Ward was adjudicating at Pasadena one year. He picked up the right front foot of every bitch in open, examining the pads carefully. His theory at the time was that uniform pad wear would tell the physical condition of the dog. In a way, he was right!

Many of the sporting dog owners work harder on keeping a healthy well-conditioned foot than the sled dog owners. They use Coppertox applications to encourage tough, strong pads. The difference in spongy, deep, healthy pads is amazing when you see soft, thin or flakey dry pads. Imagine a track star trying to perform on old, broken down shoes! Our dogs are faced with the same problem, whether they must break through heavy brush for game or through thick snow and ice.

The importance of the feet and pasterns to a working sled dog is so great that it makes one wonder why the committees that envision each standard gave so little verbiage and emphasis to the condition of the foot.. Is it because they assumed that judges and breeders would seek the proper foot every time they bred while fiddling around with ear and tail set, and coat looking for the ultimate winning combination? Both the Siberian and Samoyed breeders were concerned enough that they included poor feet as faults. Perhaps it is time to also consider listing improper pasterns as a fault?

Is the healthy, correct foot and pastern so important that we just accept that any champion worth its' salt will possess this characteristic?

I have had the honor of seeing some of the top Alaskan Malamutes of the 80's and 90's. Every one of these dogs possessed a strong foot. Perhaps this means that correct bone and movement is always paired with the correct foot? Keepers of the nest box can answer this mystery for us.

On another note, I wondered how the Samoyed, our medium weight draft dog, came to be described as possessing a hare foot? Isn't the long toed hare foot less strong and agile? While on the other hand the Siberian, Alaskan Malamute, American Eskimo, and St. Bernard foot are nearly the same with the exception of the amount of bone we expect each breed to carry.

I recently attended a Samoyed specialty and found that the middle toes were not long and oval shaped like the hare-footed Papillon, but these elongated middle toes were actually pear-shaped. The bulk of the toe was similar in shape to that of the other two toes. Now that was interesting! It appears to me that the Samoyed foot is in reality similar to all the other Artic feet with the notable breed characteristic of the slight elongation of the end of the two middle toes.

As breeders we need to be more aware of the feet and how they affect the movement and breed type of the sled dogs. Do you see champions with poor feet? If so, do they move as prescribed by the standard or is the flash of their fancy coat and TRAD outweighing this important feature?

As we become more attuned to the state of this important feature of our sled dogs we can protect this attribute in our breeding programs. With proper Judge's Education the judges will begin to understand the real importance of good feet and pasterns with the working Arctic dog.

For want of a healthy foot the dog rides home in the basket!