
Of course, mixed-breed dogs often have webbed feet if any of their ancestors came from lines with this trait. If these dogs with webbed feet were bred to move through the water or across muddy surfaces, then webbing is more likely than not. Take a look at Bilbo the Newfoundland who is a Lifeguard dog obsessed with saving people, putting his confident swimming abilities and his webbed feet towards a great cause. In understanding do Border Collies have webbed paws, it becomes quite clear that not many dogs do.īeyond Labrador Retrievers, only a handful of dog breeds have 100% webbed paws, such as:

If your dog is a digger, we recommend buying them specific toys to distract them from this destructive behavior. They can scoop the dirt out of the hole much faster than you can respond.Įven though Bandit only has some webbing on his feet, he can dig a foot into the ground at the blink of an eye.Īll my Labradors were even faster, however, leaving me with quite a mess to clean up. Dig more efficiently tooĪlthough dog owners might not be a huge fan, webbed paws also help dogs dig much more efficiently. In addition, as they efficiently swim from place to place, they expend a lot less energy overall. Webbing helps them get to downed birds and other targets as fast as possible.

The webbing acts as a paddle of sorts, letting dogs propel themselves further with each stroke. True webbed feet are even more beneficial for dogs who spend a lot of time in the water. This is especially true while running across wet, muddy, or icy surfaces. With webbing holding their toes tightly together, Border Collies can maintain steady footing much easier. The reason being is that splayed toes are simply not beneficial to these working dogs. When looking for a Border Collie pup, it’s not uncommon for people to compliment how tight the feet look. Playing fetch with my Border Collie Nyx Benefits of Having Webbed Paws This is especially true for the dogs that spend their days working the fields or fetching ball after ball, like my dogs, Nyxie, Ruby, and Bandit. In fact, the majority of dog breeds have just as much webbing as BCs do.Īlthough it’s not as pronounced, their small bit of webbing makes a big difference in BC’s everyday lives. When asking if a dog has webbed feet, this is usually what people are envisioning.īorder Collies only have webbing halfway up the length of their toes, which is not typically referred to as having webbed feet. On water dogs, the webbing goes all the way to the tip of their toes to help them paddle through the water fast.
#Webbed feet dogs skin
Webbing is the small bit of extra skin spanning between each of your dogs’ toes. All that webbing helps them turn on a dime and stay planted on the slipperiest of surfaces. As my BCs Nyxie and Bandit run and play, I get to see firsthand just how steady these dogs are on their feet. BCs are not far off, however, and it shows in everything they do.

And, let me tell you, they have the most impressive webbed feet. The Experience With My Dogsīefore I fell in love with BCs, I was the owner of Labrador Retrievers. By the end, you’ll be much closer to understanding everything there is to know about these incredible dogs. In this article, we’ll explore just what webbed feet are - and how Border Collies benefit from this unique trait.
