Just like other animals, dogs come in various sizes, shapes, colors, and types of paws.
You may have dog breeds with hare feet in your house, while there are other canines with different paw types around the world.
Since dogs have no standard set of paws, it’s interesting to learn about the topic. I’ll reveal more in the following sections. Follow up!
What Are The Dog Breeds With Hare Feet?
Dog breeds with hare feet mean these types of canines have feet that look like those of hares with the middle toes longer than the outer ones, like whippet, greyhound, samoyed, bedlington terrier, standard poodle, etc.
Because those in the center arch less, their middle toes are a bit more elongated. Many breeds have this paw feature and are usually good at speed and other agile activities.
How Many Types Of Dog Feet Are There?
Hare Feet
If you have a hare feet dog, you can recognize it by checking if its two centered toes are longer than the inside and outside ones. Since the toes are less curved, the part appears longer than usual.
As you may guess from its name, this type of paw resembles the hare’s feet. It also has long third digital bones requiring more energy to move.
Dogs with long toes like this usually run faster. Some of them are selected to be bred to run at high speed in a short time.
Cat Feet
Many people will misunderstand due to the name of this type. It doesn’t mean the foot has retractable claws, but it implies the neat and round shape that is found in cats.
Their toes are high-arched and closely held together.
The short third digital bones allow dogs with this paw type to have good endurance since there’s not much energy required to lift them off the ground.
It also offers the benefits of better gripping and preventing injuries while walking on rough surfaces. This claw type in some dog breeds can be seen as a highly desirable trait or a major fault.
Some popular breed in this type could be Newfoundlands, Doberman Pinschers and Akitas.
Webbed Feet
Is there a dog breed with webbed feet? Yes, this type of dog does exist. Their shape is similar to those of aquatic animals, such as geese, swans, ducks, and frogs.
You can see these breeds possess a skin membrane connecting the toes. Canines with this paw shape were selectively bred to work in the water.
They can capture fishing nets, find otters, and retrieve downed birds.
List Of Dog Breeds With Hare Feet
The hare-like shape of the paw is commonly seen in many dog breeds.
Whippet
Whippet had been through centuries of evolution to have the hare feet like now. If you’ve ever seen any dog agility event, you can witness how fast this breed can run.
He can speed up to 35 miles per hour within a few minutes of starting.
Greyhound
The second breed that benefits from this paw shape is Greyhound.
The elongated, compact toes offer him the ability to increase his speed at the least time possible by maximizing the leverage and adding momentum.
His paws only contact the ground a quarter of the time while at maximum speed.
Samoyed
You may be surprised that this graceful dog with a double white coat also belongs to this category. In the past, Samoyed was known as a beautiful, tireless, and powerful sled dog.
Nowadays, he is raised as a pet but still keeps this feature of the paw.
Bedlington Terrier
Bedlington Terrier is a playful and energetic breed and also a good watchdog. The hare-footed feature was developed to fit his chasing and hunting responsibility.
Don’t be surprised if you see these pups fighting with each other.
Standard Poodle
This medium size dog has small, oval, compact, and arched feet. That’s why the Standard Poodle is good at many activities, such as running, chasing after toys, or playing fetch.
Skye Terrier
Skye Terrier is an ancient hare-footed dog whose history is from the early 1600s.
With its pointed and elongated large toes, his duty was to hunt foxes and badgers to protect sheep and other livestock. He also used to be a member of the nobility during Victorian times.
Australian Shepherd
Similar to Border Collie hunting dogs, Australian Shepherd or Aussie is granted the excellent herding title. One of the reasons is because of their paw features.
Some of the Aussies are hare foot dogs, while some have cat type; both are helpful on rough terrains.
Borzoi
Like other counterparts on this list, Borzoi was developed with well-arched knuckles and compact, well-padded toes. He also obtains amazing speed.
Saluki
One of the top five fastest dog breeds is Saluki. His long, hare-like feet allow him to run on loose sand almost without struggling. Some possess cat or splayed feet useful in navigating rocky terrain.
Miniature Poodle
A miniature Poodle, another member of the poodle family, is also known as a dog with hare feet.
He has tiny, compact, and arched paws with the middle toes longer than those on the two sides, forming an oval shape.
What Are The Basic Components Of Dog Paw?
The basic components of a dog paw include the claws, the metacarpal pad, the digital pads, the carpal pad, and the dewclaws. Each part has its own responsibility in assisting the agile movements.
- The claws are for gripping surfaces.
- The carpal pad helps keep balance and avoid sliding.
- The dewclaws are usually found in the front of the paw. However, some breeds, such as Great Pyrenees, have it on the rear part, and some others have both front and rear dewclaws (double dewclaws).
The part is in charge of gripping and holding onto items (bones or toys, for example). Front dewclaws usually contain more bones and muscles than the rear ones.
- The other pads provide weight bearing, shock absorber, and bone and joint protection.
The anatomy of paws and toes has changed over time to adapt to each breed’s environment and specific responsibility.
FAQs
Do German Shepherds Have Hare Feet?
As many dog owners report, some German Shepherds feature long toes like the hare-like type, while others have short and compact paws.
Both types are normal as long as they are healthy and the dogs have no issues with walking and running.
What Are The Unique Feet Features?
Besides the three types of dog paws mentioned above, some more unique types are found in a few breeds.
They include the Snow-Shoe Foot (found in the Alaskan Malamute standard), Fox-like Foot (possessed by the American Foxhound breed standard), or Polydactyly Feet (meaning extra toes that are found in the Norwegian Lundehund).
Moreover, some types are sometimes considered major faults, such as Splayed Feet, Flat Feet, and Paper Feet.
The Bottom Lines
Dog breeds with hare feet refer to those who have middle toes arch less, making them look longer than the toes on two sides.
These dogs usually need more energy and effort to lift their paws off the ground.
However, thanks to their paw’s structure, these canine types can significantly boost their speed.
Keep in mind that all paw shapes are good as long as you take proper care of them. Bathing dogs in vinegar is a way to take care of the part and other body parts as well.
