It’s a surprisingly common question asked by both existing and prospective owners, do boxers have webbed feet?
Do Boxers Have Webbed Paws?
Yes, Boxers have webbed paws, but the webbing is very minimal compared to other breeds. Highly webbed paws are a trait that water dogs and northern breeds have, and boxers are in neither category.
When we compare the webbing to that of water dogs (like retrievers) or northern breeds (like huskies), the webbing is significantly less developed. These dogs can have quite a large webbing.
Why Don’t Boxers Have Fully Developed Webbed Paws?
Boxer dogs were never originally used in the water and rarely had to trek across arctic snowy conditions. They spent most of their days guarding and hunting in Germany and England, which rarely involved a lot of swimming.
For this reason, the paws never really needed to develop in order to help the boxer with its main role of guarding and hunting. As you can imagine, webbed paws are there to help breeds that swim or have to walk on snow.
Boxer Dog Paw Characteristics
Boxer dogs have somewhat narrow and slim paws (again, another trait that doesn’t support the need for webbing). Despite being narrow, they are strong and sturdy.
The paw is comprised of four claws, with four “digital pads” for each toe. Behind these four pads is one larger pad called the metacarpal pad. Check out the image below. You then have the dew claw and carpal pad higher up the ankle.
This of course is not a boxer, but they both breeds have very similar paws anatomy.
Are There Disadvantages To Not Having Webbed Feet?
So because boxers hardly have much webbing, does this put them at a disadvantage compared to other breeds?
If we are talking about swimming or walking in the snow, then yes, not having webbed paws will make it slightly more difficult for boxer dogs. The flaps of skin between each toe play a crucial role in pushing water and expanding the surface area when stepping on soft snow.
However, apart from this, there isn’t really much comparable difference. Your boxer will not run any slower than a breed with webbed paws, and the paws themselves are not weaker or more prone to injury.
Summary
Boxers have slightly webbed paws, but when compared to water dogs or northern breeds, their webbing is very insignificant. Boxers were never used in the water or had to trek through the snow, so the paws never developed to need much webbing.
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