FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION
“FOOT SHAPE CAN BE AFFECTED BY HEREDITY, LACK OF EXERCISE DURING CRITICAL PERIODS OF DEVELOPMENT, AND IMPROPER GROUND SURFACE DURING PERIODS OF GROWTH. AS A BREEDER, ONE MUST ALWAYS KNOW NOT ONLY THE VIRTUES OF THE DOG WE WISH TO BREED, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE MUST ALSO KNOW THEIR FAULTS”
Dogs with webbed feet increase the surface area of the foot while also providing better movement through water, mud or snow. In breeds such as the Chesapeake Bay Retriever and the Otterhound, as well as the Portuguese Water Dog and the New- foundland, the webbed foot also serves somewhat as a paddle when swimming. A few breeds even call for “snowshoe” feet, to help the dog traverse more easily on snow and ice. The Alaskan Malamute and the Tibetan Terrier ask for snowshoe feet. Two types of feet that are considered faulty are the flat foot and the splayed foot. The flat foot is usually accompanied by a dog that is “down in pastern” and is basically due to a laxity of the ten- dons of the foot and carpal joint. (See Figure 6.) A splayed foot is weak and the toes are spread apart, especially when in motion. (See Figure 7.) Foot shape can be affected by heredity, lack of exercise during critical periods of development, and improper ground surface during periods of growth. As a breeder, one must always know not only the virtues of the dog we wish to breed, but most importantly, we must also know their faults. We must breed for the whole dog, trying to find a mate that excels where our dog may be faulty, in hope of correcting the faulty parts in the next gen- eration. Again, we must look at the dog as a whole. We must know the traits that are essential to breed type and know where we can “give” a little without losing breed character. The feet of any breed serve as the foundation upon which the entire dog is “built.” Just as a con- tractor would never try to construct a building upon a faulty foundation, neither should we ignore the correct foot for our breed. A faulty foundation will eventually fail, and if it does, the entire build- ing is in danger of collapse. As breeders, we should pay very close attention to breeding for the correct foot for our breed, as this is the very foundation upon which our breeds stand. Any questions or comments may be sent to j imanie@welshcorgi.com
Figure 6. Flat Foot. © 2018 S. Hedgepath
Figure 7. Splayed Foot Standing and in Motion.
178 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, AUGUST 2021
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