Do Great Pyrenees Have 6 Toes a Guide to Polydactyly

Great Pyrenees are a majestic breed, known for their gentle and protective nature. They have a unique characteristic that sets them apart from other dogs.

Some Great Pyrenees are born with a rare genetic trait called polydactyly, which causes them to have extra toes. This can occur on the front or back paws.

Polydactyly is a relatively common condition in Great Pyrenees, affecting around 10-20% of the breed. It's a benign condition, meaning it doesn't cause any health problems.

The extra toes can be small and non-functional, or they can be fully formed and functional, depending on the individual dog.

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Great Pyrenees are indeed polydactyl, which means they have more toes than the usual number. Polydactyly is more common in certain breeds, including the Great Pyrenees.

Their double dewclaws are attached with bone to the foot, and are meant to be there, not a mutation. Dewclaws can help your dog escape if they get stuck on ice.

The Great Pyrenees have a unique foot shape, with double dewclaws, which is a characteristic of polydactyl dogs.

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Great Pyrenees have a unique trait where some of them can have six toes on their hind paws due to a genetic mutation. This condition is known as polydactyly.

In Great Pyrenees, polydactyly can present as either a single or double dewclaw with five or six digits, respectively.

Bilateral double hindlimb polydactyly, which means having six digits on both hind paws, is associated with a mutation in the ALX4 gene.

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Dewclaws are essentially extra toes that most dogs have, with one dewclaw on each front foot, and some dogs have four dewclaws in total.

Some breeds, like the Great Pyrenees, have double dewclaws on their back feet, which are attached to the body through bone.

Dewclaws are not meant to touch the ground while a dog is standing up, and they're attached to what is essentially the dog's ankle.

Dogs with primary dewclaws will have them attached through bone, while extra dewclaws might be attached just by the skin and appear to be hanging.

These extra dewclaws can be found on some dogs, and they're not attached to the body in the same way as primary dewclaws.

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Dogs have five digits on their front paws and four digits on their hind paws due to evolutionary adaptation.

The first digit of the hindlimb was lost during canine evolution, but some breeds have a condition called polydactyly, where this digit is restored.

Polydactyly, also known as canine preaxial polydactyly or PPD, refers to the restoration of the first digit in the hindlimb.

Great Pyrenees are one of the breeds that can have polydactyly, presenting as either a single or double dewclaw with five or six digits.

Great Pyrenees with single hindlimb polydactyly have five digits and do not carry the ALX4 mutation.

All Great Pyrenees with bilateral double hindlimb polydactyly, or six digits, carry either one or two copies of the ALX4 mutation.

The ALX4 mutation is associated with bilateral double hindlimb polydactyly in the Great Pyrenees and is thought to be inherited in an Autosomal Dominant manner.

The ALX4 mutation has only been observed in the Great Pyrenees and was not found in numerous other dog breeds.

For another approach, see: Great Pyrenees Paws