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RSmith
USA
2408 Posts |
 Posted - 11/19/2009 : 4:35:11 PM
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This topic may have been covered before but I don't see it?
Wondering about Pink Pads.
Anyone else prejudice against them?
Are they really not as tough as a black pad? or mixed pads?
I have a 'thing' against them in terms of toughness, drawn from experience in the Pluto line.
Some of the best 'looking' pups of mine have had pink pads and I didn't keep them JUST because of that. Is that wrong?
I mean, there is always the exception to the rule, but just by examining them it appears the pink pads are just not as 'tough'.
Thanks
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Roy Smith
Adirondack Kennel
Skandinavian Hounds
http://www.adirondackkennel.com |
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northenough
USA
74 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2009 : 4:49:02 PM
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Give it up , Roy. Just another case of illogical conclusions in our sport. See both a red Ford and later a red Dodge along the highway that have a tow truck hooking up. Must be red vehicles are trouble--don't buy one.  Had many dogs with no pigment in pads and no problems. |
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RSmith
USA
2408 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2009 : 5:11:54 PM
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Humm? OK so if that's the case. JUST WONDERING.
OF your best dogs, what may be the percentage of no pigments vs black/pigment?
OR anyone else. ?
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Roy Smith
Adirondack Kennel
Skandinavian Hounds
http://www.adirondackkennel.com |
Edited by - RSmith on 11/19/2009 5:12:10 PM |
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northenough
USA
74 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2009 : 6:07:49 PM
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Roy, if you're selling pups based on their pad pigment rather than keeping all of them long enought to train them up and evaluate them at at least a year old, you are probably missing out. Is that "wrong"?
On top of that, if you are evaluating them by "best looking", again you are missing out.
Performance, man, performance! Give up the theoretical stuff, have some patience, and you will see some progress with your program.
(All said with respect and good intentions, so don't read anything betwen the lines, OK?) |
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pcurtice
USA
339 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2009 : 6:28:52 PM
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| I have heard the same, but in our kennel lack of pigment in a pad would not disclude any dog until it shows us what it does or doesn't have. I doubt pad pigment would even come into the picture then. In the mid distance world we can bootie those with "softer feet" That might not be condusive to your style of racing. Anyway I really do think that you might be cheating yourself for moving a dog only because of pad pigment. Even if it is true, there has to be some exceptions, of course unless you have some good hard proven evidence that lack of pigment is not good. It's amazing that I can't sit here and tell you what the pigment status is in our kennel. I guess I don't notice it or am not concerned about it. I think at the next race we go to we will ask the top competitors if we can look at their dogs' pads. Interesting theory though. |
Peter C. Curtice II
Ridgerunner Kennel |
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MegC
USA
1262 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2009 : 7:00:36 PM
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I have a big, hard-pulling GSP w/ dark pads who is pretty hard on his feet, and I go through a lot of boots on him. I had an Alaskan here for a season that I believe had quite a bit of "pink" on his pads, white nails, and I never had to boot him unless the conditions were truly apocalyptic. They ran side by side every run.
This same issue comes up in hoof color on horses. I've had some fun conversations about it w/ a couple shoers while they were packing epoxy into dark, brittle TB hooves. The white footed ponies on the other hand went barefoot quite a lot, and we drug them around for miles on the side of chipsealed roads with kids on board all summer.
But I probably shoulda bought a nice white-footed pup from ya before I admitted all this, lol! |
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Embee
USA
149 Posts |
Posted - 11/20/2009 : 06:43:41 AM
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| It's our experience that pad color makes no difference on pad color. Have had litter mates with same color pads, one has tough feet, the other not. Toughest pads in my opinion are the lemon color. Right now we are having a heck of a time with cut pads, just due to the material in our training trails. Pad color doesn't make a difference. In fact I would have to say the majority of the bad pads right now are black. Type of dog definitely makes a difference. Our houndier dogs are wwaayy more prone to bad pads!! |
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Embee
USA
149 Posts |
Posted - 11/20/2009 : 06:44:34 AM
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| Oops. Pad color makes no difference on pad toughness! |
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RSmith
USA
2408 Posts |
Posted - 11/20/2009 : 07:38:48 AM
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Thanks Mark and Pete for actually answering my question.
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Roy Smith
Adirondack Kennel
Skandinavian Hounds
http://www.adirondackkennel.com |
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Gail
Canada
334 Posts |
Posted - 11/20/2009 : 11:14:43 AM
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I haven't noticed any difference between pink or black pads, or feet that are bi-coloured with partly pink, partly black pads, and I never boot my dogs (though they're training for sprint not distance and we're not doing tons of miles)
I used to be heavily involved in the "horse world" and have heard the same thing numerous times about white footed horses. There was even a saying:
1 white foot, buy him
2 white feet, try him
3 white feet, see how he goes
4 white feet, feed him to the crows
Best horse I've ever owned has 4 white feet and has tough, tough feet, never needed shoes except when I used to do a LOT of road riding and he ground them down faster than he could grow them. Was never ever tender-footed and not prone to have hooves that were either soft/brittle/cracked etc.
I think that better than judging by pad or hoof colour we're probably better off looking into bloodlines and what kind of feet they're producing. |
If your dog thinks you're the best, you don't need a second opinion.
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http://www.racingrescues.com
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endurancekennels
USA
41 Posts |
Posted - 11/20/2009 : 3:16:40 PM
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| I have one dog that has pink/white pads. If she runs more than 10 miles they start wearing down and bleeding so she doesn't want to run any more, I don't blame her. In the winter she has to wear booties all the time. |
Tone Coughlin
Endurance Kennels
http://www.endurancekennels.com |
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eaglesleddogs
USA
129 Posts |
Posted - 11/21/2009 : 10:02:46 AM
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| I have personally seen no correlation between pad toughness and color. I take it by the dog and just check all feet after training runs and races. I have a big male with pink pads that races 5K's with me on pavement and has no problems. |
Christina Eagle
Eagle Sled Dogs Pointer/Greyster Crosses |
Edited by - eaglesleddogs on 11/21/2009 4:18:39 PM |
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powderhound66
USA
148 Posts |
Posted - 11/21/2009 : 3:55:35 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Gail
1 white foot, buy him
2 white feet, try him
3 white feet, see how he goes
4 white feet, feed him to the crows
1 white foot, buy him
2 white feet, try him,
3 white feet, be on the sly
4 white feet, say bye bye
hahah! just kidding, i've had dogs with black feet be tender, and dogs with pink feet be really tough. i think just like everyone else is saying, it depends on the dog. |
Emily
For the Joy of the Ride!
www.powderhoundsracing.com |
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yukon houndman
USA
37 Posts |
Posted - 11/25/2009 : 10:46:11 AM
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| If you keep your dogs going through the summer months then the pink pads will build up in strength and thickness. A similar thing observed in nature is the blackbear. In spring hunting the pad is razor thin and in the fall they are super tough and thick and hard to cut through. I have noticed this with summer running; My dogs that get trained year-round have much less feet problems. |
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ARTpaws
USA
188 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2009 : 07:56:26 AM
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Here is a thought. Does lack of pigmentation on pads indicate possible other genetic issues?
I agree with giving the dog a chance, but it may be an interesting point of study to see if there is a correlation.
(stirring the pot) |
http://ar-travis.blogspot.com/ |
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pcurtice
USA
339 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2009 : 10:40:39 AM
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| I think if it did, there would be more word out on it through the musher grapevine. As I said in my earlier post I heard the same concern from other mushers that Roy mentioned in regards to pink pads. Never heard anyone say things such as stay away from pink pads because that is related to some other unsound genetic issue. Heard that blue eyes with white face is not good, wheezers or something of that nature. I bet if one was to do an in depth study you would definately be able to find some negative and positive genetic concerns/attributes related to pink pads |
Peter C. Curtice II
Ridgerunner Kennel |
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Topic |
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Pink Pads?
