Numerous dog breeds and more mixed breeds exist, all with different traits that make each unique. A common trait among certain dog breeds is webbed feet, but American Pitbull Terriers do not have webbed feet.
Let’s discuss why some dogs have webbed feet and others don’t.
What Are Webbed Feet?
Dogs with webbed paws/feet have a highly developed, thick membrane between each two of their feet. While many dog breeds have akin between their toes, not all have proper webbed feet.
Webbing is a characteristic that is only present in specific dogs. Webbed feet are most beneficial for dogs that were bred to swim. The extra surface on their paws helps them quickly propel through water, giving them more agility and speed.
In addition to water dogs, dogs living in harsh terrains, like areas with a lot of mud or snow, also benefit from webbing between their toes.
Again the surface area of their paws makes a difference and gives them more stability when running these environments.
Some famous dog breeds with webbed feet include:
- Labrador Retriever
- Dachshund
- Portuguese Water Dog
- Poodle
- Newfoundland
Does American Pitbull Have Webbed Feet?
If you look closely at the paws of your Pitbull, you will likely notice a thin connective tissue. However, this delicate tissue is joint among most breeds and isn’t actual webbing.
Since Pitbulls were not bred to be water dogs, American Pitbull Terriers do not have webbed feet. Although, there are instances when your Pitbull may have to web between its toes.
Why Do & Don’t Pitbulls Have Webbed Feet?
In general, Pitbulls do not have webbed feet, but for the sake of mind, let’s discuss why in some cases, American Pitbull terriers have webbed feet.
Why Does My Pitbull Have Webbed Feet?
If you are sure your Pitbull has been webbing on their feet, there could be a couple of reasons.
Mixed Breeding
Since there is no breed standard for Pitbull in the united states, most Pitbulls are a cluster of different genetics. Some breeders are working to preserve, adhere to, and gain recognition for Pitbull breeding standards in the United States.
Still, those breeders and dogs represent a small minority of the Pit Bull population to mixed breeds and rescues.
There is a good chance that the Pitbull you brought home from a rescue shelter or purchased a puppy from an affordable breeder that your Pitbull has the genes of other breeds of dogs in it.
Many dogs that look like Pitbulls are crossbreeds. If a Staffordshire with no webbing is mated with a Labrador that has to the web, all, some, or none of the puppies in the litter may have webbed feet.
It may be worth getting a genetic test on your Pitbull to determine its genetic predisposition towards webbed feet.
Sometimes a Pitbull crossed with the following dogs may have webbed feet but still look like a Pitbull:
- Labrador Retriever
- Poodle
- Portuguese Water Dog
- Chesapeake Bay Retriever
- Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
- American or Irish Water Spaniel
- German Short or Wire-Haired Pointer
- Dachshund
- Weimaraner
- Otterhound
- Newfoundland
Genetics Disorder
Toe webbing American Pitbull Terrier could result from a genetic mutation. As with all animals, genetic mutations in canines can present themselves in various ways.
While some genetic mutations, such as congenital disease or cancer, can be pretty severe, others are relatively harmless and primarily cosmetic. The genes of a purebred dog are not diversified because of the inbreeding required to make a purebred dog.
It is common for purebred dogs to have genetic mutations. It’s likely a harmless mutation if your purebred American Pitbull Terrier has webbed feet.
However, if you have concerns about other possible modifications, talk to your Vet during the next visit.
Why Don’t Pitbulls Have Webbed Feet?
First, American Pitbull is not recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC), the worldwide standard of dog registries. Because of this, many breeders often use this term to describe other mix-breeds with large muscles, heads, and jaws.
However, the united kennel club does recognize the American Pitbull terrier as a breed and has established standards for it. According to those standards, Pitbulls should not have webbed feet.
And it’s not just for the sake of standards that American PItbulls do not have webbed feet, but there is another practical reason, the breed’s purpose.
American Pitbull Terriers were bred to work on complex grounds in the pits or go hunting and are sometimes used in farming. For those reasons, the breed did not need webbed feet since it didn’t need to swim for any reason, so webbed feet became necessary.
While it is true that some amount of skin does always stretch between the digits of their claws, that does not constitute true “webbing.”
Just look at your hand with your fingers stretched out, and you will see a similar amount of skin stretched between the crevices of your fingers, but that does not mean you have webbed hands.
Webbing is a characteristic that only a few breeds of dogs have, and Pitbulls are not one of them.
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
Do Terriers Have Webbed Feet?
The term terrier is a vastly used one. Several breeds are a mix of Terriers and other breeds. So you cannot say whether a terrier has webbed feet, as all dogs start life with webbed feet and later lose the membrane.
Most of the time, Terriers do not naturally have webbed feet, nor do their sub-breeds.
What Dog Breeds Do Not Have Webbed Feet?
Dog breeds such as Dobermans, Whippets, Greyhounds, and American Pitbull Terriers are bred for speed and endurance, so they naturally do not have webbed feet as they do not have to swim most of the time.
What Breed of Dog Has Webbed Feet?
There are water dog breeds and some mud-working dog breeds with webbed feet. These breeds include:
- Labrador Retriever
- Poodle
- Portuguese Water Dog
- Chesapeake Bay Retriever
- Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
- American or Irish Water Spaniel
- German Short or Wire-Haired Pointer
- Dachshund
- Weimaraner
- Otterhound
- Newfoundland
Conclusion
Although it is uncommon for American Pitbull Terriers to have webbed feet, they may sometimes express this trait due to genetic mutation of mixed breeding.
If your Pitbull has these traits, clean them, and if you want to stay on the safe side and want to make sure whether your Pitbull has any other genetic disorders, get a DNA test done and ask your Vet for help.
