section_path: Anatomy and physiology/Dewclaw
section_name: Dewclaw
paragraph_text: Dewclaw
  
  A dog's dewclaw is the five digits in its forelimb and hind legs. Dewclaws on the forelimbs are attached by bone and ligament, while the dewclaws on the hind legs are attached only by skin. Most dogs aren't born with dewclaws in their hind legs, and some are without them in their forelimbs. Dogs' dewclaws consist of the proximal phalanges and distal phalanges. Some publications thought that dewclaws in wolves, who usually do not have dewclaws, were a sign of hybridization with dogs.