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Why do dogs have an extra paw pad on their front legs?
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β Why do dogs have an extra paw pad on their front legs?β
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The extra paw pad is known as the carpal pad, and it grows above the front paws. Some dogs also have them on their back legs.
They might seem out of place, but carpal pads do serve helpful purposes for doggos. Here are two reasons why dogs have carpal pads.
Reason #1: Carpal pads provide extra traction when moving and stopping.
A dog's carpal pads don't touch the ground while the dog is walking. But once they pick up some speed, these paw pads make contact, helping the dog gain more stability and traction while they're zooming around, turning, or running on slippery surfaces. Carpal pads are also commonly known as "stopping pads" because dogs often use them when they need to pump the brakes quickly.
Here's a screenshot from an ESPN video covering Spitfire, the "Michael Jordan of Dogs" (trust me, it's worth a watch).
As Spitfire approaches the jump at top speed, his left front paw's carpal pad makes contact with the ground. This likely helps him get an extra bit of traction to make his signature leap. Even this brief amount of contact is helpful for a zooming dog.
Reason #2: Carpal pads act as shock absorbers when landing.
Like the other pads on a dog's paw, the carpal pad is a cushion made of thick skin. Paw pads, including carpal pads, help protect dogs' bones and joints by absorbing some of the shock when they make contact with the ground.
These shock absorbers are especially valuable when a dog is jumping. When a dog leaps up, their front feet usually hit the ground first, sending a shock of force through the body. The carpal pads help absorb some of this shock.
See this in action with Jumpy, a canine parkour athlete and stunt dog, in this screenshot of him landing after an incredible leap. This shot is pulled from another video that is certainly worth a watch.
When Jumpy lands, his carpal pads make contact with the ground, helping absorb of impact of landing on his front paws. (Fun fact: Jumpy also holds the Guinness World Record for dog skateboarding: 100 meters in less than 20 seconds.)
π§ Bonus brain points
Why do dogs' paws smell like corn chips?
As dogs explore the natural world without shoes, their paws pick up a bunch of microbes. That combined with them licking their own paws, which introduces their tongue's own microbes, causes bacteria and fungus to proliferate. The yeasty corn chip smell is specifically thanks to harmless bacteria Proteus and Pseudomonas.
There's nothing inherently unhealthy about dog paw aromas, but if they start to really stink and your dog experiences other paw issues, you may want to take your pooch to the veterinarian for a check-up.
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βSources for this week's newsletterβ
π Book of the week
βThe Backyard Adventurer by Beau Milesβ
Beau Miles is an outdoor adventurer and YouTuber who shares his stories about living a life of adventure. When he published this book, I quickly picked it up, eager to read his unique perspectives about finding adventure right in your local area. This is a book about finding meaning in the mundane, creating adventure from the world around you, and simply seeing things with fresh eyes, even if you've seen them thousands of times before.
Also be sure to check out Beau's films, including my favorite, Running a marathon, one mile every hour.
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βCheck out the full list of books I've recommended here.
π Catch up on other curious questions
- βWhy do we get goosebumps?ββ
- βWhy do lizards do push-ups?ββ
- βWhat is the difference between 4WD and AWD?ββ
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π‘ Today You Should Know
Learn something new every Friday. Join 2,000+ nerds and satisfy your curiosity one question at a time with topics including science, technology, history, and more.
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