Puppy paws

[anaconda]

Finn's pads on his back paws are pink. They're softer than his other pads and the nails are also a different colour. He's six weeks old. Will they harden in time? (They're black around the edge so I'm hoping it's yes.)

[Carrie]

I'm no expert on this, but I suspect that the pink color of his pads will also represent the light colored nails, just like on a horse. If the hoof is light, the skin and hair right above, is also light. Dark hooves go with dark skin and hair. The lighter hooves are softer and tend to crack more easily in most cases. As far as his pads being of soft skin, they probaby will toughen up as he grows. He still has that soft baby skin. But I'm not sure about the comparrison between the pink pads and dark ones.

Chulita, my girl Chi has white feet and sort of medium colored pads. They're not black and their not pink either...sort of mauve/ brownish. LOL. They're tough enough, although they feel softer than Lyric's which are black and very dry and hard. But Chuli has no trouble with them and she runs all over the place, over gravel etc. Jose's are darker, softer than Lyric's by a long shot, but he too has no troubles.