Dewclaws (the first nail hanging in the air away from the ground) in dogs are interesting. Every time I clipped my dog's nails, I wondered what purpose this particular "finger" serves in the dog's life.

I found an interesting news article on wolves and their dewclaws. Apparently, pure wolves don't seem to have dewclaws. Wolves with dewclaws in their hind legs are "the products of cross-mating between wolves and domestic dogs." Wolves in regions densely populated by humans may have had higher chances of mating with guard dogs. Researchers use dewclaws as an indicator to identify wolves or hybrids.

Some say dewclaws have purposes, but the majority of dog professionals seem to conclude dewclaws have little purpose. There are a lot of debates. Nature must have put dewclaws on dogs for a reason, but I really don't know. I guess it depends on who you listen to.