The point of dog thumbs, which are also known as dewclaws is to help the dog with balance, traction and help the dog hold objects while chewing.
The dogs dewclaw is a remnant of an earlier ancestor that had five toes, which was useful for helping them climb trees and as dogs evolved to live on the ground, the toe then lost it's primary function but was also retained.
A dewclaw is an extra digit or claw on a dog that that is similar to that of a human thumb.
The dogs dewclaw is located higher on a dog's leg and does not usually touch the ground when the dog is standing.
The dewclaw is on the inside of the dog's front legs for most dogs.
The purpose of the dog's dewclaw is to help the dog with stability when the dog runs, makes sharp turns and for gripping of objects.
Some dogs even have dewclaws on their rear legs and even certain dog breeds like the Great Pyrenees dog breed sometimes have double rear dewclaws.
The dog's front dewclaws are connected to the dog's leg by bones, tendons and ligaments and serve important functions.
The dewclaws on the dog help provide the dog with needed traction when they are running, especially at high speeds and aid in traction and assist the dog in holding onto objects.
The dog's dewclaws can also help the dog maintain balance on rough surfaces or even slippery surfaces.
ear dewclaws on dog's are less common than front dewclaws, and in most cases the rear dewclaws are not connected to bone structure like the front dewclaws.
The rear dewclaws on a dog are often attached by skin and are more mobile and sometimes lack a deep connection to the leg's bone structure.
The Great Pyrenees dog breed is known to have double rear dewclaws as part of their breed standard.