Dogs normally have four claws on each foot. Most dogs also have dew claws, which are smaller and higher on the legs, meaning that they don't touch the ground when the dog is standing. Most dogs have dew claws on the front legs, and some have them on the hind legs as well. Dew claws on the hind legs are often removed when the animal is young. So most dogs are born with 18 claws, the same as a cat, but some are born with 16, and some with 20. If the hind dew claws are removed, but the front ones are not, the dog will have 18 claws; if the front ones are removed as well, it will only have 16.
© Haydn Thompson 2017