According to the breed standard, Icelandic Sheepdogs should have at least one dewclaw on both of their rear feet. However, most Icelandic Sheepdogs in North America have two dewclaws (double dews) on each rear foot. Occasionally a puppy is born that has three sets of double dewclaws (one double dew on each of three feet) or even, rarely, four sets of double dewclaws (one double dew on each of all four feet).
The rare puppy with four sets of doubles is called "Alspori" in Icelandic and dogs with four doubles are often named "Spori" or "Alspori". So if you see a dog with that name, then you know it is exceptional and you know why it is exceptional.
Most often the dewclaws are a little ways up on the leg. Sometimes, however, the dews are actually "on the ground" and act virtually like extra toes.
So, why then do Icelandic Sheepdogs have these extra toes.
First it's interesting to note that Icelandics are not the only breed with extra digits. Often dogs that are from mountainous terrains and/or are also involved in herding behaviors also have extra toes and that is part of their breed standards as well.
A few years ago the AKC (American Kennel Club) did some testing on dogs with dew claws before and after the dews were removed.
They found that when dews were removed and the dog was allowed time to heal, its agility was diminished slightly afterwards. Not significantly, slightly. They found that after dewclaw removal, the muscles going to the dews atrophied which affected slightly the dogs' traction and their ability to turn. (Removing dews from dogs that do the dog sport called agility would most definitely not be a good idea.)
Our dogs are from the volcanic country Iceland. The terrain is challenging; it is mountainous and irregular. There are glaciers, snow fields, rocky streams, bogs, marshes, etc. The dogs have webbing between their toes. The extra toes and the webbing and the extra toenails on the toes give them an advantage over dogs lacking those extra toes.
In some breeds of dog the toes are routinely removed. In our breed the extra toes (dewclaws) are part of the written description for Icelandics and the toes (dewclaws) should not be removed.
I believe that at one point in the past all Icelandics had their toes on the ground. Because of periodic famines and die offs associated with the extreme environment in Iceland, many, most, of the dogs lost their dews "on the ground" although a few still have them there.
Look at the above two photos of Korpur's toes. Look closely and count the toes on the right rear foot in the first photo. Dogs' feet normally have four toes. The second photo shows that foot enlarged. (Remember you can click on the photos to further enlarge them.) The dews in those photos are literally "on the ground" where they obviously can give more traction and therefore more dexterity - useful in a herding dog living under those extreme conditions.
Because of the webbing, the feet can also act like built in snowshoes when they cross a snowfield or a glacier. The extra toes and webbing also make it easier to traverse a quaking bog. That's also very handy for swimming in the glacial runoff streams that dominate the landscape in Iceland. The feet act like the swim fins that humans use.
Some people ask if they should remove the dews. They think that the dews could get caught on something and be ripped partially off. I have never had that happen to any of my dogs and I am not aware of that happening to any other Icelandics although I suppose it could happen. I think they should be left on. (There are probably some vets that would like to take them off. I don't think that is necessary. We sometimes stub our little toes but I would not advocate amputating them as a precaution.)
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