ClawsA hard, curved claw grows from the end of each toe. A dog's claws are always out.
Digital padsThe small oval pad under each toe. Four of them carry the dog's weight.
Metacarpal padThe largest pad of a front paw. Shaped a little like a heart. It sits behind the toe pads.
DewclawA fifth toe on the inner side of the front leg. It is set higher than the other four and does not touch the ground when the dog stands.
Carpal padA small pad higher up, on the back of the wrist. It gives extra grip when the dog stops or goes down a slope.
Dog hind paw 2
Digital padsThe four toe pads of a hind paw. A hind paw has no carpal pad, and most dogs have no dewclaw on it.
Metatarsal padThe largest pad of a hind paw. It does the same job as the metacarpal pad of a front paw.
Cat front paw 5
ClawsCat claws rest pulled back into the fur round the toe pads. Only the tips show. That keeps them sharp.
Digital padsThe small pad under each toe. A cat has five toes on a front paw, counting the dewclaw.
Metacarpal padThe large pad behind the toe pads. On a cat its rear edge has three lobes.
DewclawThe first toe of a cat's front paw, on the inner side. It is set higher than the other four.
Carpal padA small pad on the back of the wrist. It is under a wrist bone that sticks out.
How this list was compiled: Every name and detail line was checked on 2026-09-30, for facts only and with nothing copied, in at least two of these: (1) S. Sisson, The Anatomy of the Domestic Animals, 2nd edition, 1914, the skin of the dog (pads of the right fore paw and hind paw), https://archive.org/details/anatomyofdomesti00siss; (2) Wikipedia, Paw; (3) Wikipedia, Dewclaw and Cat anatomy; (4) American Kennel Club, What Are Dewclaws on Dogs; (5) St. George Mivart, The Cat, 1881, the under surface of the fore-paw and hind-paw, https://archive.org/details/catintroductiont00miva; (6) J. Reighard and H. S. Jennings, Anatomy of the Cat, 1901. The sources list says which source gave what. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain shapes. Own original schematic drawing; nothing traced or copied. Licence: own work
How it works
To label the pads of a dog paw, write a name on each numbered line. From the left: a dog's front paw, numbers 1 to 5, its hind paw, 6 and 7, and a cat's front paw, 8 to 12.
Read the full guide
Dog paw word bank
Six names fill the twelve lines, in alphabetical order: carpal pad, claws, dewclaw, digital pads, metacarpal pad, metatarsal pad. Digital pads is written three times, once for each paw. Metatarsal pad is written once, on line 7. The other four are written twice.
Numbers that get swapped
3 and 7 are the large pads of the two dog paws: metacarpal on the front paw, metatarsal on the hind paw. 10, the cat's, is a metacarpal pad too, because that paw is a front paw. 4 and 11 end on the small toe with a claw at the side of the leg (dewclaw). 5 and 12 end on the oval with no claw on the leg itself (carpal pad).
When marking, toe pads is right on lines 2, 6 and 9, nails on lines 1 and 8, wrist pad on lines 5 and 12.
Palmar pad is right on lines 3 and 10, and plantar pad on line 7.
Questions and answers
What are dog paw pads made of?
Fat and elastic, fibrous tissue under thick, hairless, toughened skin. The skin is studded with many rounded bumps that can be seen with the naked eye. The pads cushion the legs that carry the dog's weight.
Do dogs sweat through their paws?
The pads have sweat glands, and the largest sweat glands of a dog's skin are in the digital pads, the ones under the toes.
How many toe pads does a dog have?
Four on each paw carry weight. A front paw has a fifth, smaller one for the dewclaw, and on a hind paw that one is usually missing.
Why is it called a dewclaw?
Nobody is sure. The word dates from the 1570s. One suggestion is that the claw, set high on the leg, brushes the dew off the grass.
Does the dog paw worksheet have an answer key?
Yes. The key prints the three paws with their numbers and the twelve names on their lines, from claws on line 1 to carpal pad on line 12.