Hi, I’m Savanna! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my spunky Chihuahua mix, Penny.

One of my favorite things about Penny is her long hair, giving her a feathery appearance on her ears and tail. But it also gives her longer toe floof, which I like to call her “Grinch feet.” Of course, anyone who’s seen How the Grinch Stole Christmas (any version of the film) knows exactly what I’m referring to. One of the Grinch’s most noticeable features is the extra long hair on his feet.

Never mind the fact that Penny’s feet are mostly white, while the Grinch’s feet are green. Her feet still bear a striking resemblance. But Penny’s feet bore a more striking resemblance to Grinch feet the time that they actually turned green!

How Did That Happen?

When we initially got Penny back in 2020, it was late November. We live in Alabama, so temperatures weren’t super cold at that time, but winter was coming and so were colder temperatures. Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes don’t handle cold weather well and tend to shake to keep themselves warm.

Our tiny Chihuahua mix puppy didn’t have her long fur yet, so she especially didn’t spend a lot of time outside until it warmed up some in spring. By this time, her hair had started to get longer, including her toe floof. With spring also comes longer grass, so soon it was time to mow our backyard, which is full of mostly clover patches, buttercups, dandelions, and some taller grasses.

I’m sure you can see where this is going. The first time we cut the grass that spring, which was pretty thick, Penny was running around in the backyard a short time afterward. When she got ready to go back inside, all four of her paws had actually turned green thanks to the fresh cut grass! Now she actually had green Grinch feet instead of white.

I know this happens to lots of dogs, especially dogs with white and light-colored fur, often turning them green all over! But me, still being fairly new to dog ownership at that time, I was so tickled that her feet had turned green and she had real Grinch feet. A quick bath turned them right back white again, but of course I had to snap a quick picture first.

Why We Keep Penny’s Toe Floof Trimmed Now

At the time of the Grinch feet incident, Penny’s toe floof wasn’t super long, since she was still fairly young. But as she grew, so did her hair, resulting in much longer toe floof by the time she was two years old. She hasn’t gotten Grinch feet again, because now we keep her toe floof trimmed up nice and neat.

Even though Grinch feet can look adorable, it’s important to keep a dog’s paw fur looking trim and tidy. Long hair around the paws can collect dirt and mud, which can stick together to form clumps and make it uncomfortable for your dog to walk. Worse, it can cause irritation and even infection if these clumps scrape against the paw pads and break the skin.

So in addition to trimming your dog’s nails, it’s good to have a groomer trim up a dog’s paw fur regularly, or ask your veterinarian to show you how to do it at home, especially if you have a medium or long-haired breed like Penny.

As cute as Penny’s Grinch feet were, we keep her toe floof much shorter nowadays. She still loves to romp around in the grass, she just doesn’t turn as green anymore!

Featured Image Credit: Savanna