As the standard calls for, the feet should be compact and more tight, not splayed. Sometime it is a hereditary issue, sometimes an environmental issue.

If you have puppies that are overweight, and not allowed proper exercise, and/or kept as Gary said in wire bottom crates, etc, that will cause them to splay, and the pasterns to be down. However, with good proper exercise, and getting some of the weight of a puppy, it can make a world of difference and correct it.

However, it can also be an inherited "type" of thing, just as much as proper tail set, etc. If that is the case, exercise will help, but not correct it.

I don't think it was so wrong for someone at the store to mention it. Evidently they were aware of the issue, and since you weren't, now you are asking and are aware, and can try to do something about it.

Is when the toes are spread apart, and the paw is not "cat like" It is not correctable, but not a health issue either.

Wild West Bulldogs

there are several past posts about splayed feet. You could probably learn a lot there. I just typed in 'splayed'.

I wish I could help you more, but I don't know much about it. I think it was pretty rude of whoever told you that though. That falls into the category of MYOB in my book. If you take your dog to a vet, if he thinks puppies feet are splayed, I'm sure he will let you know. If it isn't affecting the way your baby walks, I would just wait to ask the vet about it. In the mean time, just get lots of bullie lovin'.

the toes have a noticeable gap between them. My Clovis has that. It's often caused by callous breeders who put the puppies from a new litter in a wire cage that has a wire bottom. As the puppies stand on the wire bottom, it causes their toes to spread out.

I'm not sure if the toes ever fully go back to normal. Clovis will be a year old in two weeks, and it's still noticeable in her, tho not as much as when she was just a few months.