You do have to declaw the dew claw in hunting dogs or they rip them during hunting. I know this will make a stir on here but I beleive in it becouse I havve seen too many that have had to be put totally under after doing so and suffering for hours getting back to a vet.
Most are done as 3-4 day old puppys. Some vets don"t give an anastetic but the vets I have worked for do. You should check with your freind and see if thats what they meant.