Ear Cropping and Tail Docking
- Thread starter Couturegrl
- Start date
I agree too. I have a pit that I adopted and I was thankful his ears weren't cropped. Half the time people have no idea he's a pit. I think they look much less intimidating with their sweet floppy ears intact.
I'm not sure how accurate this statement regarding ear cropping is "[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]Postoperative pain medication is not routinely given ... " [/FONT]I have known of probably a dozen or so dogs that have had this procedure and they were all given pain medication.
I'm not saying that I agree with cosmetic procedures, but I suppose if we are talking strictly from the animals pain point of view, then it could be argued that de-sexing is also "cruel".
It's been banned in Germany since 1987, unless for medical reasons (tumors, tail has been ripped off, etc.).
Also interesting that those opposed to people using animals as accessories or setting a ridiculous standard of looks for animals in shows etc. are described as "animal rights extremists". What a load of rubbish.
As a child I had my ears pinned back in an operation under full anesthesia and when I woke up thought I was going to die and regretted having it done immediately, and that wasn't even close to cropping them. So unless any of us have experienced having any parts of our bodies cut off, we can't judge at all how much it hurts another being.
And to me it's not a case of "to each his/her own", since the animals can't fight the practice for themselves and it's not the owners having ears or tails sliced or otherwise mutilated. If it was I'd let them get on with it all day long if they want to.
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My Brussels Griffon's tail was docked when I brought him home, but luckily his ears are soft and floppy. In fact, I will sometimes absently just rub his ears because they are so soft. I find it really relaxing and I guess it is for him, too. lol
I had him neutered and microchipped very young or as soon as my Vet gave the ok. I want him to live a VERY long time, so the neutering was a no-brainer.
I had him neutered and microchipped very young or as soon as my Vet gave the ok. I want him to live a VERY long time, so the neutering was a no-brainer.
A number of Australian Shepherds are born with a bob or partial tail, thus all were docked to create a breed standard.
I have an 11yo with no tail and a 6month old pup with full tail - docking is illegal here now. Can't help but wonder if the pup will have better balance
will find out when we start agility 
I have an 11yo with no tail and a 6month old pup with full tail - docking is illegal here now. Can't help but wonder if the pup will have better balance
will find out when we start agility 
I hope my Aussie's non-existant tail was naturally a stump!
I'd think that a tail would be handy for a herding dog, kinda like a rudder. Then again, I hear the tail could be a hindrance...stomped by bad cows or something? Who knows!
^ Well, I have a Australian Cattle Dog, which is a herding dog, and his tail is definitely used as a rudder and keeps him balanced when he turns quickly (and I mean quickly - he turns on a dime). An injured tail is the least of his worries if he's caught in the middle of a herd of cattle, horses or sheep. There is an Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog, which looks the same as an Australian Cattle Dog but has a naturally stumpy tail of varying lenghts.
Tail docking has been banned in Australia since 2003. Declawing cats is illegal too, and rightly so.
Tail docking has been banned in Australia since 2003. Declawing cats is illegal too, and rightly so.
Thank you for the info...I know Border Collies also have natural tails, no docking for them, or collies. It's weird they'd dock Australian Shepherd's tails just so they all look alike; just for cosmetic reasons
Sounds like they'd be better off with their tails when working. I agree, natural ears, tails and intact kitty claws are the way to go.
^ Add kelpies to the list too.
boomie, they dock them because a group of people decide they look better with stumpy tails. Silly, isn't it? I've noticed that some people/breeders in the U.S. dock the tails of Australian Cattle Dogs too. That's just not done here in Australia. Australian Cattle Dogs have been used here as hard working herding dogs for over 100 years with their tails intact. Their tails have never been an issue here in Oz AFAIK.
boomie, they dock them because a group of people decide they look better with stumpy tails. Silly, isn't it? I've noticed that some people/breeders in the U.S. dock the tails of Australian Cattle Dogs too. That's just not done here in Australia. Australian Cattle Dogs have been used here as hard working herding dogs for over 100 years with their tails intact. Their tails have never been an issue here in Oz AFAIK.
Add Kelpies to the list too. Along with Australian Cattle Dogs and Border Collies, they're the hardest working herding dogs around...and they do it all with their tails intact.
I kind of like the look on some dogs with the cropped ears, but don't like that it's a special surgery they have to go through.
My first dog (Mini Schnauzer), we cropped his ears, but when he died, and my Mom got another Schnauzer, she did not crop her girls ears. She just look like a soft teddy bear.
My first dog (Mini Schnauzer), we cropped his ears, but when he died, and my Mom got another Schnauzer, she did not crop her girls ears. She just look like a soft teddy bear.
^I have to agree too. My Schnauzer came to me with cropped ears, but I think they're so much cuter with their natural floppy ears
How old was he when you got him? Most breaders all the the potential owner to make the decision of docking the ears, but normally the tails are docked when they are very little.
As a former vet tech, I have to disagree that tail docking is cruel and unnecessary. Many of you may see it as an amputation, but it's not. It's done when they're only a few days old, and the bone is very soft, similar to cartilage.
Many of the posters on this thread have expressed concern that tail docking is cruel, and if done properly, I can assure you it's not. Docking is carried out when puppies are tiny. Their eyes are not yet open and if carried out correctly, the procedure causes no pain or discomfort. Indeed, some puppies which are docked whilst they are asleep, do not even wake up. After docking, puppies will immediately return to their dam to feed, and there is no evidence that development or weight gain is in any way arrested by the docking procedure.
There is also increasing tail related injuries in countries where tail docking is banned. Injuries can be so severe that the dog must have their tail amputated. Which is horribly painful for the dog. For instance, working gundog breeds have to hunt game through heavy vegetation and thick brambles, where their fast tail action can easily lead to torn and bleeding tails which are painful and extremely difficult to treat. Docking the end of the tail eliminates the risk of injury.
Another good example is Boxers, which have an enthusiastic tail action, are also liable to damage their tails, even in the home. All boxers whip their tail around very fast when they get excited, and if their tail were to hit something, it can cause the tip to bleed or even break. I have personally assisted in quite a few tail amputations on boxers, and it's incredibly painful for them even with pain medication. They could have avoided such a painful injury with a simple tail docking a few days after birth.
As far as ear cropping is concerned, I personally don't think it's necessary, but if it's going to be done please do your research, interview vets, and ask for pictures of procedures they've done before. Whatever you do, don't go blindly into just any veterinary clinic and expect great results, or you might just wind up with a dog with butchered ears for life.
Many of the posters on this thread have expressed concern that tail docking is cruel, and if done properly, I can assure you it's not. Docking is carried out when puppies are tiny. Their eyes are not yet open and if carried out correctly, the procedure causes no pain or discomfort. Indeed, some puppies which are docked whilst they are asleep, do not even wake up. After docking, puppies will immediately return to their dam to feed, and there is no evidence that development or weight gain is in any way arrested by the docking procedure.
There is also increasing tail related injuries in countries where tail docking is banned. Injuries can be so severe that the dog must have their tail amputated. Which is horribly painful for the dog. For instance, working gundog breeds have to hunt game through heavy vegetation and thick brambles, where their fast tail action can easily lead to torn and bleeding tails which are painful and extremely difficult to treat. Docking the end of the tail eliminates the risk of injury.
Another good example is Boxers, which have an enthusiastic tail action, are also liable to damage their tails, even in the home. All boxers whip their tail around very fast when they get excited, and if their tail were to hit something, it can cause the tip to bleed or even break. I have personally assisted in quite a few tail amputations on boxers, and it's incredibly painful for them even with pain medication. They could have avoided such a painful injury with a simple tail docking a few days after birth.
As far as ear cropping is concerned, I personally don't think it's necessary, but if it's going to be done please do your research, interview vets, and ask for pictures of procedures they've done before. Whatever you do, don't go blindly into just any veterinary clinic and expect great results, or you might just wind up with a dog with butchered ears for life.