Should You Crop and/or Dock Your Dog?
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A tradition from the beginning of selective breeding, the common practice of cosmetic modification in many breeds is slowly coming under more scrutiny as the years go on.
For most modern dogs, the procedures of cropping the ears and docking the tail are completely unnecessary and are done by choice only.
Here's a look at each side of the issues (and they are two different issues), though in the interest of full disclosure I'll say that I am anti-cropping for the most part and have mixed feelings about docking. For the most part it's a situation-by-situation thing, but I have many more serious issues with cropping of ears.
(Debarking and dewclaw removal are two other surgeries performed on dogs, but since I don't particularly consider them cosmetic, I plan to address them in a separate hub.)
What is Ear Cropping?
Ear cropping is a surgery sometimes performed on puppies ages 9-13 weeks old that changes the look of their ears by causing them to stand upright. The veterinarian will anesthetize the dog, crop the outside edge of the dog's ears, then suture the cuts and place the ears in a rack to hold them up while they heal.
The original intention of this surgery was to reduce injury to dogs who would engage in battle with other dogs, animals, or humans by giving the opponent less to grab onto. It also decreased the risk of a hunting dog's ear being torn when running through thick underbrush.
Today, this surgery is purely elective. The American Kennel Club does not require cropping of the ears for showing, though many of the individual breed clubs include it in the breed standard. The American Veterinary Association has publically stated that it would ideally like to see the procedure discontinued.
Today, the breeds most often cropped are: American Staffordshire Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Schnauzers, Boxers, Great Danes, and Doberman Pinschers.
Should We Do It?
I'd say almost never does this make sense. While I admit that I like the look of many of the cropped breeds, it doesn't have any practical purpose in most situations anymore.
With dog fighting illegal and fewer people using working breeds for their original intention, ear cropping becomes merely a thing to do based on looks instead of a procedure in the best interest of the dog.
While various people will tell you that ear cropping can improve the health of dogs' ears by preventing infection, there is actually no conclusive evidence that this is true. It sounds, to me, like a poor excuse for a brutal and outdated tradition.
The average person should not get their dog's ears cropped, and certainly no average person should ever do the cropping. I can understand a high-quality show dog getting the procedure done by a veterinarian under anesthesia, but otherwise I see no purpose.
Other Ear Manipulations?
There are several other ways that breeders have of getting a certain look from their dogs' ears. These methods are only applied when a dog is very young (usually before teething at 5-6 months or so) when its cartilage is still forming. There is no effective way to get the same look from taping or gluing a dog's ears that one would from cropping, and these methods are usually used on different breeds (mostly collies).
A Video of Docking (a bit graphic)
What is Tail Docking?
Tail docking is typically done much earlier than ear cropping when the puppy is only days old. There are several methods, but mostly one person will hold the pup while the other measures his tail (different lengths for different purposes and breed standards), and then clamps down on it with a scissor-like tool and essentially twists the tail off.
Watch the video to the right only if you're not extremely squeamish (but I'm pretty squeamish and could stomach it).
Typically the pup stops squealing after a few seconds, and the wound often doesn't even need to be sutured. Many reputable breeders will do this procedure themselves (as opposed to the ear cropping, which is much more extensive). A properly docked tail tip will have normal fur on the end of it after it has healed and will not be knobby.
Should We Do It?
This is a more complex question than "Should we crop dogs' ears?" because there is a reason beyond "for the breed standard" that someone might want their dog's tail docked.
Most puppies whose tails are docked are done so for the breed standard. A Doberman breeder, for example, will probably dock her puppies' tails when they're 3 to 5 days old before their bones are fully formed but after they've recovered from the birth. This is mostly for cosmetic reasons.
But some breeds have what people affectionately call "happy tail," which is really not a happy situation at all. Dogs wag their tails to express joy, but sometimes a dog's tail wags too hard for its own good. If you've ever been whipped in the leg by a Labrador Retriever's tail, you'll have some idea of what I'm talking about.
Certain breeds were bred specifically to have those strong tails, usually to act as a rudder while swimming (which is why Labs and Goldens have such strong tails), and certain other breeds just have strong tails by coincidence.
Dogs with "happy tail" have the potential to actually break their tails by wagging them too hard and whacking something hard. This is extremely painful for them, and often results in having to have their tails docked as adults, which is much more painful than if it had been done when they were days old.
There is also the issue of the working dog, which is rare in today's society, but certainly still exists. Herding breeds like Australian Shepherds could get their tails stuck in a gate closing behind livestock, and hunting breeds could get their tails stuck in thick underbrush. Both of these situations would be terrible, and proponents of tail docking argue that working English Pointers and Setters (whose tails are not docked) suffer pain and infected tails because of this.
To counter that, though, Australian Cattle Dogs' tails are not docked, and they have to herd cattle through gates. The Aussie Shepherd's tail, some argue, is docked because of their long fur that gets burs, fecal matter, and dirt matted into it (whereas the ACDs have short fur).
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My Point
It comes down to "What is this dog going to be used for?" If it's going to be a companion dog, merely a friend to children and the rest of its "pack," then that dog doesn't need its tail cut off. But sometimes it's hard to know if the dog will be show-quality or pet-quality, so I don't necessarily have a problem with reputable breeders docking their puppies at days old.
In my opinion, no dog should be docked after it's a couple days old, and I see no point in ear cropping.
This is a hot-button issue with lots of people, so please leave a comment in weigh in! I'd love to hear what you have to say.
- Stylizing Your Dog: The Nip/ Tuck of the Canine Variety
A similar and excellent hub written by a fellow hubber with some great additional information. - Cosmetic Surgery for Pets
A quick rundown on the various types of cosmetic surgery for pets. It includes the pros and cons and describes typical procedure and recovery time. - Ear Taping - List of Links
This site is a great resource with links to "how to"s for ear taping, tipping, and docking for every relevant breed. - Puppy Ear Cropping & Tail Docking
A balanced article that also addresses debarking and dewclaw removal, which I'll look at in a future hub.
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Comments
Hm.. I don't necessarily agree about the APBT with his ears cropped with scissors. Many times they get their ears cropped more rounded versus straight up. It usually depends on the skill and experience of the vet.
Interesting article nonetheless; similar to mine from the other day. I think the procedures are ridiculous and no longer necessary. As you've mentinoed in the past, tail docking and ear cropping served its purpose. It's just not the case anymore. The only good thing about tail docking is for huntind dogs, it can prevent the tail from getting caught on something when flushing out game.
I mean, not even dog shows really care anymore. A natural dog has the same chance as a clipped one.
The procedures are unsafe, especially with young puppies being put under anesthesia.
That video is B/S would could do that to a puppy or any animal! There's not enough money in the world that would pay me to do that!
But you think the pup with his ears cropped by scissors looks correct? You're right that they don't always need to be perfectly pointy, but that just looks like a terrible crop job to me.
I disagree (for the first time? lol) that a natural dog has the same chance as a docked one in many show rings. While the AKC says that it doesn't matter, it comes down to the choice of the breed clubs and to politics. I think that, between two dogs of exactly the same caliber otherwise, the docked dog would win out.
The video is so sad... I can't imagine hurting such an innocent creature like that (not that I'm passing judgement on those that do; I just couldn't).
Thanks for weighing in, Whitney!
If you wern't trying to tell people what to do the article would have been called "why I choose not to crop/dock". You just have an insatiable need to tell othe people how to live their lives and what to do with THEIR pets. The sooner you own up to it the better.
As yet, I have not "chosen" not to crop/dock, as I haven't had the opportunity (my dog is a hound rescue with big floppy ears and the longest tail in history). My article is meant to be persuasive and make you feel the way I do, which is part of the reason it's titled the way it is. Also, I want to be indexed by search engines and get people to read my article, which is the other part of why the title is the way it is. Obviously "should" or "should not" is always a matter of opinion.
I suggest you don't try to psychologize me through my compartmentalized internet life, and I'll do you the same courtesy.
Helena, I'm not saying it looks good. I'm jsut saying I don't think the cropping was done with scissors. I've seen dogs with their ears cut off with scissors, and they don't look anything like that. Plus, usually people who choose the scissors route, cut more of the ear off, leaving just a small sliver of an ear. I think that picture was done by a vet. I just think it was a poor job.
Yes doggy politics do make a big difference. In general, they have the same chance, but yes usually the clipped dog will win because of human preference and because that's what has been the norm.
Unbeli- maybe you should pose why you agree with this. I'd love to hear why you agree versus telling Helena that she's a bad person for her title and for her beliefs.
I am actually fairly positive that crop job was done by scissors because I know the person who rescued the dog, and I think that she knows his owner did it with scissors. But I'm not 100% on that. You're right, though, that many home crop jobs leave almost nothing and are very strange looking.
Oh doggy politics and human preference... I admit, though, that I like the look of some of the breeds cropped, but is it worth it? Not even a little bit.
I, too, would like to know why the troll is so mad at this particular hub, but you know how trolls are. :)
Simple answer, unless your dog has a medical condition, NO, Although it still occurs in the UK regularly, it is illegal here to do either, I have a staffordshire bull terrior a dog that usually gets its tail docked and i personally would never let that happen to him unless there was a medical condition that made it needed.....jimmy
Thanks for weighing in, Jimmy! The US is behind pretty much everyone else in allowing this to go down legally, though I'm not sure illegalizing it would make a great enough difference (as you said, it still happens).
there is a picture of my dog on this page written by my wife over a year ago.....jimmy
He's gorgeous, Jimmy! They're great dogs. Have you checked out my "Bad Dog" hub? Its point is similar to that of your wife's in that hub. (I thought Staffie Bulls were banned in the UK?)
Maybe Helena, but I don't see it... I'm just going off past experiences. That dog could have had his ears cut off with scissors, it just doesn't look it from the photo. It's a completely different type of cut. But, you can usually tell in person.
Jimmy, I agree that there's no medical reason for it. Many people claim that ear cropping prevents ear infection because not having the ear allows air to flow through which dries it out. I think that's just a cop out for being lazy. People should just clean their dog's ears.
Your Staffie is cute! My APBT has her ears. I wish this was illegal in the states, but it would be hard to put a stop to it at this point. I think.
Helena, do you mind if I post a link to my crop/dock hub from last week?
I totally agree that the ear infection thing is a cop-out. Any dog can get an ear infection without proper care.
Go ahead and post the link, Whitney! I was actually going to link to your hub in the links section at the end of this hub and wanted to know if you had a referral you'd like me to put in there? (Want to do a you-link-mine-I-link-yours trade?)
Sure. Link trade! You can use your own referral link, if that's what you mean.. I'll add your hub right away.
Done and done! :)
The discussion about should it/should it not be done aside, I think you did a great job of explaining the general details of the procedures. There is nothing wrong with having an opinion, and you clearly stated what was opinion and fact. Great job with the hub.
My personal opinion is that it should be an owners choice as to having the procedure done. I am not a big fan of regulation, I think that things are already overly regulated. Compare this procedure to child ear piercing and circumcision, the choice shouldn't be a function of a regulating authority to enforce.
Thank you, jmhelms, for your great comment! I appreciate that you "got" the point of my hub: to educate and then to share my opinion.
I have a much harder time deciding what I think is "right" in terms of unnecessary human surgery (circumcision, mostly)... That's often brought up as a parallel topic to cropping and docking. Thanks again!
Wow, I had no idea this stuff was still being done. It kind of creeps me out that people spend money on cosmetic surgery for dogs and subject the animal to unneccessary pain. Aren't there starving kids in the world that need help? Sigh.
You're totally right, Blogger Mom. There are much more important things to spend our money and focus our energy on than cosmetic surgery for our animals.
I love your article. The title upset me enough to click it and read it-and get a bit pissed off in the process. I predict a high scoring hub. Great job!
Thanks, rockinjoe! I read your article on titles after I titled this one but have had it in the back of my mind ever since. If I'm not already your fan (I can't remember), I'm going to go add you right now! :)
Hi,
I ended up on this site because I have a 3 year old Staffordshire. His tail wags so hard when he gets excited that it is cut up and is forever bleeding. I am always cleaning blood off of everything and don't know what to do. I hate the idea of cutting his tail at this age, but might have too. Anybody have any other ideas beside cutting the tail.
You're not the first person to run into this problem, Deb! Thanks for stopping by. Have you spoken to your vet about this problem? It's possible that a) your dog might have a super easy time with the surgery to dock his tail at this age or b) it's completely impossible at this age for some other medical reason.
Obviously you don't want your dog to be in pain! So you'll need to make the hard decision of which will be LESS painful. Does he only cut his tail, for example, on your metal coffee table? Or does he have such extreme happy tail that every little chair and doorway ends up hurting him? If it's a more intense version of the happy tail, then you might have to consider docking (but think of all the pain it can save him in the future!)...
I don't have any other alternatives besides docking his tail, BUT, know that if you do it, he'll be put under anesthesia at his age, so he won't feel the pain right away. In fact, if you don't already have him neutered, you might be able to do the docking and the neuter during the same surgery, so he only has to "go under" once!
Keep us updated on your decision, and thanks for commenting! Good luck.
Hi. I just wanted to say that I have an APBT and yes,we had his ears cropped.It was done as soon as he was old enough,and it was done by a liscenced vet.We were told also,that it helped to prevent ear infection.We are NOT too lazy to clean his ears as some have suggested. We just did what we thought was best for him. We made sure that it was done right as well. We would never do anything that we thought would harm him.Please don't judge everyone that has had this done,we are not all doing it for the same reason.Yes,it was a personal decision. Am I glad we made it? ABSOLUTELY! Rambo is a very spoiled and well-loved dog.Please check out his profile at www.myspace.com/rambothepitbull.Thanks!
I do have to agree with Jenny as far as why people may decide to do this. While it may not be a necessity anymore, we do still have vets that actually recommend it and use the reasoning of the ear infections. Most people aren't going to go against what their professional vet tells them and will do the procedure.
Rambo is as spoiled as she says and so is his mom, Mya. I do, however wish that they HAD docked Rambo's tail because he doesn't just have happy tail, he has extatic tail! LOL. He will really hurt you with his tail and the what-nots around the house or anything sitting on the coffee table is fair game to his excitement!
We have all learned a lot since she first got her first APBT and we are still learning every day. But I can attest to the fact that she takes very good care to keep his ears clean and only did the cropping because the vet recommended it.
Bonnie
Thanks for your comments, Bonnie and Jenny! I really appreciate them.
Unfortunately, the reason that you both site for cropping the ears (that the vet said to) is indicative of a larger problem that's very upsetting to me: people believe anything a "professional" tells them. I back this up with the fact that so many people feed their dogs Science Diet. Terrible, terrible food, but it says "Vet Approved" on it, and vets sell it in their offices. So there you have it.
The bottom line is that people who crop their dogs' ears (when trying to do what's best for their dogs) are not bad! That's not the point of this article. I don't fault either of you (and obviously you couldn't UNcrop their ears, even if you wanted to)! Like Bonnie said, you learn new things every day. Cropping a dog's ears is unnecessary pain, and I can only hope that someone whose vet tells them to do it will stumble across this article and at least go into the procedure a bit more educated.
Thank you Helen, for your comment on Unnecessary Ear Cropping.
The only benefit that comes from this procedure is Padding the Veterinarian's Pocket. As a retired Veterinarian Assistant, I've seen so many complications from this procedure, from infection, hemotoma and stress. Head shaking because of the bandages alone may require many trips to the vets for re-taping, not to mention fluid in the brain. Though this is rare, the need for re-taping is not, and there is no guarantee the cropped ears will stand erect.
This inhumane procedure steals puppyhood with pain and wonder... of "why do my ears hurt so much? They didn't hurt before I got them taped". All of this in the name of vanity of a dog's appearance. veterinarians making a buck or owner being misinformed.
Tail docking, on the other hand has it's positive points, as mentioned earlier in other postings. Especially with short haired dogs. Dogs will beat sores into their tails just by whacking on things. It has no fatty tissue to cushion any impact it comes in contact with, only bone. Breakage is common as well as sores starting from underneath the skin. Owner usually do not recognize a problem until it needs veterinary attention, and sometimes amputation.
But, it should be noted that this tail docking procedure should be done within days, if not hours of birth, like due claws. Pain will be momentary, and healing is usually successful without any other treatment or antibiotics.
If your pet is older, do not fret. It was a great suggestion to get this done while being spay/neutered, to not only minimize pain, but cost as well. If your pet is already fixed and in need of tail docking due to continued tail damage, this should be a fairly easy proceedure, and painless recovery. Much easier to tolorate than ear cropping. Just remember that all surgery preceedure have risks, so be confident with not only your veterinarian, but the technical staff as well.
I hope this might inspire owners to research there options before proceeding with unnecessary surgery and recognize the pros as well as the cons when surgery may be most helpful.
Thank you so much for your comment, Aid 4 Animals. It'd good for people to see a "professional" opinion on this topic. My main hope is the one you expressed in your last paragraph: that people will just do some research before making big decisions like cutting off their dogs' ears. That's all I ask at this point!
I'm from the UK too and still can't beleive that this is being allowed and encouraged in the US, although some breeders will still dock tails at the birth of their pups here. As a veterinary assistant I saw so many botched docking jobs where the tail had to be cut and cut again until it was almost removed into the backbone because of infection. If it becomes too bad the dog has to be put to sleep. I understand the 'working dog' argument, but how do you know at just days old that that pup will be bought and put to work?
Most vets are totally against tail docking and ear cutting. Overe here declawing a cat is illeagal too, although I know this is also still carried on in the US. Perhaps if people spent their money on getting their dogs neutered rather than docked there wouldn't be the problem of re-homing stray dogs as there is.
I raise APBT's and recently bought a Doberman puppy. I have had 4 APBT puppies cropped by scalpel and 2 APBTs and my Dobie cropped by laser. I have found that the scalpel cropping causes much more bleeding and higher instances for infection, the laser cuts and cauterizes at the same time. I have watched all 3 of my laser crops. I have found that with APBTs, the cropping heals very quickly (within 14 days) and causes little to no pain at all. It does itch when healing, much like a deep scratch, but there's almost no pain. I just had my dobie pups ears done and have found thatwhile the ears themselves are not all that painful, the tape bothers him very much and being taped also slows the healing, causes itching, and is more stressful. In all 7 crops I have noticed that they never flinch during the crop procedure, and when they come home the first thing they want to do is eat and play. Which shows exactly how much the whole thing bothered them LOL.
I have witnessed 2 tail dockings. One was a litter of weimeraner puppies, 3 days old, done by an experianced vet. The pups had their dewclaws removed at the same time. They whined a little, but it was due to being held with their butts in the air. Anyone who has held newborn pups knows, they do not like to be firmly held. They never squealed or flinched at all when the vet docked the tails. He used a tool something like a dog nail clipper, guillotine style. Clean cut, no clamping or twisting. The other litter I saw done was a group of 3 month old American Bulldog puppies. They were completely anesthetised, knocked out unconcious, but when the vet cut the tails they still screamed in their sleep. I could tell that even though the procedure was being done right, by a licensed vet, it was very painful. At 3 months old the bone and nerve endings in the tails are fully formed and cutting through bone, cartiledge, and nerves, is very painful. On the same token, docking a newborn pup is not painful at all. And cropping the ears of a young pup is a very simple and relatively painless procedure.
I have had 7 puppies cropped, none docked, and will continue to get ear crops done. They improve the look of some dogs and I don't think it is cruel at all if done right, by a vet.
tjmum -- Excellent point. If people would spend that money on neutering their animals instead of unnecessary cosmetic surgery, our pet population would certainly be more healthy as a whole! Thanks for your comment; I think the way the laws differ between countries on these things is very interesting. (And I'm glad declawing cats is illegal there... That is truly just senseless cruelty.)
Savannah -- I'm so glad you weighed in on this! While I respectfully disagree that ear cropping does not hurt the dog (just because dogs have extreme tolerance for pain doesn't mean that they don't feel it), I also concede that you have much more first-hand experience with this issue than I do.
I especially liked your comparison of the tail docking. Biologically, a 3-day-old puppy's tail has practically no developed nerve endings or hard bone, as you mentioned, and it sounds like laser docking might be the best because it cauterizes the wound as it cuts the tail. Docking 3-month-old puppies just sounds cruel to me, vet and anesthesia or not. So thanks for bringing up your personal experience there.
So, again, thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. Obviously it's not a one-sided subject, so your comment really rounds it out for anyone reading this article! Please comment any time. :)
Helenthegreat, thank you for being respectful. I just want to clarify, that the reason I say cropping is not all that painful, is because I can and have handled the ears myself, have taken out stitches myself, applied peroxide, cleaned the edges, and though they shake their heads a bit when I apply the peroxide, they never flinch, whimper, whine, or try to pull away from me. Instead they lick my hands, chew on a toy, try to play with me, etc. I don't particularly care for the taping/posting procedure, having the post (tampon applicator wrapped in soft tape) inside the ear really seems to bother my Dobie puppy. But the APBT pups require nothing more than stitches and cleaning every day, and are not bothered by it at all. When you have a dog for a long time, you get to know when they are bothered, hurting, upset, or just relaxing with their momma. So I can honestly say, cropping does not bother a puppy all that much. Taping and posting, do.
Also, while 1 or 2 dogs may have extremely high pain tolerance, I seriously doubt that 7 puppies, ages 3 months to 8 months, all have such a high pain tolerance.
Okay, thanks for clarifying that, Savannah. I agree that, once you get to know a dog, you can certainly read him well enough to tell if he's in pain, whether he's whimpering or not. I'll definitely take everything you've said into consideration the next time I want to jump to argue with someone who wants to crop their dog's ears.
Wow I never knew dobberman's had floppy ears. seems to me like we should always leave well enough alone until it is a problem. If you want a better looking dog then pick a different one. Why butcher one that kinda looks like the one you want.
For a long time, I didn't realize they were naturally floppy-eared either, Jim. You're right: if you want a dog that looks different, just get a different dog! Thanks for reading.
Nice find. Thanks for the heads up
Helena and Whitney should have been born in a police state like the UK. Being born in the US with its tradition of individual liberty was wasted on them. They certainly have control-issues.
I always hate it when I see the ears cropped. I don't understand why that would be done.
THAT WAS NOT A VIDEO OF TAIL DOCKING IT WAS A VIDEO OF A ACT OF CROULTY WITH INADICUTE SCISSERS......
I HAVE PERSONALLY DOCKED 3 LITTERS OF JACK RUSSELS
1ST TIE WITH TIE STRIP VERY SMALLEST YOU CAN FIND AND TIGHTEN IT RIGHT UP DEADENING THE TAIL AND CUTTING OF BLOOD (NO YELPS NO SCREAMS NOTHING) LEAVE FOR 2 TO 12 HOURS THEN CROP RIGHT UP AGAINST THE TIE WITH ROSE CLIPPERS NOT FUKING SCISSERS AS ITS A FIRM HARD CHOP IN LESS THAN A SECOND AND ALSO ALLOWS A NICE ROUND END TO FORM
AGAIN AS ITS NOW A DEAD TAIL AND YOUR CROPPING FROM THE DEAD SIDE OF THE TIE (NO YELPS NO SCREAMS NO BLOOD) TAIL COMES STRATE OF AND IS ALLREADY DEAD LIKE SAY A RABBITS FOOT
I HAVE VIDEO EVIDENCE OF MYSELF DOCKING AND THERES NOT ONCE BLOOD OR YELPS
WAKE UP THERES IDIOTS ACTING CROULY AND GUYS LIKE ME USING THERE COMONSENSE
Hi, we cropped our dobies ears yesterday. He is 15 weeks old and I have a question. He wont stop shaking his head, so every time he does they bleed. What should I do?
Almostforever@live.com
Brett -- I don't think I agree with you that it's a question of control issues. It's a question of the amount of needless pain inflicted upon an animal that I find immoral. I love having the individual freedom that I find in the US, but what I've found is that people need to be more educated before exercising that freedom.
02SmithA -- It always breaks my heart a little bit, too. Thanks for the comment.
Old Big Head -- What you described does not sound much better. And the video has no blood or yelping, just typical puppy whimpering. Out of curiosity, why video yourself mutilating puppies?
Alex -- Sorry I couldn't respond sooner; I hope that since you left this comment 8 days ago, you've already decided to call your vet. Hopefully your dobie is feeling better and on his way to recovery.
I had my mini pins ears cropped. I will NEVER do it again. They were in pain for days. Don't think the vet was at fault. The vet I used works as an advisor with the University of Ga. He's been a very well known vet for his years of experience. The ear cropping is just a painful experience for the puppies. Just think, if your ears were cropped, would it hurt? Do you think that puppies hurt less? No, they do not. This is a terrible procedure to put you puppy through.
I can't bel;ieve that there is any debate about this! These procedures are done for human, not animal needs (vanity, to be precise) and put animals, who have no say in the matter, through incredible, completely unnecessary trauma. The link to human body piercings is not valid - humans can choose to have piercings or not. Did you ask your dog before you docked its tail or cropped its ears? Circumcision is not very much recommended for male children any more as it has little practical value and the psycological damage can be quite great. Its not a question of telling other people what to do, its a question of respecting our fellow-creatures who are not able to communicate with us at a human level. The kennel associations should be forced to change their standards so that cropped ears and docked tails actually count against dogs at shows.
i think it is ok to have cropt ears because it cuses no pain to the dog were as
docking a dogs tail is very pain full for the dog as shows in the vidio it is horrible
that anyone would do that to any animal let alone mans best friend
Alex, go pinch your dog's ear really hard (like, with your nail). Did he yelp? If not, you didn't do it hard enough. Dogs have a high concentration of nerves in their ears; it's a pressure point, and you can actually calm them down by rubbing from the base of their ear to the tip. How could you possibly believe that cutting through those nerves wouldn't hurt?
"It comes down to "What is this dog going to be used for?"" - limits future use that initially thought of i.e: dog has new owner.
"This is extremely painful for them, and often results in having to have their tails docked as adults" knowing that, you then say "In my opinion, no dog should be docked after it's a couple days old"
I have my Vet dock my puppies at 2 days old because their system is underdeveloped at this point. They naturally squirm and whine for less than 2 minutes. 90% do not bleed, some need a stich. Nothing more, ever. Dogs are for versitale hunting in all situations.
It's nice that your trying to expose both sides and your opinion here - however this subject pertains to a very small amount of dogs owned. After the crop/dock is done - what problems are there then? None. I do not favor cropping/docking in all cases - but do not want it to become banned either. What's more important, is requiring anyone wishing to have a pet to take a basic pet ownership class on how to propperly care for the animal. A "Pet Permit" should be required. Anyone idea how many dogs/cats/etc... are out there and don't receive basic medical attention, proper feeding or appropriate training. Good luck with, in my opinion - your subject lacking susbstance. Oh, another good subject for you would be "How animals suffer when the economy goes to hell"
Thanks for writing, toeachtheirown. I generally agree with your "pet permit" idea, though that won't happen any time soon as long as breeding animals makes people so much money.
Also, the whole "dog has new owner" thing? I plan on "owning" my dog forever, no matter what. And that should be the attitude for everyone else. Especially if you are a breeder (which it sounds like you are), you should be fostering that state of mind for every single one of your buyers. Dogs are not something to be thought of in terms of "use" or "future use". THAT, in my mind, does not apply to "to each their own".
I think you did an excellent job with this hub, explaining what cropping and dockingis and you believes about it. I however am not opposed to ear cropping or tail docking IF done properly by a licensed vet; and that's a big if. Under no circumstances should anyone crop or dock themselves, it's just barbaric.
Thanks for the comment, Eternal Evolution. I appreciate your engagement with the conversation! Of course, I will have to respectfully disagree and say that that useless ear cropping/tail docking should not be done -- by a vet or by anyone else. But! If you absolutely feel it must be done, I'm glad we agree that docking by anyone other than a licensed vet is absurd and barbaric. Please chime in any time!
I respect your opinion as well, again i think you did an excellent job with your information. I have a boxer named Joda, i got her when she was almost 2 years old and she had already had her tail docked, but i don't think a vt did it. Her tail is fine but the hair never did cover the very tip of it. My brother and sister-in-;aw also have boxers with docked tails, but theirs was done by a vet.
We have a swedish vallhund and traditionly their tails were docked for showing purposes. Our dog has his tail and it looks fantastic. I personally think that the tail should remain unless it medically needs to be removed
My shih tzu puppy is about 12 weeks old. we took a visit to the vet and they said he might get his tail docked. I really dont want to do this to him. The vet said this because our puppy kept on biting his tail, and it is dead. I dont belive him. What should I do. Please tell me as soon as you can. Please.
Ricky, it sounds like you need a second opinion ASAP. I can't tell you over the internet what is going on with your dog's tail, but that sounds pretty dubious to me. He could be biting his tail because he's allergic to something in his food, which is making him itch. Before you take your pup to get his tail docked for good, please take him to another vet for a second opinion. Just because a vet has a license doesn't mean you should believe everything they say.
Thank you helenthegreat, i really dont want to dock his tail. I went to the vet again and they gave me medicine for his tail. After a week I have to go again. I hope he will be fine. Guess What?????? I was reading a book about shih txus and it said never to dock their tail. I am looking forward to rubbing that in their face. Are you a vet? And where do you live?
Hi Ricky, I'm glad things are going in the right direction for your little pup. I'm not a vet; I'm just someone who knows a lot about dogs from research and personal experience. Definitely find a vet that you can trust, though. It's just as important as finding a good pediatrician for your child. :)
Thank you for sending back a message. I have not sighned up in hubpages. What is it about? ( I know this message is not about docking!)
HubPages is a great writing community. It's free to join, and you can write articles about any and all topics you're knowledgable about. Then, you can add advertisements to your articles, and you make money from people clicking on the ads. It's a lot of fun, and the other writers are very supportive in the forums and in comments.
I dont belived docking dogs is necessary unless it is required because of medical reasons. We have a swedish vallhund and generally they have had their tails docked for showing purposes. I think its cruel a dog needs its tail to show its emotions like we need a tounge to talk
Yes! The tail of this 100 lb Lab will take you down, but he is a great swimmer. Thanks!
helenathegreat says:
2 years ago
Though I know this comment is just trying to get a rise out of me, I'll approve it and respond anyway because I might as well say:
In no way is this article forcing my opinion on anyone. It's merely looking at different sides of each issue and offering my opinion with an explanation. If you choose to disagree with me, I'd love to hear why.