Tail docking and ear cropping

lorebringer

Docking and cropping...

Opinions?

My two cents is both are unnecessary and I wouldn't do either. Ear cropping has no practical function except to change the dogs appearance. Why go messing with something that was working perfectly well in the first place for no other reason than personal preference to how it looks? The only situation I think tail docking is in any way justified is in hunting dogs - Springers and Cockers naturally have long, and quite hairy, tails that get caught in everything. I am the proud owner of a Working Cocker with his full tail, it can be a nightmare when he is off in a field. He comes back covered in half the ditch! If I was going to use a dog for working, I would consider docking, simple to prevent damage in later life. But for cosmetic reasons, I really don't think I would.

Hellrazer

***Mod Warning***
These threads have a habit of descending into chaos.This one is being watched very carefuly.If it kicks off in any way the mods will be issuing bans without warnings.
So keep it nice.

lorebringer

Hellrazer wrote: »

***Mod Warning***
These threads have a habit of descending into chaos.This one is being watched very carefuly.If it kicks off in any way the mods will be issuing bans without warnings.
So keep it nice.

Didn't mean offence or to start a flame war, just curiosity got the cat!

star-pants

lorebringer wrote: »

Didn't mean offence or to start a flame war, just curiosity got the cat!

We know you didn't it's just people can get very heated in these discussions.

I've never worked in a situation whereby a dog would need it's tail docked so I can't put my view on that. As from what people have said before, dogs tails can get caught in machinery etc and thus cause them severe pain whereas if it were removed after birth, it would be less hassle. Again I still don't know, i'd need to see statistics on that.

Regarding ear cropping - not to sound ignorant but is there any reason a dog needs its ears cropped? Tail I would somewhat understand it might get caught, but ears?
I just don't think I could ever crop/dock a dog, it'd just seem cruel to me. I recall that dog on sky news yonks back that had its ears and tail chopped off with a scissors, it was so distressing. Now I'm fully aware that this is not how it's done professionally!!! but just, a tail and ears, it's so much part of a dog and it's personality you know? To remove them without need is pure cruel IMO. Just looking at my two now and I'd love them no matter what but I would never mutilate them in anyway. I think it's so wrong for 'cosmetic' reasons.

Still unsure about docking working dogs, as I'm not in that situation so I don't know fact/stats regarding % of dogs being damaged due to being undocked etc. But that's my 2c anyway.

scudzilla

We're getting a Boxer pup in 4 weeks, she's not docked and we have no intention of getting her done.

As for the Ear cropping, i think the cropped ears on a boxer just looks daft and pointless