To crop or not to crop?

[carole]

It is illegal to crop dog's ears in NZ , it is also now illegal to dock tails.

[Lori Jordan]

I have an Aussie with a cropped tail some i hear have a natural bob is what they call it i think my aussies would look different with tails im so used to them not having one.

[Cataholic]

I wonder....if other countries (or, is it just the land down under?) are beginning to ban cropping of ears/tails....isn't there a reason for it? Americans are the last people on earth to change their habits...we are so ridiculously stuck with 'well, it is OUR right to do it...'. Ugh.

Cropping is as wrong as declawing.

[Suki Wingy]

in the UK cropped ears is an imediate DQ from the show ring or ever showing again, so it's not just Australia. Declawing, on the other hand, I'm against unless it is the last thing keeping a cat in his family. My grandma declawed Seamus when my aunt moved in because he was "playing too roughly" with her cats. Otherwise he would be off the the shelter.

[K9soul]

I wonder....if other countries (or, is it just the land down under?) are beginning to ban cropping of ears/tails....isn't there a reason for it?

According to one site that listed countries who have banned cropping and/or docking, here is a list of some: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa (From 2007, vets will not be permitted to dock), and Virgin Islands.

More are being added all the time. California is working to ban the practice in California. More on that here: http://www.thepetprofessor.com/press/press.aspx?id=1807

Here's another informative link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Docking

"The tradition of docking dogs originates in the old Roman empire where worms in the tail of the dog were thought to cause rabies. This belief led to the tradition of cutting off the tail as a preventive measure."

[Cataholic]

K9Soul- thank you for such factual data!!! (or, is that a redundant phrase?)

There has got to be better treatment for pets....

[tikeyas_mom]

I have mixed feelings about cropping.. it does look good, it makes the dog look proud..

BUT i dont like the idea of cutting of the ears of a dog to make it pretty. they go through alot of pain and yea.... i just dont see the point...

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

I used to think it hurt the dogs alot but a couple weeks ago I went to a Doberman breeders house (the one who rescued Winston.) and the pups had sjut got their ears cropped the day before. They didn't look liek they were in any sort of pain and they were happily running around and playing with each other. They were a bit itchy but I don't think there was any pain. That's just my opinion though....

[cloverfdx]

Personally I am totally against cropping a dog's ear of any sort, except for medical reasons, I think it is against our law here and rightly so., sorry but that is my strong opinion on this.

Ditto thank goodness it is illegal here. A Dobermann came into our local shelter and someone had done a home job on his ears, they looked awful.

Docking is now illegal here aswell, now maybe the RSPCA can get off their butts and do something about all of the abuse cases .

[gemini9961]

I like the natural ears best. I hate the look of cropped ears on any breed. My Rat Terrier had her tail docked before we got her, so I didn't have much choice in that matter. I'm more against the ear cropping than the tail docking.

[jackie]

I prefer natural.

[Suki Wingy]

I have thought it over and decided that is too much trouble to go to to crop the ears with the taping and massaging and such as mell as boxers look do much better w/ natureal ears. Dobermans are the only breed where I still prefer cropped. To tell you the truth, docked tails are gross to me because when the vet is done, they have a whole tail left over and for those litle pups with their tails docked I keep seeing those little tails laying on the table!

[luvofallhorses]

Originally posted by GoldenRetrLuver
I'm against both, ear cropping more so then tail docking, unless there is a (medical) reason for why it has to be done. Most people get them strictly done for looks anyway, and I just see it as cruel and unnecessary, even if it is done for showing purposes.

Personally, I like the natural look.

I agree with you 100 %

[cali]

natural, I hate the look of cropped ears, makes me shudder to look at them. docked tails not so bad, Ripleys tail is docked but it was docked when we adopted him, however getting a dog from a breeder I would NEVER dock or crop, Blair's breed are supposed to have docked tails and cropped ears, they have standerds for natural, like they CAN be shown natural, but they cant have a gay tail the the ears have to be tipped. Blairs are naturally the way they are "supposed" to be, his moms ears are cropped, and in pyrsheps cropping mean cutting the top of the ear off, most breeders wair to see the pups nateral ears and if they dont tip they slice em off, and I believe Blairs breeder is one of the only ones who wont dock tails anymore and people like it better lol 2 of blairs little brothers have short tails, 1 was born with a natueral bob tail and the other, Cabri was born with his tail not fully formed, he basicly had a hunk of bone on the outside of his tail so his was docked for medical reasons, however that is the only way I will agree with docking.

[wolflady]

Originally posted by wolf_Q
I agree 100% The only way I would have a dog with cropped ears/docked tails is if they came to me that way (Reggie and Syd both had cropped tails when we got them).

Ditto! I like them just the way God made them...