When and Why did someone decide to crop dogs ears and/or tails?

Question

Detailed explanations appreciated.Earcropping is now forbidden in many countries,classified as "unnecessary cruelty".Tailcropping is still common.Why?Is there a valid reason for this,or is it just someones "estethic views" that became common practice?

Answer 1

Check out this page. It has a lot of info on the history, etc of cropping and docking.

Answer 2

I cannot justify ear cropping, but there may well be a good reason.
As for tails, many years ago when certain breeds were used for hunting only, their tails were too long and had the potential of breaking if smacked against something hard, so they were cut once to avoid having to deal with breakage multiple time. It is carried on because some individuals like the look of it, and it's not all that horrible that they do the ear *i think those are done under ansesthesia* but tails are done within 5 days of birth, usually by the breeder and not a vet, no painkillers just like circumsision*spelled that wrong* . Both procedures can be related to common things done on people, one having already been meantioned, and the other being you commonly done rhinoplasty aka nose job.
I do not agree with altering a dog's physical appearance in anyway other than selective breeding or having cropped ears or docked tails as the breed standard. If there were real resons behind doing these things then that'd be great, but there aren't so the people that have it done to their dogs should go into a plastic surgeons office and say "Do with me what you will" beause that wouldn't be a far cry from what they did to their dog.
In the deffense of it, dogs seldome have a personal image, which means if they saw a picture of themselves, they would not know anything other than there was a dog in the picture. That's how they justify, saying the dog wont know. Even if you had no mirror, wouldn't you know if, say, someone cut off you pinkies?

Answer 3

Ear cropping has been around for many decades. Dogs that have pendulum ears (hanging ears) get more mites and ear infections because it's a dark damp place for optimal growth. Ear Cropping began to alleviate ear infections in these breeds. It was not done for fighting purposes. A "prick" ear is cleaner and more aesthetic looking. They looked much more regal, trimmed and clean with the ear in the standing position. In order to do that, the outside part of the ear (bell) was cut off and the dog's ears supported until the cartilage was strong enough to hold the ear upright. The practice was continued through the decades and is still used today. Some breeds where not able to be shown unless they were cropped. Today, it is more acceptable to show an uncropped dog than say 30 years ago. Tail docking is done with some of the same standards. Some dogs such as Terriers "go to ground" after squirrels, rabbits, rats, etc. These dogs were pulled out of holes by the tail. Some of these dogs were born tailless or with a small stub, so tail docking became the norm. Many other dogs are docked due to the breed standard. Weimaraners, Boxers, Poodles, Terriers, Dobies, Sporting breeds, etc. Docking of tails does not entail much pain on the dog as this is done at 3 days of age. Ear cropping is done around 12-16 weeks with the pup under anesthetic. The aftercare is the painful part. Pulling off the tape every four days, pulls the hair off the pups ears which is painful. They stuff a cone of cotton into the ear base and cone it with adhesive tape to keep the ear in a standing position. The show dogs are being cropped longer and longer and this takes months for the ears to stand. Shorter crops take a much shorter time to stand and doesn't entail so much pain. Hope this answers some of the question.

Answer 4

The cropping of ears and tails is old and comes from the time when dogs used to hunt dangerous animals and do other work where their ears or tails could get torn by an attack. It continued into the last century especially with police and security type breeds, Dobermans, Schnauzers. It is still done by some people who feel that cropped ears have fewer health problems. I find that hard to believe after seeing pups with their ears bandaged, but I have never owned a dog of one of those breeds.

Answer 5

The reason behind ear/tail cropping is debatable. It is a practice that has been carried out for centuries. Many dog owners and veterinary surgeons argue that "tail docking" is performed to reduce possible damage to the tail as well as for hygiene and other purposes. They also believe that when done properly it is neither a cruel nor unnecessary practice and is actually in a dog's well being to have it's tail "docked." However, and this is my personal opinion, in the times when the practice was popularized it was mostly aristocracy and nobility that owned such dogs and it was purely a way of showing money and status. It was unheard of for common folk to own dogs merely as pets; if they did own dogs it was most likely for labor (i.e. herding, hunting--although hunting was mostly a sport of the wealthy). Furthermore, I believe that at that time those who had the money to own pedigree dogs as well as to have their ears and tails docked did so simply for aesthetic purposes and most likely could have cared less for the well-being of the dog. Similarly, horses' tails also used to be cropped because it was considered beautiful and contrary to what many people believe, it is not just cutting hair, there actually is a fleshy tail from whence the hair grows. This particular practice, I assure you, is not in a horse's well-being--the tail is highly useful for swatting flies and there is absolutely nothing for the horse to gain from getting its tail cropped, if anything it was bothersome for them to have an itch and be unable to relieve it. The point is that this practice was probably started merely under a question of beauty and it is arguable that in more modern times owners and veterinarians have found other reasons for why the practice may be beneficial to dogs. In the end I believe it is a matter of personal taste. I, for example, know that ear cropping in certain breeds makes them more susceptible to ear infections because the sensitive internal area is exposed to dirt and dust and other bacteria-ridden materials. If the ears were left to 'flop' naturally it would protect them from such infections. As long as the owner takes care to keep his/her dog's ears clean the chance of developing mites should be relatively reduced. Similarly, I personally see no reason for tail cropping. Long tails are useful in swatting flies and some believe it serves as a type of 'antenna' that helps the dog's coordination and balance. Also, nowadays, owner's who can afford the affore mentioned surgeries are likely to be able to provide a suitable environment for their dog where any such hygiene or damage concerns would be obsolete. This may not answer your question but I hope I could at least explain the on-going debate over the necessity and humanity of said practice. :)

Answer 6

no all the reasons are really dumb.
well actually people fight dogs and so in order for their lets say "extra hanging body parts" to be bitten off and cause extra clean up they crop both the tail and ears......thats why this is very comment in fight or big dogs like dobermens and pit bulls

very very dumb though

Answer 7

Probably started for show dogs. Then it spread amongst the masses because they wanted pretty dogs that the rich had.

Answer 8

i finaly cut my pitbulls tail because it was so strong every time it hit you if felt like you were getting hit with a bat

Answer 9

i always wondered myself.....

Answer 10

i think it's stupid