cutting off their dogs' ears & tails instead of encouraging it?
2006-12-18 11:28:30 · 14 answers · asked by shermynewstart 7 in Pets ➔ Dogs
sorry, allison - Bzzzzt ! - wrong answer, but thank U for playing!
ear-crops were * Not! * 'started for (ear) health' - they were started to keep dogs from getting their ears BITTEN or GRABBED.
the dogs whose ears might get BITTEN were fighting-dogs or hog-dogs or similar;
the dogs whose ears might get GRABBED were guarding breeds.
if U look at the period-photos of these breeds, U'll see that the ears were taken off almost to the skull, leaving a stub; the tail, too, was cut off short enuf to be useless as a body-lang communication tool.
dogs who have been cropped/docked this harshly become extremely difficult for dogs Or Humans! to 'read' for clues to their emotional state/intent;
as a result, they are often attacked by other dogs, or assaulted by ppl, who see aggro in the dog just standing there, because they cannot read their intention.
NOWADAYS: crops on ears are ridiculous!! they serve no useful purpose, are half the length of the dog's head in many cases, so they don't ''save'' the ear from anything, and they are a COSMETIC AMPUTATION.
ditto for docked tails: no purpose, just tradition. docked dogs have no tails to wag, or what tail they have is usually less than 1/2 the original, making the dog's body-lang small-print and difficult to read.
the super-long modern-day show-crop is hard to get to stand upright, unlike the former savage crops, which left very little, if any, TO stand. so the poor pup has to endure bandage changes, cleaning, antibiotics, props, tape, more tape, peeling off the tape....
JEEZ, folks, give it a Rest !!
show-folks claim that the purpose of showing is to select excellent breeding stock for the future of the breed.
okay: i want to see every dog AS WAS : just exactly as they were born.
No orthodontia, no plastic-surgery, no colored chalks in a paint-by-number entry, no THIRD TESTICLE (yes, this has happened 3x in the AKC show-ring that i know of: Euro-import male dogs were shipped to the USA with one testis undescended, a serious and heritable defect that is an automatic de-sex, both to prevent the dog's breeding and for the dog's health: retained testes greatly increase the risk of cancer.
The Euro-Dogs had a false testicle inserted in the scrotum, were shipped to unsuspecting owners here, and the previously-hidden testicle came down out of the abdomen into the scrotum... resulting in a trio, 2 biological, one plastic.).
personally, i think nothing should be allowed to alter the dog's appearance that does not affect their health; a dog with a dead-tail needs an amputation. A normal dog with a healthy tail NEEDS THE TAIL. dogs communicate, signal, balance, and react using their tails - i think they should get to keep what tails, ears, tail SETS and ear SETS they are born with !!
a vet who is very skilled can make a lousy dog look a lot better with a good crop-job or tail-dock. but the pups that dog whelps or sires will NOT inherit the nice touch-up job... they get the original, un-improved version in the dog's genes.
i want to SEE what a dog carries, what they will throw - not a fantasy sculpted with a scalpel, but a real dog with real haircoat, color, tail, ears, eyes, etc.
2006-12-18 12:15:39 · answer #1 · answered by leashedforlife 5 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Probably not. The breed standard is set by the parent clubs and becomes the standard for AKC dogs. So unless by some miracle the breed standards change the tail docking and cropping is going to happen.
2006-12-18 19:35:13 · answer #2 · answered by Melissa B 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The AKC has nothing to do with it. It is entirely up to the parent clubs of those breeds who crop/dock. In most of the breeds that crop the parent clubs have now revised the standards so that natural ears can be shown. Many natural eared dogs in fact have received their championships.
2006-12-18 19:38:41 · answer #3 · answered by Great Dane Lover 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Certain working breeds had their ears and tails cropped & docked during their working days because it prevented injuries to both body parts during their potentially dangerous lines of work- guarding, herding, driving, etc. It is still done today in tribute of their working bloodlines, and because it has become the accepted standard of appearance for those breeds. If it is done by a vet, it's not the huge terrible ordeal that people make it out to be. I believe most breeds are allowed to be shown 'natural' if the breeder chooses, but most people prefer to keep them the way they have looked for generations.
2006-12-18 19:35:36 · answer #4 · answered by Dreamer 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Tails are docked for a reason. Have you ever seen an adults tail broken??? It is bloody and painful and they usually end up having to be removed as they heal POORLY!
Hard to imagine for the ARlites around here, but SOME people still use their dogs for the purpose they were bred to do!
If you don't like docking and cropping, then don't BUY one that is cropped/docked! But it should be a personal decision and it is none of your business what someone else chooses for their dog.
JEEZE!!! Is EVERONE totally UNAWARE that some dogs STILL do the job they were bred to do??? Is everyone ALSO unaware that tails are docked so that they don't get broken while doing their job??? Does everyones dogs here do nothing but lay on the couch all day? How sad for the dogs!!!
2006-12-18 20:42:19 · answer #5 · answered by whpptwmn 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
The parent club of each breed determines the breed standard.
2006-12-18 19:31:40 · answer #6 · answered by woooh! 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The AKC standard is not a law. If enough breeders complained about cropping they would change their standards for the breeds.
What if the new "fad" was cropped Basset ears!
2006-12-18 19:38:02 · answer #7 · answered by floridaflyer 1 · 1⤊ 2⤋
probably not. most all breed standards were set many years ago when dogs actually worked doing whatever job they were bred to do. cropping was started out of necessity, to promote better ear health , etc. tail cropping was for making it a bit harder for prey to grab and hold on. if you want to try and get the standards changed , i say go for it. one person can make a difference
2006-12-18 19:36:53 · answer #8 · answered by llsnwtsn 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
I wish they could stop them...but stupid cruel people will still do it. Dogs look so much better the way they were born. I hope one day it's illegal everywhere and earns a stiff jail sentence!
2006-12-18 20:24:09 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
That would be nice.
They're currently under some pressure to take action discouraging puppy mills as well.
You can write them to suggest the changes you'd like to see.
2006-12-18 19:31:58 · answer #10 · answered by Emmy 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋