Tail docking and ear clipping

Oh Jules your Leela is beautiful. :wink: I must admit I wouldn't have known she was a dobe. I have never seen one with it's ears and tail. I have always been a little frightened by them. I was attacked by one as a child. That's not to say there aren't many wonderful dobes out there. I do think I prefer most breeds with there ears and tails natural. I wonder what a shnauzer or a cocker spaniel would look like with a tail. My brother-in-laws ex-wife has a shnauzer and wanted it with a tail but couldn't find one with the tail. I guess in Norway where she is from they don't dock tails or crop ears. Quiglly has the funniest ears though. They stand strait up even though they were never cropped. I never seen a shnauzer like him before.

 

If you want to see a lot of breeds that are uncropped and/or undocked be sure to watch the next Crufts Dog Show from London. It seems to me this practice is a lot less prevalent in Europe.

 

Isn't is a good thing that we all have our own opinions? If not, this message board would be really boring! Piper is an APBT. I have chosen not to crop her ears, but only because I like her markings. I like the natural and the cropped look on these dogs. If I get another, I will make that decision based on that puppy. I have always had inside cats which have been declawed - it has worked well for me. The good news is, we don't have to agree to love our pets and give them wonderful homes. Just my opinion :!:

 

To all of you out there who think ear cropping and tail docking is OK, Well you are just plain sick and should not be allowed to own pets at all!
GoinaH & lovesdapitts you espescially need to not have pets on top of wanting to chop off there tail and ears you own pittbulls! those two dont go hand an hand in my book it was up to me i would band ear cropping and tail dockinh righht along with owning Pittbulls! dont come on here and preached when you own baby killerS!!

 

Having an opinion and being completely uneducated on a subject are two totally different issues. You should do your homework, AmosJ, then come back when you can have an intelligent conversation.

 

What does owning a Pit Bull have to do with them (GinaH and lovesdapits) having an opinion that it is ok to crop tails and ears?

I'm not positive, but I don't think either one of them mentioned cropping the tail of a Pit Bull.


I agree with Piper's mom.

 

This subject can and obiviously will go on and on and on.....

Look I'm right in the middle of tail docking as I bred ACD's. If the breed was meant to have a tail, it'll have one. If not, they don't!!!

But when there is a sheer purpose to doing so to prevent future injuries. I don't see the problem.

Most people want to dock off an ACD's tail. Thats true myth. The dogs need their tails as rutters for working dogs. As a cosmetic reason, Yes a heeler looks much more flashy with an absent tail or stump. And some are born natural Stumpy tails. Hince why their called Stumpy Tailed Cattle dogs.....

As for the dobes, danes and rotts, and pitts, tails and ears were croped for the purpose of prevention. In the Pits where they were trained and fought the pain and damage that could be done from a hog or dog was highly severe. To prevent any unnecessary injury the ears were cropped just to the cartlege on the base of the ear canal. As for tails. SOme breeds have thinner skin and the obsessive waging can cause severe trauma to the tail. Inturn the wound can get infected and spread to the outter extremeties of the body and further into the body of the animal.

Look
Some of us have oppinions strongly on this issue. There is no need to get highly defensive on the subject.... Oppinions stated with FACTS are whats needed here. Not personal attacks on ones beliefs.

SO if this thread should proceed, lets try and keep it civil!!!

 

I just skimmed most of this thread, but I have to say I land on the side of NOT docking or cropping. I don't see a point, unless there is a medical reason to do so. I know the TTouch people talk about things you can do to ease the pain of a docked tail - that many dogs still feel it as adults, like a phantom limb in a human amputee. Sometimes it is even the source of behavior problems.

I personally like tails! I would hesitate getting a dog without a tail. I think Gina's description of the undocked cocker spaniel sounded adorable! Funny-looking dogs with big bushy tails are one of my soft spots. I was actually hoping Nala's tail would get bushy as she grew, but it didn't.

I think the purpose of the proposed legislation is to protect those who can't protect themselves. If we thought it looked better to amputate the top joint of the first finger on the right hand of every baby born, don't you think someone should stand up for the babies and say, "Hey! That's not nice!"

Both my cats are front declawed, because 14 years ago I didn't know any better. I hated the surgery but they recovered fine and they are "normal" cats. They don't seem to miss the claws. But I don't think I could ever do it again. My sister, who also declawed her original cats years ago, recently got a new kitten and he is NOT declawed.

As far as abuse goes - while I don't agree with docking or cropping, you couldn't pay me enough to say that Gina (or anyone else here) abuses her dogs. She made the decision to crop their ears and that was her personal decision. While I don't agree and I might feel sorry for the dogs for that one incident, I think the rest of their pampered and loved lives makes up for it many times over. I would gladly be a dog in Gina's house any day.

 

Well said Jamiya You know I didn't post this thread to start a big debate. To be honest I didn't realise there was such a difference in opinion. Both of my dogs are completly natural. Parker is part Boxer but I love his ears. They are so kissable. Danni of course is a GSD and I think she would be quite funny looking without her tail or with cropped ears. Besides that she has the greatest ears ever. Sometimes floppy or erect or sometimes one up and one down. I think an attack against Gina or lovedapits is completly uncalled for. I happen to love Pits. We all have our own rights to our opinion. So lets leave the bashing for some other forum. Here at Auspets I think we are all about loving our animals and helping each other.

 

Humm interesting thered now that i'm going to have baby yorkies dont most people dock their tails?? i didnt think of that before i dont know if i want to do that or not geez more stuff to read. Jasmine's tail was cut WAY TO SHORT she has a little tiny stub Sebastain has a longer tail that stands up streight and looks cute i think his was docked but not much. ok off to research tail docking in yorkies

 

Let me say first of all when I read your post I felt nothing...Not anger or hatred which IM sure were your intentions. I do however feel sad for you. It's obvious somewhere in life you have had some sort of personal or physical trauma which has caused you to be such a bitter hatred person. As far as my dogs I assure you they are not baby killers in fact they are
the complete opposite.
But you know Amos I really don't feel the need to defend my dogs to someone such as yourself. I have been there done that and IM SO DONE!
Ignorance is a disease that can only be cured through education. Please from now on refrain from mentioning my name in your ridiculous posts.

P. S
American Pit Bull Terrier
Is spelled with one T not two.
P-I-T B-U-L-L

 

AmosJ:

I can't speak for Gina but she will probably agree that calling Pit Bulls "baby killers" is totally absurd. Besides, Pit Bulls wasn't even the topic of this thread. If you have problems with Pit Bulls, feel free to start a new topic.

I appreciate your view on ear crops and tail docking. Not everyone agrees. But that doesn't warrant an attack on Gina and myself that we shouldn't own dogs. My dogs would beg to differ with you.

Gina is the kindred "Saint" of abused, thrown away, and unloved dogs. She deserves nothing but your respect. Maybe you can go back and read some back posts and become familiar with the people here before you get so judgemental.

 

IM in total agreement with you Loves_da_pits.

How true! Isn't funny how some people automatically relate Pit Bulls with anything they view as negative. We can give a GREAT BIG THANKS to the MEDIA for a great majority of it.
Loves_da_pits
You and I know as well as many other people on this forum how great our dogs are! Amos obviously has never been around a Pit bull or has and had a bad experience or perhaps he is just following the media hype who knows. All we can do is continue to be strong advocates of the breed and hopefully someday our efforts will make a difference.

Awwww Thank's it makes me feel good to know you think so highly of me. Your such a sweet person.

 

Good way to end a thread by coming on and saying stuff like that amosJ!!!

yay Gina!
The media has alot to answer for.

Anyway... back to the subject...

Leela's ears are so long. Whenever she's out for a run she always has one flipped over. If someone else sees it (like if a friend is walking with me for example) they'll find it really annoying and say 'I JUST WANT TO FLIP IT BACK INTO PLACE!!!' I used to feel like that, but now I just say.... you get used to it!!

Ok so I'm still off topic...

 

Well I bet her ears are adorable just like her. Punkin has natural ears and they make her look so sweet. Bluebelle & pinky both have their ears clipped but they are still beautiful to me.

 

Those are some cute pics, your dogs are so pretty! but I just wanted to say a few things
1. when I was little and we had sheep, my mom always cut their tail off, because she said the muscles weren't strong enough to lift the tail up when they pooped so it would get all crusted up in there, unless you wiped the sheeps butt(sorry that was gross, and I have seen a sheep with a tail and it did look all nasty) is that the same for any dogs?
2. I justt wantt tto make a commentt/questtion aboutt Pittbulls, why do people spell it with 2 t's. Is it Brad Pitt? He is always in the media, is he the one giving pit bulls a bad name? haha just kidding, but really why do people type pitt?
3. To dukesdad (meant as a joke) yea I don't think people like to cut any excess skin in europe, they prefer it natural.
4. This stuff needs to stay legal for the same reason abortion needs to stay legal (which I could never abort a baby, please don'T start up on that too). If people can't go to a licsenced doctor to get it done, they will get it done somewhere. And it is much safer at a doctors office, then doing it at home.
5. I think all dogs aned cats are cute with or without ears, tails, claws, testicles whatever, except the ugly ones (just kidding)

 

LOL, Gina. One of your dogs is such a shorty (I can't keep their names straight). What cuties!!

 

GinaH and Loves-da-Pits - I for one have read many of your previous posts and have much respect for both of you ladies. It is obvious that many members of this forum feel the same way.

This is a great forum with a lot of combined knowledge - thanks to each one of you who continue to answer our questions and help us problem-solve each day!

Piper's Mom

 

I know!! I love Ginas dogs!! Bluebell takes my breath away, (if she ever comes up missing....)


AN I think its Pinky that so short!!!! ITs sooo cute!!!!

 

I mainly skimmed the last page, so i might sound repetative. I'm going to defend both sides. it is your dog, if you want to properly dock its tail, go for it. it's your opinion. if you don't want to dock your dog's tail then don't. that is also your opinion. i think that there are alot of people who feel very strongly about these subjects. some people here will do anything and everything for their pets and others will just do the nessesities. i realize you all have the right to exercise your opinions, but i do think that calling other people's dogs "baby killers" might be going just a touch overboard. There is a mean killer dog in all breeds somehwhre. Personally i think i would trust any age of child with ginah's dogs. i would also trust any age of child with my dogs. but there are killer pit bulls and there are killers labs and there are killer german shepards. they're there.