Good News re Ear Cropping/Tail Docking

goldenkitty45

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I couldn't take the newspaper with me (was reading it at the repair shop) but just read an article this past weekend regarding AKC and ear cropping/tail docking.

AKC is finally allowing dogs to be uncropped/docked in the show rings to compete. The main reason (other then a push in the US to ban it - some states are banning ear cropping now) was that dogs from Europe could not be shown in the US even if registered in AKC because their were uncropped and not docked.

Personally I'm glad - will be interesting over the next few years to see both in the rings and see which ones will be picked. Hope the uncropped ones will start winning more
 

wellingtoncats

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I'm not in favour or against cropping/docking but my partner has a Boxer dog that wasn't cropped and she has serious difficulties with her tail. It's thin, much thinner than a cats tail and it's long like a whip. She makes it bleed every day because she bangs it against stuff and it's always covered in scabs. Her sister was docked as a puppy and suffers none of this problems [obviousely]
 

white cat lover

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I'm not 100% against it - for medical reasons I see why they should be allowed.....but doing it "just for looks", IMO - it ain't fair to the animal. We have a Pit/Staffie X at the shelter, her ears were cropped, she has severe frostbite at the edges due to them being cropped they are more tender, too. Don't mess with her ears.
 
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goldenkitty45

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I do kinda agree with docking tho - have seen the result of tails being damaged over and over if not docked. But I am against the ear cropping - that's only for cosmetic reasons - not for health reasons.

Someone had posted a website with pictures of uncropped tails on a lot of breeds - what they look like naturally. Was very interesting, but some just looked too weird with longer tails.
 

wellingtoncats

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

I do kinda agree with docking tho - have seen the result of tails being damaged over and over if not docked. But I am against the ear cropping - that's only for cosmetic reasons - not for health reasons.

Someone had posted a website with pictures of uncropped tails on a lot of breeds - what they look like naturally. Was very interesting, but some just looked too weird with longer tails.
I don't see the need to crop ears either but I feel for Jaffa everytime her tail bleeds. She know's her tail is a burden too. Everytime I go to Kieran's house I leave with welts all over my legs from her tail
 

faith's_mom

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I am glad that breeders will now have the choice to not crop\\dock!!! I wish my own poodle puppy hadn't been docked, but because I didn't 'claim' him before the owner did it, he got it done. I prefer tails, and floopy ears...Lol!

I know some breeders may still do it, just because of 'tradition', but this new thing may free up those who don't like it, to choose not to.

As far as uncropped, docked dogs winning in the showring, it will take more than the dog simply being uncropped and docked...the ears and tail are a small thing, compared to the dog as a whole.
 

ut0pia

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I'm from Bulgaria and there it's illegal to crop tails and ears from a humane standpoint...I was surprised it's not illegal in the US. I think it's illegal everywhere in the EU...
 

missymotus

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that's a start, letting them in the ring. Hopefully it will be banned all together
 

babywukong

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I'm a bit confused. Was tail cropping first introduced in certain breeds to prevent these dogs from injuring their tails? If so... well, there are other breeds of dogs with long skinny tails, for which it is not a tradition to dock them. Then again, such dogs are usually racing dogs, greyhounds and the like, who probably need their tail for balance...? OK I'm really not sure about this, does anyone know the history of docking?
 

baloneysmom

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I think its great! Its been banned here in New Brunswick. I once heard a vet office I was in mentioned to someone that they could make an “arrangementâ€, I never went back there….

My Rottie did not have his tail cropped. It was the cutest, most lethal tail in history LOL. It was super thick, long, curled like a piggy, and the hair was long but coarse and straight so it looked like a fan. We actually had to tail proof our house because of him. Any knick-knacks we had that were low we had to place high. We could only eat in the TV room at the low table when he was sleeping. I cant even count how many times I cooked food, placed it on the low table, went to get a drink, heard a crash, run back to see food on the wall, my rotties tail encrusted with food, and him furiously wagging his tail. We got comments all the time on his tail, some people didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t even know Rotties had tails!

As well, my Brunos girlfriend at daycare has uncropped ears as a Doberman. She is so beautiful, as most Dobermans are. Her ears frame her face perfectly. She is gorgeous, I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t think she would be as pretty with those ugly cropped ears.

It seems to me cropping is the same as declawing. I may be wrong since I am not educated on this topic. I would like to know the history as well.
 

denice

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I do like the looks of a Doberman with cropped ears and a docked tail. That is what I am used to a Doberman looking like though. If I got used to the way they look naturally I would probably get to the point that I wouldn't even notice. The ear cropping in particular seems to be something that would be very painful and takes a while to heal.
 

saucy

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I think the issue with dogs having skinny, easily broken tails is because we've bred them to dock the tail for so long, they've become that way genetically. If we bred for strong tails, there wouldn't be this issue.

Thank goodness the AKC has finally seen the light!
 

kerplunq

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This is good news. I personally dont agree with the docking or croping of any animal part. I know others have different views, I just dont think its very fair for the animal.
 

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plebayo

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I'm not necessarily for or against ear cropping and tail docking however I really think that in order for a veterinarian to offer it, they should have to take a specialty course in how to do it properly, per breed. I can't count on my fingers how many BAD ear cropping jobs I've seen, it's insane!

Also I can see a boxer having issues having a tail, only because they have such wiggly butts anyway! However once a dog gets an injury on a tail, regardless of breed they are hard to heal. But in your friends case it sounds like the dog's tail is just genetically messed up because boxer's usually have fairly thick tails if they have them, same with rottweilers, their tails are usually pretty substantial.

Overall I think it's good they allow the natural look. AKC has screwed up dogs so much, the dogs in the show ring are what I call "barbie crap" so far from their original purpose. The herding breeds especially they are breeding the instinct out of them. A show type border collie is NOTHING like a field type. A spaniel in the show ring doesn't need a docked tail, the dog isn't even being used for hunting. It isn't running through the brush, it isn't going to get caught on something. The dog's can't even perform their jobs because they don't have the instinct and if they crack a tooth or break a leg and get weird bone formation they will get disqualified. It's dumb. I think an AKC show should be based more off of the dog's ability to do its job, than conformation alone.
 

momofmany

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Originally Posted by BabyWukong

I'm a bit confused. Was tail cropping first introduced in certain breeds to prevent these dogs from injuring their tails? If so... well, there are other breeds of dogs with long skinny tails, for which it is not a tradition to dock them. Then again, such dogs are usually racing dogs, greyhounds and the like, who probably need their tail for balance...?
I had 2 greyhounds and yes, they have very long skinny tails with absolutely no fat on them. What you felt was pure bone. They would cut their tails from time to time, but there was only 1 instance where I had to wrap it and hold it for a while to stop the bleeding. He hit his tail on a barbed wire fence. Normal bumps might bleed a little, but no more than what I do when I hit my hand too hard on something.

I'm glad to see that they are taking this step forward. I've always disagreed with cropping / docking. I've always viewed it as cruel as declawing. Just my opinion.
 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by ut0pia

I'm from Bulgaria and there it's illegal to crop tails and ears from a humane standpoint...I was surprised it's not illegal in the US. I think it's illegal everywhere in the EU...
I love dogs with big floppy ears and long tails. Glad to see some folks are getting some sensibility back.

ut0pia, Unfortunately North America is behind Europe in a lot of things. Declawing is another issue that is allowed here and not in Europe. We need to catch up to humane practices.
 

nekochan

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Greyhound are prone to tail injuries, and a number of other sighthound breeds are as well. Also Labradors and some other sporting and hound breeds are prone to tail injuries but they are not docked... Same thing with Great Danes and some Mastiff breeds.

I am not sure if the dogs who are not cropped/docked will do well in the show rings though. I know in the breeds where it was in the standard that they could be shown either way, most often the cropped dogs would win over the ones with natural ears.
 

Willowy

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Originally Posted by Nekochan

I am not sure if the dogs who are not cropped/docked will do well in the show rings though. I know in the breeds where it was in the standard that they could be shown either way, most often the cropped dogs would win over the ones with natural ears.
That just shows the hypocrisy of dog showing. It's supposed to be all about the conformation of the dog---how sound it is, how fit to "do its job", etc. But the truth is that I could have the most conformationally correct Dobermann in the world, and, if his ears and tail weren't cut off, he'd never win in a U.S. dog show. So I don't have any faith in dog showing to produce quality dogs.
 
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