Ear cropping and tail docking in dogs, for or against
By iakulchen
@iakulchen (615)
Singapore
August 21, 2008 2:42am CST
Personally, I'm against them, not so much because I think it's a cruel practice, which most critics of them I have come across cite as their main reason for being against, but more because it seems to be a self-defeating practice. As long as a country continues to allow puppy ears to be cropped and puppy tails to be docked, you won't be able to tell which of them have naturally shorter ears and tails when they grow up. So the dogs that are bred continue to have the same length of tails and ears, instead of being selectively bred for shorter ears and tails. True, the process of breeding dogs for these qualities take longer than just cropping and docking, but just cropping and docking will only end up in a vicious cycle. What do you all think?
2 people like this
4 responses
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
21 Aug 08
Against! Unless there is any medical reason why a particular dog needs to be clipped like this then it is nothing but cosmetic. If a baby is born with a bigger nose or longer ears than normal do we send this baby straight into surgery to be trimmed? You could arguably say that it happens when they are just puppies so is not overly traumatic; others may say that in a sense it is no different from circumcision as well..... But a tail trimming for example involves cutting through bone! This would be the same as you having a finger cut off! Selective breeding is a far more humane way to deal with something like this.
1 person likes this
@dagda24 (366)
•
21 Aug 08
It's important to remember that selective breeding can also be harmful to animal health. With some breeds there is lots of in breeding to encourage a certain physical trait and this can lead to lots of problems.
In England lots of dalmations are born either deaf and/or blind due to the in breeding, and many have to be put down because they are not safe to keep as pets because of this. They do not hear or see people approaching them, so when they are touched their natural instinct is that they are being attacked and they have to defend themselves.
Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of good selective breeding going on out there, but this too can have it's dark side.
2 people like this
@iakulchen (615)
• Singapore
21 Aug 08
Well, regarding selective breeding, my reasoning for choosing it over ear cropping or tail docking is that if breeders argue ear cropping prevents ear infections and tail docking prevents hygenic problems or infections or (insert other safety reasons breeders who are for these acts are giving), then assuming the rpobblems do exist and are real, we should be looking at trying to breed these problems out instead of a short term solution. If these are just excuses they are giving, then like what you said, it's an unnecessary practice.
1 person likes this
@dagda24 (366)
•
21 Aug 08
I think it's a fairly unnecessary practice really. Some farm animals, such as sheep, have their tails docked to prevent them getting sick, or to stop flies damaging them, but with dogs it doesn't really serve any purpose other than vanity.
I'm inclined to think that years of evolution have given them tails and ears for a reason, and nothing about the way they are living is making those ears and tails dangerous to them so why intervene?
I know sometimes they dock the tails of police dogs, but I do not have a problem with this as it is done for their own safety.
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