What are your views on cropping and docking?

Julee

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#1
This is a pretty big board, so I figured it'd be a cool question to ask. Keep it civil, please. :)
 

CatStina

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#2
Unless done for medical reasons, I am against both. This goes for declawing and devocalization, as well.
 

Airn

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#4
I don't understand the reason for it?

So, until someone can give me some logical reasons, I'm not really for it.

But I'm also the type who believes if you need to mess with your breed, you probably shouldn't have that breed. (Excluding 'bettering' genetics. Avoiding deaf and blind genes, etc.)
 

Laurelin

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#5
We've had this discussion a lot. My opinion is meh. I would rather have a dog left natural with ears/tail/dewclaws. However I am looking at a couple breeds that are altered- one is docked, and the other is docked/cropped traditionally. I would not turn down the right dog from either breed if it were cropped or docked. I am more concerned with how good the breeder/breeding is and if the dog is the right fit.
 
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#6
Personal choice and preference. I would hate to see it banned and I refuse to villainize people who crop and/or dock.

I do think sometimes people romanticize it more than it needs to and I would like to hear "I did it because I prefer how it looks" more often because I think deep down that's the truth for most people's decision to crop or dock. But I don't fault them for that at all.

There are some breed I like the look of cropped/docked and others I like not cropped/docked.
 

Michiyo-Fir

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#9
If it's done responsibly, I see no problems with it. If I were getting a breed such as a Dobe, I would crop and dock.

I only have a problem with people doing it themselves without the proper knowledge. For example.. We have a BYB neighbor that docked their poodle puppies' tails themselves with scissors........... I think they were reported to animal control after.
 

kady05

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#11
Well I have a cropped dog, so I'm sure you guys know my opinion.

For me personally, I see no point in cropping a pet dog (as can be seen by my two dogs that are pets that have natural ears). Except for a Dobe.. if I had a Dobe, even if it would just be a pet dog and never show, it'd be cropped/docked because I think they look like Coonhounds if left natural.

I had Sako's ears cropped because #1, I like how Amstaffs look cropped, and #2, just about everyone crops Amstaffs. Natural earred dogs are pretty rare, breeders in the US don't breed for "nice" ears, so it's just easier to crop. Any future Amstaff I have will be cropped.
 

GoingNowhere

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#12
I'm also kind of "meh." I won't villainize you if you crop/dock and I wouldn't NOT get a dog breed I wanted just because the breeder I want crops or docks, but if it were to be universally banned for cosmetic purposes I'd consider it a gain for dogs overall.

That said, I don't have a problem with docking sheep or pigs because in my opinion, there's often a health/sanitation reason for that. Granted, part of that "health" reason is due to the conditions that some of the animals are raised in... but I won't get started on that one, especially since I'm very much an omnivore.
 

Shai

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#13
General: As long as it's done well by someone who knows what they are doing and is cared for, I don't have a problem with it.

Personally: I strongly prefer dogs I own to have full ears and tails. Fortunately all breeds I'm interested in owning are kept intact except one, and that one is 50/50. I also prefer front dewclaws be left on as long as they are well-formed. These preferences are strong enough that I will likely pass on a docked/cropped/de-dewclawed dog.
 

Toller_08

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#14
Well, seeing as I only have one tailed dog and two with cropped ears, obviously I'm not against it. I think the decision to crop and dock should be left up to the owners/breeders/fanciers who want traditionally cropped and docked breeds.

Having been with puppies before, during, immediately after and days after cropping, I can't call the procedure cruel. Once the anesthetic wears off, they're running and playing and eating as normal. I'm sure it hurts, but when done right and taken care of afterward properly, you truly cannot tell. The anesthetic is what bothers them the most. Makes them cold, shakey, drunk, nauseous... once that's done, they're back to being puppies. Honestly, every dog I've spayed has shown a lot more pain than the 30+ puppies I've seen who were cropped properly and looked after properly. Now, people who take their BYB dogs to stupid vets who don't know anything about cropping, that is something I will never agree with. Aftercare is done wrong, the crop isn't done nicely, the whole thing is just a mess.

As for docking, if I'm ok with cropping, then I'm definitely ok with docking. It's a much less invasive procedure.

With all of that said, if either or both procedures are ever banned (which I hope they're not), I'd still own an Aussie with a tail. Should I decide to have another Doberman in the future, I'd own a Dobe with a tail and floppy ears, but it's not my preference. Especially having recently known a rescue Doberman with a tail who had to have it amputated because she broke it. Obviously that wouldn't happen to all dogs, but it happens often enough. I actually think natural Dobermans are pretty.

I am also not against debarking either when done for the right reasons. Or dewclaw removal, although I don't care one way or the other whether my dog has dews or not. Before having gotten involved with and knowing my Doberman breeder really well, I might have had a different opinion on all of this because I was uneducated and all of these procedures sounded cruel. But now I've been around it and experienced it all, and I'd be lying if I said I had a big problem with any of it.
 

joce

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#15
We were not going to crop Byron's ears. He had been an accidental litter. Breeder left it up to us. He started getting ear infections, vet kept him to try to clear it up when we couldn't. Took him to our horse vet who asked why the hell isn't he cropped and he gave us a refferal and it was done much later than he should have been. Never had an infection again. I felt horrible. He was miserable for weeks with the infections, dragging head, whining . For him he just needed airflow. So yes I will crop dock breeds that traditionally have it done. Came home from crop and was a new dog.We also have a high accident home lol! My poor tawny broke her tail as a pup and never let me touch it again. Only tailless dogs now(just kidding).

Now no crop or dock is better than a bad one. Or no after care.
 

Maxy24

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#16
I see it as an unnecessary surgery, even more so than neutering because it doesn't really have any practical purpose for the owner either. But I don't really care if others do it, I just don't think I could ever bring myself to have it done to my own dog.
 

*blackrose

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#17
The same way I feel about altering. It's not needed, nor ideal in most cases, but a personal preference and not to be villainized.
This for me, too. I would probably dock a traditionally docked breed. I also wouldn't want to deal with cropping, so I'd leave ears natural.
 

Julee

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#18
For those who are okay with it, do you feel that it's okay for a non-traditional breed to get it done? Like, say, a lab?
 

meepitsmeagan

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#19
I personally don't care for cropping. Docking, well, I have a dog with a docked tail. Personally, I think Boxers look weird with tails, so if I were to get another I would probably get a docked.
 
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#20
Eh. I think most (if not almost all) in this day and age is done purely for looks, but at the same time I don't think it's worse than Hitler. My personal preference is for natural tails and ears but as long as whoever does the procedure knows what they are doing (including good anesthesia and pain management) I can't really summon much outrage over it.
 

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