I have to ask, in regards to the Caucasian Ovcharka...How exactly does that help them again? Because, erm, I have yet to see Pyrenees, Anatolians, and most other LGD's who have their ears cropped off to the point they aren't even really there. Seems pretty **** hypocritical to me to use that as an example and then turn around and claim it's for benefit.
I have a family member that has tailed GSP's, as well. I see no difference in their tails from a Pointer or a Coonhound, and yet their territory is the same.
Border Collies are not docked, yet Aussies are. Some corgis are docked, and others arent, but there was once even debate as to whether or not they were different breeds.
Hog hunting is not always done with cropped dogs. The breed doesn't mandate whether or not their ears come off. They are dogs, they can endure the same injuries, and it is even less likely for some to endure what others may. Curs have their tails docked, and not to nubs, but their ears are not cropped, and they tend to have floppy hound ears, nothing like a Dogo. Many are not even docked, and still used as avid hunting dogs. I've never seen a cropped American Bulldog, I haven't even seen many cropped APBTs, but yet there's an argument for a rare breed as the Dogo that it must be done? So I guess that can be thrown out too. I am sure injuries happen, but it obviously doesn't happen enough (considering they don't usually just go for their faces, from what I have seen) to warrant a common practice of ear cropping, even among breeders.
As you can see, "traditional docking/cropping serves a work purpose" rarely, if ever, stands by itself as a sane argument.
ETA: As for the spay/neuter argument, it shouldn't even be brought up here, as someone else has already stated. It gets old when it is. It's safe to say many on this board are probably responsible enough to keep an intact dog, but the average joe is not. Intelligent, educated people, fine, don't do it, but be responsible. Others dogs are not so lucky to have someone like that.
