What do you say to the people who give you flak for cropping and docking?

[Purrrfect9]

for some breed's cropping ears can also be a health preventative as well. Especially since Dobermans have such a large surface area in their ears, by getting the cropped it lowers the risk of them getting an inner ear infection. I have two mini schnauzers that are docked, but not cropped. One of my dogs, Jack, has much larger ears than the other, and the flop straight down in front of the canal which blocks a lot of the airflow that it would normally receive if they were cropped, and he gets an ear infection every year, if not every other year. He's always well groomed, and we clean out his ears regularly, it's just something that happens with him *shrug*. So you could say that it's also a health concern, haha. As far as the tail, I think that it's purely cosmetic and 100% up to the owner if that's what they want to have done to their dog or not. Dogs don't rely on their tails for balance as much as cats do, but like cats, they can survive (and thrive) without one. Just look at the cat breed Manx. These cats are born without tails through selective breeding... anywho... time to get off my soap box, lol.

[mainbutter]

I'd give you crap, but mostly on just cosmetic taste :-P Little stumps for tails just look silly to me.

I love the look of dobies without anything done to them. Gorgeous dogs.

[Earl]

I was expecting it, but I'm already catching flak for having a cropped and docked Doberman I tell them the truth, I wasn't willing to buy a Doberman pup that wasn't cropped and docked because that's how I wanted her to look, and yes it's purely cosmetic and yes I'm selfish

I have a solution!

Buy a big jolly candy red fire engine and have it follow you around town, and everytime someone wants to debate ear cropping with you, you have them drink from the fire hose.

I have it on good authority that a fully charged hose can wash a whole pack of human beings 20-30 feet down the street and it will also give them a moment of pause.

That is my plan and I believe it will work.

[SlitherinSisters]

Personally, I like the natural look on dogs. I do not compare de-clawing and de-voicing animals to cropping and docking. As long as the procedure is done by a veterinarian and done while the dog is under, I'm fine. Little to no pain won't hurt the dog. While I don't understand the reasons for this other than cosmetic purposes, as long as it doesn't hurt the animal, I don't see a problem with it. I compare it to someone getting a nose job.

I definitely respect people and their opinions. I don't think you're crazy for liking natural, and I like the fact that you respect other people's choice to crop/dock. She was under for her ears, she got stitches, and is completely healed in two weeks. As for her dew claws and tail, I don't know if she was under for that. She went to the vet to have them removed and stitched up when she was three days old. Maybe she was numbed?

That works.

I probably shouldn't have clicked on this post because now I am fired up about it.

The dogs I have now are muts (one is a dobe lab mix, and the other is a lab chow mix). But I have had a plethora of dogs during my life of all different breeds. Years ago I had a dobe, and cropped and docked him. Our neighbor kept complaining about it, and telling me how inhumane it is (please note that the dog was nearing the end of its life when we met her, and had been altered when it was a pup). After about a week of it I got fed up after taking another lecture from her, so I rather rudely lectured on how she has three borders in her quarter acre back yard that got no attention other than feeding and watering. Totally untrained, high energy dogs that require a job to do or they tend to become destructive. After rudely lecturing her for a good half hour about what a crappy owner she is, and telling her how to raise her dogs she started crying and never spoke to me again.

Mission acomplished.

Good!!! I hate it when people think they should "save" you and tell you how horrible you are for having your dog cropped/docked. Dogs don't harbor resentment or wonder why their ears are smaller for the rest of their life. I'm glad you told that lady off! Why do people think they are any better than you, just like that lady you lectured about her working dogs with no job or training

I tell them hey, this isn't my dog, I'm just walking it for a friend. The poor dog got his ears done because he was top heavy and kept falling forward and hurting himself, so the ear job saved his life.

nice!

As you know skylar is docked but not cropped. Looking back lookswise I kinda wish I would have had him cropped but at the same time he's a goof with his big floppy ears and I love him for it

I think to each his/her own. I'd just say to politely tell the people criticizing you that you are happy with your choice but you appreciate their opinion. Turn the other cheek and move on with life

She's adorable BTW and I wouldn't change a thing about her

Sky is a goof! His ears fit him well!

Thanks! I wouldn't change her for the world. She's going to be absolutely gorgeous!

I certainly like the look of cropped ears, and I honestly have never had someone approach me to tell me something of that sort. I think I scare people.

Really?! You must scare people! I had people saying crap even before I bought the dog because they asked if she was going to be cropped.

for some breed's cropping ears can also be a health preventative as well. Especially since Dobermans have such a large surface area in their ears, by getting the cropped it lowers the risk of them getting an inner ear infection. I have two mini schnauzers that are docked, but not cropped. One of my dogs, Jack, has much larger ears than the other, and the flop straight down in front of the canal which blocks a lot of the airflow that it would normally receive if they were cropped, and he gets an ear infection every year, if not every other year. He's always well groomed, and we clean out his ears regularly, it's just something that happens with him *shrug*. So you could say that it's also a health concern, haha. As far as the tail, I think that it's purely cosmetic and 100% up to the owner if that's what they want to have done to their dog or not. Dogs don't rely on their tails for balance as much as cats do, but like cats, they can survive (and thrive) without one. Just look at the cat breed Manx. These cats are born without tails through selective breeding... anywho... time to get off my soap box, lol.

I heard that about some breeds! Actually it was at the pet store when I was talking about getting her and someone made a comment about her getting cropped and the store clerk chimed in and told us that some breeds are cropped for just that reason!

I'd give you crap, but mostly on just cosmetic taste :-P Little stumps for tails just look silly to me.

I love the look of dobies without anything done to them. Gorgeous dogs.

I think short stubby tails are cute

[DMTWI]

By the way, I forgot to mention your pup looks great! I really like the ears to, good job!

[SlitherinSisters]

By the way, I forgot to mention your pup looks great! I really like the ears to, good job!

Thank you! I'm really happy with the vet the breeder uses. She has pictures of past puppies that were cropped and healed and I really like the cut. I prefer the big bells and medium/long cut!

[JLC]

I haven't gotten too much flack for it, but on those rare occassions that I have, I just smile and tell them I appreciate their opinion and then quickly move on. Getting into an argument about it rarely changes anyone's minds and isn't worth my time, personally.

Having done a lot of research and speaking with several breeders before getting my dobe, I learned that very few truly good breeders will even allow their pups to not be cropped and docked. The whole littler is docked (and dewclaws removed) when they are just a couple days old....and many whole litters are cropped at the same time before going to new homes as well. The primary reason I was given for this was that if a time should ever come that the dog needs to go to a new home, they are far far more likely to be placed if they are both cropped and docked. "Natural" dobies are way more likely to end up in shelters and be put to sleep.

[wolfy-hound]

I personally think the ear cropping for prevention of ear infections is a load of bunk. If anything, more dirt and debris can enter the ear canal. As a groomer, I see way more schnauzers with cropped ears having ear issues, than ones with uncropped ears. I don't think it CAUSES ear issues though.
Ear cropping, and tail docking is a cosmetic procedure, and there is no other reason for it. It's not illegil here, and until it is illegil, people will continue to have it preformed on some dogs.
I like dobies with cropped ears and tails. I like the look of it. I still think it's a unneccesary procedure, and for show, any OTHER surgery to alter the dog's appearance is grounds for disqualification, so I don't know why they still allow docking and cropping in show dogs.
I do NOT think ear cropping affects the dog past the first few days of recovery. As long as the owner isn't pulling at the ears or anything, I don't think the dog will remember anything about it at all. The tail docking is normally done at day 3 or earlier, and is harmless, with the pups rarely showing any ill effect(same with dew claw removal which DOES have good reasons behind it). The vet next to the shop I worked at did show ear cropping, and I watched a LOT of pups go through it, and they did not seem to be bothered by it.
If someone bugged me about my cropped dog, I'd tell them to mind their own business, that my dog was perfectly happy, and walk on. Life's too short to bother paying attention to lunatics.

[SecurityStacey]

Alright... here we go.

First off, let me say that your pup is adorable. Her little(or big I guess) radar ears are so cute - and they will be gorgeous when she grows into them - right now they are just adorable though.

That being said, I like my dogs with tails and floppy ears and a couple years ago I may have had more to say about getting dogs tails docked and ears cropped but I learned something very important.

As anyone can see to get ears cropped and have them the way you want them (not flopping) it takes a lot of time and care! As your pictures hvae been showing you have to have them taped and tend to them and check on them, it isn't something that just over and done and you don't have to follow up. So honestly, everytime I see a dobie with cropped ears sticking up - to me that says someone cared a lot about that dog and put a lot of time into that dog.

And then I worked in a dog shelter and I saw a lot of dogs with no homes, that were abused, that lived horrible lives and a lot of them that ended that horrible life by being put down somewhere that wasn't a home - that some of them never knew a home and I got a lot of perspective on the kinds of things that are inhumane and the kinds of things that aren't.

So I could lie and say I've never had a problem with it - but I did used to so I guess you could call me a convert. Because even something that is done for cosmetic purposes, who cares? The dog is in a loving home, the dog is well taken care of - and honestly.. the dog really seems like it couldn't care less about its ears being cropped or its tail being docked.

Bottom line that I'd tell people that give you flak - the dog is loved, the dog is happy, the dog is healthy. What else is important?

[JLC]

Bottom line that I'd tell people that give you flak - the dog is loved, the dog is happy, the dog is healthy. What else is important?

Beautifully said!!