Canine Ear and Tail Docking: Should it Be Banned in the US?
What would happen if the United States were to ban ear/tail docking? There have been many thoughts as to whether or not this procedure should be banned. The unfortunate thing with banning this procedure is that many breeders, unfortunately, would begin to do at home docking on their puppies. This is both dangerous and illegal. Ear and tail docking has become such a standard in the United States that people will not want to steer away from it. Just like prohibition in the early 20's of alcohol, there were so many illegal cases after the banning of alcohol.
What's to say this will not happen with ear/tail docking? What is the importance of this procedure? There is none, it is simply for showing your dog at a show and it has become such a standard that most people believe that it is the way the dog breed was bred for. All of the shows in the United Kingdom have banned docking and the dogs at these shows look just fine without the procedure. It brings in a lot of money for veterinarians if a large breeder is bringing in a litter of puppies ever few weeks, but when do we realize that it is unethical and senseless to do?The future of dog breeding will sure be interesting if the controversy heats up over the next couple of years. Hopefully breeders will realize that once it is banned, it is no longer a standard and maybe they will show with the ears and tail the way they are. However, in some dogs, tail docking is a must because of their "happy tail" and the chance of injury from hitting objects with it. Boxers are known for their "happy tail" and can inflict serious injury to their tails by inadvertently striking objects with their tail.
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I received my Bachelor's in Life Science in 2007 and am currently attending Cardiff University and working to attain my journalism degree. View profile
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15 Comments
Post a Commentand next it will illegal to be cercumsized because you were born with that skin...
go to e-how and see what a simple procedure it is to dock tails and cut dew claws,you won't have to go to college to be a vet to do this very simple procedure..is it really that hard to understand?
And do you have a license to cut your fingernails? If a lobbist were to be paid to fight against cutting your fingernails at home instead of a licensed fingernail cutter then that would be illegal also,man it dont take a doctors degree to doc the tails and cut the dew claws from a dog,it could be done in elementary school with no problem.you just have to have a parcial brain..
would you circumsize your own son at home? I would hope not so why dock your puppys tail at home? take them to the vet and have it done so you can make sure you have all the meds you need to keep your pup heathy.If you want the tail docked thats your right but it is the pups right to have it done with little pain and to be cared for the right way.
where can i get my dog's tail dock
Ignorance? This is a very skilled art in which veterinarians should be well versed in before attempting to perform. Yes, not all veterinarians are skilled in ear cropping, or orthopedic surgery, or endoscopic surgery, or laparoscopic surgery. It is a skill that comes with practice and good training. Actually, most of the time it is for appearance, hate to break it to you pal. However, there are breeds in which it helps prevent otitis externa, which I can see being a feasible procedure in that case. But yes, most ear crops are performed for show purposes or to meet with breed standards, which is something HUMANS have created. That's EXACTLY what it has become, a STANDARD. It is not a necessary procedure.
Actually the author shows their ignorance in a lot of ways. This is not money in veterinarians' pockets. It is a skilled art which if you knew show animals, you'd know veterinarians aren't always skilled in. Breaders are very involved in this process which is not just about appearance, but also function. You really should research topics before writing about them.
Docking and cropping do indeed have a purpose, contrary to Mr. Fonza statements. It's time we let those with animal husbandry experience and knowledge of animals work with legislation, instead of those who simply wish to push their own agendas. I'm tired of fighting for the right to own the dog of my choice because of it's appearance or because it's a PUREBRED. When did that become an evil thing?
It seems to me that the decision to dock tails or crop ears should be made between the animal owner and their veterinarian, not the government. Humans have worked with animals for centuries. Animal rights people and those who have been misled by them, believe that many normal animal husbandry practices should be banned. The animal rights folks are NOT the experts here, nor the animal owners. They need to mind their own business and leave animal owners alone. See www.exposeanimalrights.com for the reasons we need to keep the ARs out of anything related to animals.
Wow, sorry, cannot get the comments to work correctly. So, the first comment was for SPCPO, this is for Lottadog. I stand corrected. There are exemptions in the UK. In England, any veterinary surgeon who docks a tail must certify that he/she has seen specified evidence that the dog is likely to work in specified areas. In Wales, there are only certain breeds that may be docked and also there must be evidence showing the purpose for which the dog is likely to be used. In Scotland, it is completely illegal, the law prohibits the mutilation of animals, apart from procedures specified in regulations, and the regulations which have been made do not include an exemption for non-therapeutic tail-docking for dogs. It is also stated in the law for Scotland that it will be an offence to take a dog from Scotland for the purpose of having its tail docked. I believe this encompasses the UK does it not? This is all stated in the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Code of Ethics. No where in my art