Mabel the Rescue Dog

4 min read (Articles narrated by Mabel)

I’ve seen lots of dogs that have cropped ears and docked tails. For some breeds, it might even seem normal, but that’s the sad part. I want to bring attention to procedures like this because many people do think it’s normal for certain breeds, but that shouldn’t be the case. Anyone who thinks that needs to hear this from a dog’s perspective.

What are Cropped Ears and Docked Tails?

Cropping is when the floppy part of a dog’s ears are cut off. Usually, it’s done to puppies at a young age, and their ears are taped upright until they heal. Cropped ears are most commonly seen on large, muscular dogs such as Doberman Pinschers and Cane Corsos.

Tail docking is removed either part of a dog’s tail or the entire tail. This is usually done with surgical scissors. Sadly, it’s often done without anesthesia, so it’s incredibly painful for the dog. This is also usually done when puppies are young, specifically to large dogs like Boxers.

Both of these are surgeries that are not fair to your dog. Essentially, you’re cutting off a part of their body by doing this, and I can’t even imagine going through something like that. So, why do people still think it’s okay?

Why Do People Do This?

The main argument for cropping and docking is because it prevents future health problems for dogs. These were surgeries that dog fighters often used to prevent dogs from grabbing each others’ ears and tails. Also, parents of hunting dogs claim that it prevents them from getting hurt while hunting or while working on a farm.

However, for everyday dog parents, they think docking a tail prevents dogs from hitting their tails on things when they wag them, which is referred to as ‘happy tail syndrome’. They also claim that cropped ears prevent ear infections. However, there is no real evidence for this.

Many dog parents argue that their dog’s ears should be cropped because the breed is prone to ear infections. However, all breeds with floppy ears are prone to ear infections. As long as you clean your dog’s ears regularly, they should be safe. Plus, there are lots of breeds with floppy ears! You wouldn’t see a Beagle or Shih Tzu with cropped ears, so why would you do that to a Pit Bull or Doberman?

As for happy tail syndrome, the same thing goes. Sure, big dogs can hurt their tails if they wag them too much, but there are lots of other ways dogs can get hurt too. Chopping off their body parts can’t possibly be the best way to prevent bad things from happening!

Sadly, for many people, both surgeries are all about appearance. People want their dogs look tough and some people just think it looks better. Oftentimes, dog shows and competitions prefer certain breeds to have cropped ears or docked tails. But cutting off a dog’s body parts just for looks is disgusting! Think about your dog would feel!

What’s So Bad About it?

I believe that dogs should never get their ears or tails chopped off. It’s inhumane regardless of their parents’ intentions. Sure, it could prevent them from future problems such as tail injuries or ear infections, but if you take good care of your dog, you can avoid those problems without having to go to such extreme measures.

Plus, think about human children. If your child was prone to ear infections, would you chop their ears off? If they wave their arm constantly, would you have it amputated? I sure hope not! So, why do it to a dog? Just because we can’t speak to you doesn’t mean we don’t have feelings. We feel pain just like you would. So, think about how you would feel if you had to get a body part chopped off.

Also, docking ears and cropping tails prevents dogs from communicating with body language. Tails and ears can tell a lot about how a dog is feeling, so if you take those away, it’s even harder for dogs to communicate with humans.

If a dog can’t give proper warning signs when they’re upset, someone could end up getting hurt if they bother that dog. Therefore, not only are you harming your dog by going through with the surgeries, but you’re putting others in danger too.

Your rescue dog might already have cropped ears or a docked tail when you get them, but that doesn’t mean it’s right. Rescue dogs with these appearances probably had a rough life, so they should be given extra love in their new home. Never choose to crop your dog’s ears or dock their tail. I can tell you for a fact that it’s not what your dog would want.

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