Docking Tails and Cropping Ears of Dogs

Wikipedia says, "In modern times, tail docking is done either for prophylactic, therapeutic or cosmetic purposes. For dogs who worked in fields, such as some hunting dogs and some herding dogs, tails could collect burrs and foxtails, causing pain and infection. Tails with long fur could collect faeces and become a cleanliness problem, and particularly for herding dogs, longer tails could be caught in gates behind livestock."

Be that as it may, tail docking (amputation), cropping ears (cutting and stitching to make them stand up), de-barking (surgically reducing or removing vocal chord tissues), filing teeth, removing of dewclaw (cutting off that extra toe higher up on the inside of the forepaw used to facilitate gripping), subjecting pups to continuous confinement in pens (to stunt their growth), and being tattooed painfully (linked to frivolous human vanity) are tortuous practices frequently inflicted upon puppies by "dog-lovers."

In England, during the Georgian period, a tax was levied on non-working dogs and, as all working dogs had their tails docked, it facilitated differentiation between the categories. To avoid paying this tax, people began docking other non-working dogs’ tails as well and thus commenced the cruel practice of tail docking for particular breeds. It is now claimed to be a traditional, normal procedure and done to enhance the "look" of certain show dogs to meet breed registration standards.

The American Kennel Club mistakenly feels that tail docking and ear cropping are “acceptable practices integral to defining and preserving breed character and/or enhancing good health” so breeds like Boxers are severely penalized at dog shows if without these amputations. Breeders ridiculously justify cropping Boxers' and Doberman Pinschers' ears, opining that it makes these guard dogs look more ferocious.


Pain to Dogs for Human Vanity


Dogs should never become status symbols by purchasing the most popular expensive breed; nor should they be kept for selfish reasons as watch dogs. They need reciprocal love, care and respect on par with members of our families.

Tail docking or bobbing involves shortening the natural length of a dog’s tail. It is done either by cutting off the blood supply to the end part of the tail by putting on a rubber ligature for several days, after which the dead end supposedly dries and drops off; or by gruesomely cutting the tail off at the desired juncture. This needless and painful amputation is carried out without anaesthesia almost immediately after a pup is born or before it is a fortnight old. The puppy begins life in pain and the adverse after-effects frequently continue over its entire life.

It is barbaric, unethical and unacceptable to carry out amputation on young, healthy puppies, discarding almost their entire tails for human vanity. Tails are dogs’ rudders, keeping them balanced when moving. Dogs also use their tails for communication–the commonly known happy greeting expressed by wagging, as well as to convey anger, aggression, caution, and other feelings. These are good enough reasons for not chopping their tails off.

Ear-cropping is another alteration which is done to dogs under sedation when they are 6-12 weeks old. It involves incisions beginning at the tops of the ears and finishing close to the head with approximately two-thirds of the ears being amputated. (Some veterinarians feel that the younger they are, the easier it is, and ruthlessly opine the only difference is akin to that between cutting paper and cutting heavy cardboard.) The ears are then sutured and typically, an aluminium frame/brace is taped over the pup’s head to keep its ears upright. Keeping the ears upright is essential. Some advise they be taped for 5 days at a time till they stand up on their own without the help of artificial supports like a brace, swab sticks or Styrofoam cups. Others say the contraption has to remain continuously on for as long as 21 days – three whole weeks beginning with oozing blood, acute pain and discomfort. It is followed by another five weeks or so of continued pain (particularly for those pups whose ears flop even slightly) till the ears are permanently deformed to perceived "perfection."

Animal activists who consider docking tails and cropping ears nothing less than cruel amputation and mutilation of innocent puppies’ bodies have been successful in getting the practices banned in many countries. Sweden was the first to ban tail docking for cosmetic purposes in 1989. Other countries followed suit. In Europe, ear-cropping is illegal, though some countries have made exceptions allowing the docking of tails.

Beauty Without Cruelty hopes it won’t be long before India also bans these two, and other cruel practices perpetrated upon dogs to change their natural beauty and structures. BWC has approached several authorities to ban docking, cropping and de-barking in India. In fact, India is one of the eighteen countries that has not banned the docking of dogs’ tails.

BWC has therefore been continuously requesting the Government of India of ban all dog mutilations – docking tails, cropping ears, de-barking, filing teeth and removing dewclaws.

Although this BWC campaign was taken up around mid-2009, it was in the Spring 2011 issue of Compassionate Friend that readers were asked to “Spread the word…” by informing veterinarians, kennel club officials and pedigreed dog-owners that tail docking/amputating, cropping ears, de-barking and removing dewclaws of dogs carried out for aesthetic reasons was cruel and illegal under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The Summer 2011 edition then carried two articles with pictures on cropping and docking.

Hence, BWC was pleased when in September 2011, the Chairman of the Animal Welfare Board of India issued an advisory to the Veterinary Council of India, State Veterinary Councils, State Animal Welfare Boards and Kennel Clubs informing them that “the practice of non-therapeutic tail docking and ear cropping is seen in the light of mutilation which amounts to cruelty to animals as per the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 and is therefore a punishable offence”. It went on to say “to stop this cruel practice with immediate effect failing which strict action against veterinary practitioners that are found guilty of docking tails and ear cropping of pups will be initiated by AWBI”; and the Kennel Clubs were directed “to stop registration of pups/dogs with docked tail and cropped ears, and discontinue participation of such dogs (with docked tails/cropped ears) in dog shows”.

However, this directive resulted in a writ petition being filed in the Madras High Court by the Kennel Club of India. In February 2013 the Judge quashed the notice issued by the Veterinary Council (on the basis of the advisory from the AWBI Chairman) directing all registered veterinarians in the country to stop the surgical procedures. BWC now hopes the judgement will be adequately challenged by the AWBI in the Supreme Court or some other appropriate action is taken by the Government.

Meanwhile, dogs in India whose tails are docked and ears cropped will continue to suffer intensely: the pain endured by every pup that undergoes the actual procedures is but half the cruelty; the other half (actually, more than half) is an entire life time of not being able to express itself through its natural body language. Such sad treatment meted out to man’s best friends.


List of Traditionally Docked Breeds as listed by the Council of Docked Breeds
on their website:


1

Airedale Terrier

2

American Cocker Spaniel

3

Australian Silky

4

Australian Shepherd

5

Australian Terrier

6

Bouvier des Flandres

7

Boxer

8

Bracco Italiano

9

Brittany

10

Cane Corsa

11

Clumber Spaniel

12

Cocker Spaniel

13

Doberman

14

English Springer Spaniel

15

Fell Terrier

16

Field Spaniel

17

German short-haired Pointer

18

German wire-haired Pointer

19

Giant Schnauzer

20

Glen of Imaal Terrier

21

Griffon Bruxellois

22

Hungarian Vizsla

23

Irish Terrier

24

Italian Spinone

25

Jack Russell Terrier

26

Kerry Blue Terrier

27

King Charles Spaniel

28

Lakeland Terrier

29

Large Munsterlander

30

Lucas Terrier

31

Miniature Pinscher

32

Miniature Poodle

33

Miniature Schnauzer

34

Neopolitan Mastiff

35

Norfolk Terrier

36

Norwich Terrier

37

Old English Sheepdog

38

Patterdale Terrier

39

Parson Jack Russell Terrier

40

Prembroke Welsh Corgi

41

Pinscher

42

Polish Lowland Sheepdog

43

Rottweiler

44

Russian Black Terrier

45

Schipperke

46

Schnauzer

47

Sealyham Terrier

48

Smooth Fox Terrier

49

Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier

50

Spanish Water Dog

51

Standard Poodle

52

Sussex Spaniel

53

Swedish Vallhund

54

Toy Poodle

55

Weimaraner

56

Welsh Springer Spaniel

57

Welsh Terrier

58

Wire-haired Fox Terrier

59

Yorkshire Terrier


Country-wise legal status on docking of dogs’ tails (May 2009)


Docking of Dogs’ Tails NOT BANNED in following countries:

1 Afghanistan
2 Argentina
3 Chile
4 India
5 Indonesia
6 Malaysia
7 Mauritius
8 Mexico
9 Nepal
10 New Zealand
11 Northern Ireland
12 Philippines
13 Portugal
14 Republic of Ireland
15 Russia
16 Singapore
17 Taiwan
18 United States

Docking of Dogs’ Tails BANNED in the following countries:

1 Australia: banned in some states and territories as of June 2004; legal in Western Australia and restricted to Veterinarians
2 Belgium: banned 1st January 2006
3 Brazil: banned for cosmetic purposes
4 Canada: cosmetic surgery including tail docking banned from 28th March 2009 by the New Brunswick Veterinary Medical Association. This includes dogs, horses and cows.
5 Croatia: banned
6 Cyprus: banned in 1991
7 Czech Republic: banned
8 Denmark: banned on 1st June 1996 with exception for five gun dog breeds
9 England: restricted as of 2006 and can only be done by a Vet on a working dog breeds
10 Estonia: banned 2001
11 Finland: banned 1992 except for dog shows.
12 France: banned 4th August 2003
13 Germany: banned on 1st May 1992 except for working gun dogs
14 Greece: banned 1991
15 Hungary: banned
16 Iceland: banned 2001
17 Ireland: banned for cosmetic purposes 2000
18 Italy: banned in Rome and Turin
19 Latvia: banned
20 Lithuania: banned
21 Luxembourg: banned in 1991
22 Netherlands: banned 1st September 2001
23 Norway: banned 1987
24 Scotland: banned 2006
25 Slovakia: banned 1st January 2003
26 Sweden: banned 1989
27 Virgin Islands: banned 2005
28 Wales: restricted as of 2006 and can only be done by a Vet on a working dog breeds

Natural bobtails


A natural bobtail is an animal’s tail which due to a mutated gene grows unusually short or is missing completely. It occurs due to a mutation in a gene called the T-box transcription factor T gene (C189G) which accounts for natural bobtails in particular breeds of dogs.

Natural bobtail dog breeds with C189G mutation:

The gene may be dominant or recessive. Not all puppies will be born with natural bobtails; those that don’t are often subjected to docking.

1

Australian Shepherd

2

Australian Pinscher

3

Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog

4

Braque du Bourbonnais

5

Brazilian Terrier

6

Brittany Spaniel

7

Croatian Sheepdog

8

Danesh Swedish Farmdog

9

Jack Russell Terrier

10

Karelian Bear Dog

11

Mudi

12

Prembroke Welsh Corgi

13

Polish Lowland Sheepdog

14

Pyrenean Shepherd

15

Savoy Sheepdog aka Braque Francais

16

Schipperke

17

Spanish Water Dog

18

Swedish Vallhund

Due to a ban on docking, breeders and geneticists have begun working on introducing the mutation by cross-breeding and have succeeded on Boxers.


Natural bobtail dog breeds without C189G mutation:

1

Boston Terrier

2

English Bulldog

3

King Charles Spaniel

4

Miniature Schnauzer

5

Parson Russell Terrier

Page last updated on 11/11/23