Oops, I posted in a wrong thread, my bad.Wouldn't they be better in the 'Photo' section rather than the 'Discussion' section?
Hello derekG!Sorry Dimitry, it could have been a good photograph, but the cutting of the dogs ears spoiled it for me.
Oh, I see. Next time I will ask her about ears of her dogs.I suppose it depends on the country the dogs were bred in ,cutting of dogs ears in the UK is banned, it was originally done for working dogs to prevent them from being bitten from rodents etc, that aside i must admit i do like the photo.
Theres still people doing it though. A friend runs a dog rescue they get dogs in all the time with ears and docked tails. People are more concerned about fashion than their pets wellfair.I suppose it depends on the country the dogs were bred in ,cutting of dogs ears in the UK is banned, it was originally done for working dogs to prevent them from being bitten from rodents etc, that aside i must admit i do like the photo.
I asked her about ears. She said, that this breed is very active, and they play and fight a lot. Veterinarian recommended ear cupping to awoid injuries in future. I suppose, this surgery meaningless in most cases (especially if it's done for "fashion").Theres still people doing it though. A friend runs a dog rescue they get dogs in all the time with ears and docked tails. People are more concerned about fashion than their pets wellfair.
I’m doubtful about this explanation for ear cropping, I’ve had a lot of dogs and they’ve never injured each other in what looks, to humans, like very violent play. Fighting is a different matter but you would have to remove almost all off the pinna to avoid that.I asked her about ears. She said, that this breed is very active, and they play and fight a lot. Veterinarian recommended ear cupping to awoid injuries in future. I suppose, this surgery meaningless in most cases (especially if it's done for "fashion").
She send me an old photo of her dog. Looks cute.
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Hello sphexx!’m doubtful about this explanation for ear cropping, I’ve had a lot of dogs and they’ve never injured each other in what looks, to humans, like very violent play. Fighting is a different matter but you would have to remove almost all off the pinna to avoid that.
Ear cropping is usually (not in UK) done to guarding breeds (Dobermans etc) if their ears tend to droop to make them look more alert/fierce. Puppy‘s ears aren’t a very good guide to the eventual adult ears -- there’s a saying among dog breeders that a puppy will “grow into his ears” that illustrates that.
In breeds that must have pricked ears some show people resort to putting tape on young dogs’ ears in a (probably forlorn) hope of improving their ear carriage. It’s an illustration of a wider point that when dogs were bred for work appearance wasn’t usually a prime consideration but dog show people tend to think that appearance indicates workability.
Indeed! I should have said the photos of the girl are great but those of the dogs are an illustration of why you need another person (usually the owner) or extra props/shills to get the dogs’ attention. In these you can see the dogs are mostly wanting to be somewhere else .Hello sphexx!
Thanks for your explanation. Maybe this fashion is promoted by veterinarians who want to make money on surgeries.
I suppose, the same thing with boy's circumcision. In some countries it is done in most cases. But in other countries people are living happy life without being circumcisionized.
A friend runs a dog rescue they get dogs in all the time with ears and docked tails
Tail docking is quite different and there are good reasons to do it in many cases. One problem (which could apply to your dog) is that in breeds that have always been docked there was obviously no selection for healthy tail ends so it‘s possible that ’weak’ tails ends were bred in only to reappear when docking was banned.I wish I'd had mine docked ( & yes, I could have done it legally). Its a constant battle against split tail & infection.To the point the vet and I are now discussing amputation, its not just about fashion. I agree about ear cutting though
Tail docking is quite different and there are good reasons to do it in many cases. One problem (which could apply to your dog) is that in breeds that have always been docked there was obviously no selection for healthy tail ends so it‘s possible that ’weak’ tails ends were bred in only to reappear when docking was banned.
It’s odd there have been campaigns against ear cropping and tail docking but no one cares about removal of so-called front ‘dew claws’ aka thumbs, which are commonly removed from puppies with scissors though there can be no justification for it in show dogs (and very little in others) and in fact is never mentioned in breed standards. When HMG asked for submissions on the proposed docking ban, I wrote to them about this but of course it was ignored.
(Apologies to the OP for getting completely OT!)
A lot of vets will still do the tails because of the infection problems. I believe they are still allowed if theres a health risk (I'm no expert).I wish I'd had mine docked ( & yes, I could have done it legally). Its a constant battle against split tail & infection.To the point the vet and I are now discussing amputation, its not just about fashion. I agree about ear cutting though
A lot of vets will still do the tails because of the infection problems. I believe they are still allowed if theres a health risk (I'm no expert).
As you say I would never do it for fashion reasons (have you seen how I dress? ) but the health of our furry family member is a different matter.
By the way, does tail help gun dog to swim?For tails a dog has to be a gun dog breed and you have to be able to show intent to work, normally a shotgun cert. after docking not every dog shows aptitude for working and the law allows this. You can’t show a docked dog
By the way, does tail help gun dog to swim?
Tail docking is quite different and there are good reasons to do it in many cases.
I totally agree with tail docking on working, working breeds too.I agree re docking. One of mine has had dew claws removed.
There is case for front ‘dew’ claws being removed in some working dogs -- beagles for instance which have relatively straight pastern, I’ve no experience of GSP or spaniels etc so can’t argue with that . However the problem with arguing for removal (tails or whatever) from cases where dogs injure the part is that part of the argument is always that the offending part is ’useless’— like the appendix in humans in earlier days where people never got appendicitis if it was removed preventatively, as it often was. ’Dew’ claws are functional in some dogs, they contact in ground when running (sighthounds etc), grip when climbing (terriers), used in grooming the face (Basenjis, personal observation).I totally agree with tail docking on working, working breeds too.
I wish the breeder had taken the dew claws off my GSP too, she was a total nightmare, no "respect" for deep cover including brambles, thankfully the short one one coat helped find the thorns.
But it didn't help with ripped Dew Claws.
The problem with the true working breeds ( HPR's) that I have come across, is the tail is very thin and very easily damaged when "Working"However the problem with arguing for removal (tails or whatever) from cases where dogs injure the part is that part of the argument is always that the offending part is ’useless’
Accepted as truth, although my GSP did attempt to climb the odd tree in pursuit of a squirrel or two, she never made it far though.grip when climbing (terriers),
Indeed the dew claws on my Saluki x greyhound were quite "stout" but the ones on my GSP were quite flimsy.’Dew’ claws are functional in some dogs, they contact in ground when running (sighthounds etc),
We are saying the same thing and I’m hypothesising that GSP have unnaturally thin tails because they were never bred to have normal tails because who knew what their tails would become if they were all cut off!The problem with the true working breeds ( HPR's) that I have come across, is the tail is very thin and very easily damaged when "Working"
I've no idea why this should be though, its seems odd.
Something like a "Whip" can't really be used as a counter balance. in an HPR. and mine was docked with no issues to her.
Although of course the GSD's have a "proper tail" and would look damned stupid without it.
And of course the working labs would also look silly without a tail, but like the GSD its "quite stout"
Accepted as truth, although my GSP did attempt to climb the odd tree in pursuit of a squirrel or two, she never made it far though.
Indeed the dew claws on my Saluki x greyhound were quite "stout" but the ones on my GSP were quite flimsy.
And of course the S X G tail was quite thin, but he did seem to use it as a counter balance when turning.
I think we are saying the same thing TBH, there is cause to remove some and not others.
Can you imagine a Saluki without a tail?
Persistent little buggerMy previous Fell Terrier used to get about 15 feet up leaning hawthorn trees after cats, fall about 20 feet (they grow in an old railway cutting) and be back up again until I could catch him up, .
I’m hypothesising that GSP have unnaturally thin tails because they were never bread to have normal tails because who knew what their tails would become if they were all cut off!
Ear trimming is never acceptable, and is never a prerequisite for anything. It's abhorrent, regardless of nation.Hello derekG!
To be honest, I don't know much about dog's breeding. While this girl is studying as a dog handler. Maybe ears' cut is prerequisite for this breed.
Hello viv1969. I'm to agree to with you, and we already discussed it in this thread.Ear trimming is never acceptable, and is never a prerequisite for anything. It's abhorrent, regardless of nation.