Getting A Puppy?
Request a Natural Tail and Ears from Breeders
Why request a natural tail and ears for your new puppy
Dogs are born with tails and ears for a reason. Requesting a puppy with a natural tail and ears protects your new family member's health and well being throughout its life. Medically unnecessary docking and cropping procedures are considered “normal” but do nothing to help the animal. They only cause pain and suffering. You can help stop these practices one puppy at a time.
How and why to save tails
Breeders of traditionally docked breeds routinely dock puppies' tails just a few weeks after birth. Requesting a natural tail before your puppy is born is the most certain way to get a whole, natural dog. Requesting a puppy after it is born may be too late but you could get lucky. If it is too late, you will still be signaling to breeders that undocked dogs are gaining popularity with future clients and should be considered an opportunity to stand out among their peers.
Tails aid the dog's elimination efforts supporting their health and well being. They also allow the dog to signal their emotions to humans and other dogs. Tails express whether they are happy, friendly, angry, sad, ill and other emotions. Without them, dogs may be misread and may respond inappropriately with fearful or defensive behavior. Dogs also use their tails for balance, allowing them to more safely navigate both on land and in water.
The claim that docking "prevents injury" is illogical and false. Cutting off a dog's tail IS injury, Fewer than 1 in 500 dogs ever injures it's tail, rarely severely enough to require amputation.
How and why to save ears
You can save your puppy's ears from cropping by informing a breeder that you want whole natural ears and disregarding false claims that cropping is good for the dog. Ears protect the dog's ear canals and provide an additional avenue for communication. Dog's often lie on the ground. Cropped ears are open to dirt, debris and insects. In years past, veterinarians and breeders have promoted ear cropping saying that it is better for the dog. It is not. The practice has been propelled by breed standards and, possibly, because veterinarians and breeders get paid to crop.
What is dog tail docking?
Canine tail docking involves cutting a dog's tail off. It permanently removes an extension of the dogs’s spinal cord. This procedure is usually done to conform to a "breed standard". Breed standards are determined by organizations such as the American Kennel Club. The standards have been passed down for generations. This practice is illegal in the U.K. and accross Europe and provides no benefit to the dog.
Why? In 18th century England, there was a tax on all dogs – except for docked-tail working dogs. So, dogs were routinely docked to avoid taxes. The practice was lateradopted as part of kennel club “breed standards” Even though docking and cropping are now considered illegal cruelty in England, they continue to bepromoted by American kennel clubs claiming that the mutilation maintains the“integrity” of the breed. Docking permanently removes an extension of the dogs’spinal cords affecting their balance, ability to tell other dogs that they are friendly(and avoid fights) and can even affect their ability to go to eliminate waste.
What is dog ear cropping?
Ear cropping, sometimes referred to as "trimming", is the practice of cutting off all or part of a dog's ears or removing them completely.The procedure sometimes involves bracing and taping the remainder of the ears to train them to point upright.
Many believe that cropping prevents ear infection. Not so. The opposite is true. It
can cause ear infection by removing the protection of the ear flap. It also exposes
the dog’s ear canal allowing for easier invasion by foreign objects, including insects
and debris. This practice is always done for appearance, often to make the dog
appear more aggressive.
Are these things legal everywhere?
Dog tail docking and ear cropping are illegal in England, across Europe, and in
many other countries. NPAWS is working to change American perception so that
voters will be eager to make it illegal in the U.S. too.
Does docking and cropping support dog fighting?
Yes. Dog fighting is illegal in the United States and around the world. Yet, the inhumane sport is still a thriving industry. Dog fighters remove thier dog's tails and ears to prevent the opportunity for their competitor to latch onto them. Because docking and cropping are legal in the U.S., dog fighters in other countries are able to say that their animals were not docked or cropped in the host country but were altered in the United States and imported. Keeping docking and cropping legal allows dog fighters to hide their abuse in plain sight. By requesting a natural puppy, you are protecting your new family member and moving America one step closer to ending these cruelties.