The Pros And Cons Of Tail Docking

Having a pet is something every child looks forward to when they are younger. Their parents get them a pet on Christmas, or Easter, or even their birthday. But, they do not ever think what may be happening to that pet before it comes home. There are procedures that are happening to pets that should not be. Ear cropping and tail docking are two of the most common procedures to happen in the U.S. today. Most of the time when someone looks at a dog that has never had his ears cropped, they are amazed at what type of breed that dog is. This should never happen to an animal because they should be recognized by their own beauty than the one their owners are making them be. Tail docking is common, but for nothing really in particular; usually they

Tail docking is not as common as ear cropping, but it is still a procedure that is happening to dogs. For tail docking, there are two different ways that it can be performed. In the tail, there are not a lot of nerves for it to hurt them as bad to need to be under anesthesia. Tail docking is one of the most common procedures to happen in the U.S. today. Dr. Karen Becker in “Is ear cropping and tail docking harmful to dogs” describes how tail docking is performed: “The tail is docked in one of two ways. One method involves putting a rubber band-type ligature around the base, which cuts off the blood supply and causes the tail to fall off in a matter of days. This is the method used by many breeders. The other method is amputation with either surgical scissors or a scalpel” (2). The procedure of how tail docking is done sounds very painful. Most of the time, farmers just use rubber bands like they would if they were neutering a farm animal. Eventually, the blood supply no longer goes to the tail and falls off. The other way is taking them in and getting them removed professionally. Either way, tail docking should not be done. This procedure comes with different problems even after, the dog has no way of getting out of the pain. Camille Pagan in “Ear cropping and tail docking: necessary? Cruel?” expresses the problem with tail docking, by giving the

The use of ear cropping and tail docking and the cues of what animal it is used by most are highlighted by Pagan, who claims: “It may sound odd, but it’s exactly what some purebreds undergo shortly after birth. Two surgical procedures -- ear cropping and tail docking -- have long been routine in certain breeds like Dobermans, German shorthaired pointers, and Schnauzers” (1). These procedures are not very common with all dogs, but it is still occurring. Not even a few days after they are born, they are experiencing a traumatic surgery; ear cropping is more of a surgical procedure due to the fact that all the nerves that are running through the ear loop, the animals would not be able to handle the pain. Ear cropping is another surgical procedure that happens along with tail docking. Becker expresses how this procedure is done: “The procedure is performed under general anesthesia. A dog’s ears have lots of nerve endings, and the pain this surgery would cause without anesthesia is extreme. Cropping involves the surgical removal of around two-thirds of the ear. The remaining tissue is then tightly taped into an upright position” (2). Ear cropping is a more concerning surgery because they are actually clipping part of the nerves in their ear. A dog would not be able to handle this surgery without being put out because of all the nerves in their ears. After this procedure is done it can