Why You Should Not Crop Your Dog's Ears Or Dock Their Tail

Ear cropping and tail docking are elective surgical procedures that your dog typically has as a puppy for certain breeds, such as Dobermans, German Shorthair Pointers, and Schnauzers. People sometimes also crop their Cane Corsos, Pitbulls, German Shepherds, and Bulldogs. The reason why people do this is because of the AKC breed standards, which are gradually changing due to cropping and docking being so controversial. American Veterinary Medical Association and American Animal Hospital Association both oppose it.

Docking is removing part of, or all of a dog's tail, usually with surgical scissors. Cropping is cutting off the floppy part of the dog's ears. Tail docking is banned in many parts of the world, including Australia and the U.K. In the U.S., these procedures are unregulated. 

The only purpose of cropping or docking is to give a dog a "certain look" and it poses unnecessary risks. Docked tails can develop a neuroma, or nerve tumor. This can cause your dog pain and make your dog snappy if their tail is touched. Studies and animal behaviorists show that dogs communicate emotions like anger and excitement by wagging their tails, so docking can interfere with your dog's ability to interact with other dogs, and yourself. Just like declawing a cat, the procedure is painful, risky, and all around unnecessary. 

Some people claim that floppy, natural ears should be chopped off because they're prone to infection. This is not true. Research shows that ear shape has little effect on the risk of a dog getting an infection. At least 80% of dogs never contract one at all.

During the surgery, dogs are placed under a general anesthesia, which can sometimes lead to swelling from allergic reactions or bigger complications, like anaphylactic shock. 

Not only do they create unnecessary physical pain and discomfort for dogs, but it can also leave them with lasting psychological trauma. Ears and tails are used for dogs to communicate and chopping off parts of them can hinder an owner's ability and dog's ability to understand what is communicated.