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Mixed Breed crop/dock


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Guest Mutts4Me

I don't want this to turn into a debate. I just thought this was very odd.

I was bathing a dog the other day (as that is my job), and my manager leads a puppy into the back, calls out to me that this is my next dog. I look at the puppy, which is about 3-4 months old. It looks like a leggy pit pup, and it has its ears cropped.

When I get it out, I see she's missing her tail. I look at her form, and it says "boxer." I take the puppy out front and demand "What exactly is this??" She laughed and said they said it's a Boxer mix. Perhaps it is; it's a beautiful brindle/white, and a bit leggy for a pit, but the head is total pit bull.

Her ears are cropped longer than your average Pit crop, but shorter than your average boxer crop. They're not taped up, and are basically laying on top of her head. I don't know anything about cropping really, so I don't know what that's all about.

Soo... She's quite sweet and keeps trying to lick my face while I try to cut her nails, and I just love this puppy. When they come to get her, I make sure to take her out myself so I can ask... "So, where'd you get her?"

She woman says, "Oh, from an ad in the paper. She's a mutt."

And I'm just astounded. She has no idea what her dog really is, but she at least had its ears done, if not the tail (maybe the breeder did that, don't know). When she walks out, one of the groomers just mutters "stupid."

Sooo... like I said, I don't want this to turn into a crop/dock debate, [b][url=http://forum.dogomania.com/viewtopic.php?t=10283]because one already exists... [/url][/b] but what's up with doing cosmetic surgery on a dog that has no standard? I don't think I've ever seen that before... have you? If so, what kind of mix did it look like?

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hmm maybe the idioit she got it from had already cropped/docked it??

Did you ask?

I think it is the dumbest thing to crop/dock a mix breed.
I dont agree with crop/docking purebreds, but to do it to mix breeds :o

My cousins has a "lab/rot mix"(i dont see an ounce of rot in this dog, it's definately a lab mix, but not mixed with rot) and the person they got it from docked the whole litter :o :cry:

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Guest Mutts4Me

Did I ask??

lol "Yo, lady, did you chop your mutt's ears off?" Umm, no :oops:

I wouldn't be surprised if the tail was already done when she got it, since that's usually done in the first couple days, but she's had the puppy at least a month (she'd been in before)... I don't know how old they usually are when their ears are done, but this girl was not more than 4 months old. So if it's done at 2-3 months old, the owner had it done. Plus I don't know that many people trying to get rid of mixed puppies would spend the money to crop the ears before placing them. Who knows. We were all just horrified though.


Oh yeah, I said I'd never seen such a thing before, but you reminded me my friend's Rott/GSD was docked by the "breeder" before her family got it, and except for the head, it looks more like a GSD.

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Absolutely not. What's the point? Most docked/cropped dogs do so because of their breed heritage (as in gaurding, herding sheep,..etc.) and so need to, although I don't necessarily agree with it, its done BECAUSE of the breed. WHY do it to a mix? WHAT are the uses of uselessly hacking off its ears AND its tail? God this makes me SOO MAD! I can't stand it! I don't *care* if it was painless for the mix, who are they to say she doesn't deserve her ears and tail? If this had been a pedigree it'd be debatable, but whhhy to a mix breed? Would the dog be gaurding? Herding? Retrieving? Work as a gundog?

I'm not bashing anyone or anything, its just that stuff like this makes me so mad. Poor puppy. Stupid ignorant people.. :x

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My APBT mix had his tail docked before I found him when he was 10 wks old. I have had lots of people ask me why I docked his tail and what breed he is (he looks like a Pharaoh Hound/ABPT mix - prick ears, docked tail). It looks like someone put a rubberband around his tail - I have no clue what breed they thought he was or if they were just idiots!

It doesn't make much sense to me why someone would dock a mixed breed dog's tail except if they were trying to pass it off as purebred. Why anyone would dock a pit bull's tail is beyond me, except that it was common for their tails to be docked in the late 1800's when the breed first came to America (most likely to keep it out of the way for fighting - how nice of them! :( )

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[quote name='Jessashelony']I can't tell you how many times I have been asked "Is that a Pit bull" in which I respond "Yes." And they "Then why does it still have it's tail?"

:roll:[/quote]
Tell people you have those rare, highly desirable, long tailed Pits. Play it up as if it's the latest rage and look at them really stupid for not "knowing." After all, "EVERYONE knows it's the latest thing to have tailed Pits... where have you been?" People are soooooooo eager to be fashionable that you just might convert a few people.

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McKenzie came from a litter of 15....boxer/pit mix. There tails were docked, come to think of it when we went to get her all the dogs there were docked. I don't think people know better. I don't think it looks bad I like it on some dogs, but it seems cruel. I've heard some people with pit's with tails say that they have a lot of muscle in that tail and can leave a mark on ya if you ain't watchin. I've heard of them get caught in doors too. One time someone said there dog could clear off the entire coffee table when she got excited. I don't know but maybe that is why they dock some dogs??? I know the ear thing sounds painful...my parents have a min pin and people said to get his ears done, but they didn't know he has huge ears one sticks straight up and the other lays on his head...so adorable!!! I'll have to get his picture!


Anyway I have no idea why people would dock a mutt....but then again not all people are as bright as we are :D

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I've heard that before, that dogs with tails like that dock them to prevent injury. I believe its called "Happy Tail" from being banged into doors and walls (and legs)

this is why I disagree with that reasoning. Labs have "happy tails", and can clear a coffee table in a fell swoop. in fact, the breed standard lists the tail as one of the things the dog is tobe judged on. if should be strong, thick, straight and otterlike, and able to clear a table with one sweep. I am NOT making this up. its in the breed standard.
rarely do you ever see labs with docked tails, unless it had to be done due to injury.

next, my hound also has happy tail. and I have the bruises on my legs to attest to it. when she bangs her tail into a door or wall it will wake you up from a heavy sleep. no kidding. yet you rarely ever see foxhounds with docked tails either.

I personally feel its done for looks, so there is no reason to do a mutt at all, except injury to the tail. they will sometimes do it to hunting and guarding dogs, to protect the dog, but I cant see any other reason to have it done.

I also think the ears are done to make the dog look tougher. Dobies with floppy ears dont appear nearly as intimidating as Dobies with erect ears.

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Although I agree with most of what has been said here, I think theres also one more point to consider...if you're getting a breed and did your homework, you'd know that it would come with a "happy tail", so isn't going through a few bruises worth the actual [b]tail[/b] of the dog? When it comes to going through glass cases I guess it would be right to dock the dogs tail, but it could have been prevented IMO. When you get a dog, especially a specific breed (you know what your getting look/body/temperment wise) what *I* think you should do is "happy tail" proof your home. When it comes to working dogs, I can really understand since you're working in unfamiliar places..but when it comes to you owning the dog and knowing your getting the dog, alone with the "happy tail" I think you should "happy tail" proof your home rather than just docking the whole thing. It just doesn't seem right to me, IMO.

Just my 2 cents. :wink:

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also, the "happy tail" can cause other problems, which could motivate some people to dock. Laurels tale, like I said, causes me bruises daily. I learned to get out of her way and make her face me when she's that happy. but with small children, and glass cabinets, I can see it needing to be done. the other issue is that "happy tail" can cause damage to the tail itself. they wag them so hard they can burst blood vessels in the tail, causing "lumps", that will fill up with fluid and eventually become painful. my golden used to shake his head so hard he burst blood vessels in his ears, which had to be drained regularly, even though he had no eart infections or ear mites...I can fully understand it for medical reasons, and so as not to inflict damage on children. I wont do it for looks however. and with Laurel, I'll live with it. its quite satisfying to hear her tail thumping on everything in site. means she's happy. but if it gets injured and has to be removed, I will do that as well.

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[quote][quote]Jessashelony wrote:
I can't tell you how many times I have been asked "Is that a Pit bull" in which I respond "Yes." And they "Then why does it still have it's tail?" [/quote]


Tell people you have those rare, highly desirable, long tailed Pits [/quote]
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

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[quote name='DivineOblivion19'][color=indigo]I can understand that Rowie. But they did not expect the dog's tail to break through glass. I don't think that there's really a warning that says if you're getting a Mastiff you may have broken glass in your home. They've had many dogs in their home, large dogs with and without tails and never had a problem. This dog's tail proved to be a problem. I talked to them but I think all in all, docking the tail was safest for the dog and the kids.[/color][/quote]

I can totally understand where the family are coming from, DO. I'm pretty sure it was the best for the dog, too! I can really understand docking when its done for the best for the dog, and besides I don't think the family could have done anything else to prevent it at this point.

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I am curious,did this practice originally start as a practical consideration, to get the "floppy things" out of the way for the dog's work? :wink:
If so, is it just tradition that makes people carry it on today?
It's illegal in some countries, right?
Anyway. The Pyr has double rear dew claws, and I can't tell you how many non-pyr, or just non-dog people, think that I should have them removed...it is actually part of the standard, for one thing, and for another, ouch!

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Pyrless, my foxhound has dew claws. when bred originally, the claws were for "gripping" in dew situations, where the dog without them would ordinarily twist and fall. they often have to scale ravines, and sidewalls, to get to the prey. the dewclaws were bred in to prevent slippage and fall under those circumstances. they become a problem for a dog that isnt hunting, since they tend to "snag" on things and get ripped. in the field, they dont often rip because the ground is wet..

hope that helps...

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I remember a case of Happy Tail when I worked at the shelter.

We had this great Sheep dog type mix. Just all white and fluffy and HUGE! But he had a tail.

Well, he had cracked it on his kennel so many times that it just kept opening up. We'd bandage him back up, treat.....he'd be fine for about a week, then it would start over again.

Well, one day, we came into the kennels in the morning, and it looked like a masacare had happened. He was covered in blood and so was the kennel floor and everything else.

This was at the old shelter where most of the kennels were outdoor, they were covered by a roof and tarps, but people could still walk around the kennels if they wanted to. We think someone did and this dog just got sooooo excited.

He went in the next day to be docked!

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well, I cant argue with docking under those circumstances, having owned damnable hunting dogs forever, and seeing the damage those tails can do, both to the house, kids and to the dog itself....I agree that people should research their dogs before getting them, but in one of these sitautions, I would rather see the tale docked than see the dog end up at a shelter. just my take....

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There are so many more awful things that happen to dogs, I don't see how it makes any sense to worry about a crop or dock.

Thousands of dogs are dying every day!

Who really cares if some are docked or cropped by a vet at the request of the owner? Even if it's not breed standard or doesn't make sense to you, I don't see a reason to worry about it.

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[quote name='kendalyn']There are so many more awful things that happen to dogs, I don't see how it makes any sense to worry about a crop or dock.

Thousands of dogs are dying every day!

Who really cares if some are docked or cropped by a vet at the request of the owner? Even if it's not breed standard or doesn't make sense to you, I don't see a reason to worry about it.[/quote]

I can understand where you're coming from, Kendalyn. But I don't really see the harm in discussing it, its an intresting topic, ya know? I never really thought about it before, and I guess other people were intresting in what others had to say. And since I'm against docking and cropping, it does worry me when its done to a mix for no apparent reason. If it was medical reasons I'd shutup, but think about it..they're cutting off body parts for looks. Just my thoughts on it.. :wink:

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hi courtnek! the pyr's double rear dew claws were for the snowy mountain slopes as they created a snowshoe effect for the dog-even when not in use they pretty much don't get in the way of sasha's every day life...they look like extra toes. Hey, I figure if it ain't broke...,

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[quote name='DivineOblivion19'][color=indigo]I've seen a lot of Rottie mixes with docked tails because the "breeder" was trying to pass the pups off as purebred. We had a Rott/GSD when I was a youngster. She was sold to my dad as a pure Rott, she'd had her tail docked.[/color][/quote]

There must be a lot of that going around......... :lol:
The woman I got Gretchen from was trying to pass all her pups off as full blooded Rotts too......she said if you want the tail short you can have it done when she's spayed......
I was thinking...."Are you CRazy ???" :o
Well of course Gretchen is a Lab/Rott confirmed by my Vet soon after I took her home.........
Wicked Lady !!!!! :evilbat:
But, I'm glad Gretchie is who she is, and I love her very natural *Happy tail* !!! :D

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