Whenever we alter a dog’s appearance by surgical means there comes great controversy. Is it in the better interest of the dog? Or is it merely to satisfy our wants for owning a prettier or more intimidating pet? In other words, when is surgical alteration by cropping, docking, or dewclaw removal feasible?

Many people think docking is cruel and inhumane. Dogs born with tails and floppy ears are good just the way nature intended them to be. Many people who buy cropped and docked dogs do it because they wish to have their dog look more alert, tough, or intimidating. However, there are plenty of breeds that have naturally bobbed tails and/or erect ears. There also are many reports of irresponsible owners doing their own at home crops and docks. These are often painful since they tend to use scissors to cut sensitive ears.

Even when done professionally, it is done without the use of anesthesia, and many pups cry during the procedure. Also, these procedures do not always work leaving tails and ears with nasty scars and sensitive to touch.

When you crop a dog’s ear, you cut away the cartilage, but this does not make the ear stand upright. Owners must find a way to keep the ears upright while the cartilage grows to support them and they can stand on their own. They either tape the ears to cups on top of the pups head or opt to glue them straight onto the dogs head. Tape and glue can leave ears irritated and the fur stuck together. The pups are also annoyed by itchy stitches. When the owner does not continue with the follow up care the ears grow funky, where they stand partially or one ear turns to the side, flops over, or turns inward. These dogs are seen as unattractive and are currently flooding shelters.

Besides, dogs have their tails for reasons. Tails are used for comfort and warmth when sleeping and as a symbol for pack status. They convey emotions to other dogs, giving them friendly or threatening appearances. When a dog is docked, other dogs may get confused and think that dog is trying to act threatening rather than friendly and start unintentional fights. Tails are also used for balance and as a rudder when swimming.

A lot of dogs are physically altered in order to better match them to their breed standard. Some think that if they don’t match the standard, surgically altering is a poor substitute. They opt to change the breed standard instead. Some dogs are cropped even if the standard says natural ears are preferred. Dogs that are altered often have better chances in the show ring, making it hard to finish a natural dog.

Proponents of cropping and docking realize that this was once done for a reason. Working dogs often have it done to prevent nasty injuries when on the job. Bird dogs with thin tail tips risk breakage when in the field. These dogs have their tails docked to varying lengths to prevent injuries. Many guardian breeds such as Dobermans, Boxers, and Rottweilers also have thin tails and are docked to prevent injury and from being held back by intruders who can hold a dog by its tail and avoid its teeth. Even when in the home, thin-tailed breeds suffer injuries when hitting things with their tails. Some owners even complain of dogs leaving streaks of blood on walls in their homes. Other dogs are docked for similar reasons. Herding dogs risk having their tails crushed by livestock. Drafting breeds risk having their tails crushed by carts. Terriers’ tails sustain injuries when they go tunneling underground for vermin. Dewclaws are removed to prevent them from catching on carpets and other surroundings and ripping off. This is especially important for sled dogs whose booties can harbor nasty injuries. Dogs that go to show are supposed to represent a breed by being able to accomplish its original task, therefore they should have their tails and ears altered to be able to do so effectively.

Dogs without tails are often hunting breeds that run endlessly for prey and retrieve many a fowl from the water. Some of the best field dogs are docked, attesting to the fact that little unbalance and swimming problems occur, if any. Docked breeds also often do well at dog parks with other dogs and don’t get into fights unless already aggressive. Dogs have other means of communication and can get their point across without a tail if necessary. Cropped dogs can still move their ears about and show emotions effectively.

Proponents liken this surgical alteration to child circumcision, arguing that you do it at the right time in order to prevent lots of pain and bad memories. Docking is done at 2-3 days when the spine has not yet grown into the tail. Pups feel little if any pain and squeal mainly in response to being picked up. They are also said to forget about the experience within 15 minutes, some even instantly. When done by an experienced professional and dealt with by responsible owners there is little risk of infection, pain, or the need for follow up surgery.

Many countries have now enacted crop and dock bans. This includes the U.K., Australia, and others. There are reports of heightened tail breaks and injuries in working dogs. “After Sweden banned tail docking in 1989, there was a noticeable increase in the number of tail injuries reported in the German Shorthaired Pointer. Of 191 pointers with undocked tails, 51 percent of these dogs had sustained tail injuries requiring some form of medical treatment.” (“A Psychologist looks at Tail Docking,” PETS Magazine). These medical treatments are often painful and life-threatening in adult dogs since the spine now has grown throughout the tail.

Opponents say that we can compromise by making legislation allowing only working dogs to be docked (the U.K. has already enacted such legislation). However, it still has to be done when the pup is but a few days old, meaning breeders have to guess at how many pups will be working dogs. It is hard to tell which 3 day old pup will make the better field dog and which would make the better pet. Also, this does not cut down on injuries sustained by our own pets at home and thus reduces the popularity of these commonly docked breeds.