Well I'm planning to get a pitbull puppy in the summer, but I want your opinion so I can name it, I might be getting a brown with white chest. Any good names

The name of your dog is entirely up to you. I don't name a pet until I have him/her home with and observe the personality.

But do you have a good type of name for a pitt

How about killer

Check the link;

List of Dog Names (http://www.dognameswoof.com/dognames.htm)

Good luck.

Hey man no bull**** I was thinking of that name too

Is it going to be a family dog or guard type?

Nah its going to be a family type why

Well for family type you will want a softer name for it, but can I ask why you would want such a visious type dog for a family?

I would be tinkin "TALLI it means hero" or "PRIMO it means first born"

is it going to be a family dog or guard type?

A pitbull as a guard dog? Bad idea, very bad idea!

OP - I really am hoping this is just a family dog. As for the name Killer, if you decide to go with that let's hope he doesn't live up to his name. Also, why would you even consider that name for a pitbull? That breed has a bad enough reputation without adding more.

Keep in mind also that pitbulls are not for novice pet owners, they require an experienced hand, not someone who's never owned and cared for a dog in their life.

This is not a status symbol, it's a living breathing creature, keep that in mind because your post and other statements are beginning to worry me.

Why does every body say pitbulls r vicious dogs there not it all depends on the owner I thought primo meant cousin

You I have heard that before but its not true pittbull, dalmations, rotwilers and such types of dogs can just go off at anytime, my friend had half her nose ripped off by a family dog (pittbull) there is a group of people in my city trying to get them outlawed

See that's what I'm saying pitbull's are good dogs if you know how to treat them the way they are sopose to be treated

well for family type you will want a softer name for it, but can I ask why you would want such a visious type dog for a family?

Pitt bulls can be wonderful family dogs, if raised and trained appropriately and obtained through a reputable breeder. You are going to want to get a feel for the parents temperament so you can have an idea of how your puppy may be when it is older. Pitt bulls are not for those who do not strive to have a well trained dog, or for those who wish to have a status symbol. Sadly this "Viscous" ignorant concept of every single pitt bull will be something you will have to deal with often, so if you do not wish to make your dog seem like a "killer", then do not give a name that would suggest anything along those lines.

Nope primo can mean first or highest or best in its class and so on. When you use it as a name it means first born. I have a rothweiler and at his worst he would lick you to death ha ha its all how a dog is raised if you ask me

You if they don't just freak out and attack without warning

Speaking of heartless idiots and BSL laws, you might want to check on the laws in your area concerning these breeds before bringing home the puppy.

OK so what's a good name for a family pitbull

Where I live you have to have a speical license to own a pitbull which is around $800/year, you have to take training classes, the cops visit your home to determine if you are capable to adopt one of these breeds.

Yes, the have a bad rep because when they do attack they cause a lot of damage or even death, any dog can do that, but pitbulls have sadly gotten a bad rep.

You really cannot be a novice owner with a pitbull, the first time owner is better suited to a lab, a poodle, somethig easy. Pits need an experienced hand.

How about cocoa

My brother in laws has had several Pitt bulls, One of my favorites was an absolute sweetheart named Deuce. He wouldn't hurt a kitten and was a doll with their two small children. He looked a lot like the puppy you are describing.

I understand, but where I live you don't need a licence for the dog

OK but cocoa is a female name

Once again I would like to stress the importance of finding a reputable breeder. Temperament is as genetic as anything else, although many people do not realize this when they breed their dogs. Do not just get any puppy from any guy in a parking lot, for all you know they could be "game bred" puppies. To ensure a sound temperament you need to have a reputable breeder, interact with the parents, and view the living conditions of the dogs before you buy the puppy. If the person gets dodgy with answers, or refuse to let you see the parents or where they are kept, then this is a major red flag.

Yeah, aren't they illegal or something? I know here in Florida I think it's illegal.

Why don't you get a smaller more playful cute dog. Idc what dog it is, I love dogs but pitt bulls are super aggressive and if there is a baby around you shouldn't get that dog. Why don't you get a cute poodle, maybe a jack russell, cocker spaniel, yorkie, shi*zu, maltese?

Pitt bulls are really good watch dogs, even though if they hurt somebody say bye bye! But for an inside family dog, why don't you get a smaller dog?

If you do end up getting a pitt bull name it something based on his personality when you meet him. If he is all hyper or something you can call him a crazy hippy name. Be creative also, that's the cutest part about naming a dog.

Honestly the only breed I like love... is pitbulls

Out of the pitt bulls my brother is laws has owned there has been Zeus, Snoopy, Deuce, and Mistro. They were all very good family dogs. Most people who talk about how mean they are have had little contact with many of the dogs, and only go by what they have heard. While I do not deny that they have the potential to be dangerous, so do many other breeds. I have met dozens of loving, gentle pitt bulls. Do not let bias deter you if this is the breed you want, however do your homework first just to make sure it is in fact a right match. You should never get any breed without fully understanding them.

Yea that s why I getting it in the summer, because I'm still learning about them

Zoe I had to spread the rep but I agree. The tempermant of the dog must fit the owner.

I like the name Snoopy, that would have been good for my beagle Chewy.

How about King, or Softie? I'm really bad at names. Did you look at the link I posted?

Very Very true Silver... there is a lot of more dangerous breeds but were talking about pitt bulls here. Yeah, learn about the breed first, that is very important. ESPECIALLY about pitts!

A dog trainer once told me a short name with sharp consonants is always good -- Tut, Dot, Jedi, Ewok, Jabba, Spot, Flak, etc.

No what link?

I have to say they are cute puppies. I like them better without their ears cropped, especially since I believe ear cropping is not necessary.

17189

17190

17191

Here's the link again. :)

List of Dog Names (http://www.dognameswoof.com/dognames.htm)

Those pits are nice but I plann on getting the dogs ears cropped

Once again I would like to say that pitt bulls may not be as responsive for as many attacks as they have been given credit for due to misidentification. Can you find the pitt bull? Warning, this is harder then you think.

Pet Pitbull - Find the Pit Bull (http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html)

Where you aware that the pitt bull use to be the all around American family dog?

Did you know that in WWI there was a pitt bull named Stubby that was the unofficial mascot of the 102 division? He was such a hero he was awarded several medals and received the rank of sergeant.

Helen Keller, teddy Roosevelt, Mark Twain, John Steinbeck and many other famous figures all owned pitt bulls.

Remember Petey the pitt bull from the Little Rascals?

Before you say how awful these dogs are do some research first. You may find yourself surprised.

Yea I'm doing research on them most of the time

Before deciding to crop the ears, please read the link.

Ear Cropping and Tail Docking, Pros and Cons (http://www.dogchannel.com/dog-vet-library/surgery/article_526.aspx)

Yea I read it

Alty, Please since you're an adult and a pet expert, please warn her about ear cropping a little more because I'm really totally against it just cause one of my friend's did it to her dog and he's ear got really infected and it wasn't good, the dog suffered a lot. Mexcelaya, don't crop your dogs ear. How would you have liked it if your mom thought your ears were to big and she chopped them off and then something bad happens to them like my friend's dog? Please read the link carefully at the part that says IT IS PAINFUL! :/ :/

But did your friend go to the vet and got the ears done. Why do you think its not right if it was'nt right don't you think the vets would have NOT DO IT?

Umm... that's up to you. A vet cannot just go and attack you and be like " NO YOU CANNOT GET YOUR DOGS EARS CROPPED!!!!!!"

It's up to you, were just suggesting you to NOT do it. Hey, vets are vets, but they are not all accurate. My mom's best friend had the most adventorus loving healthy dog EVER and the vet killed it by injecting a medicine not accurate for his size. Yes she did it with a vet obviously! Please don't tell me you were just going to do it yourself! Like I said before, leave the dog the way it was born, I doubt your mom had the doctor do plastic surgery on you because she didn't like a body part on you when you were born!

Dang did your moms friend sue the vet, and of course I was'nt going to crop the dogs ear I ll be dumb if I did

Of course!!


The dog was beautiful it was a big grey dog but with green eyes and he was super sweet still a baby!


And yeah, do not do it, not yourself, not a vet!

Hey how old are you? Just a QUESTION

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I'm 15 turning 16. I might be young but I am pretty smart :) and I'm in 9th grade, just not taking 9th grade classes lol

well for family type you will want a softer name for it, but can i ask why you would want such a visious type dog for a family?

WRONG!
The dog will be a great family dog if raised correctly.
Do some research before saying such cliché things.

Once again I would like to say that pitt bulls may not be as responsive for as many attacks as they have been given credit for due to misidentification. Can you find the pitt bull? Warning, this is harder then you think.

Pet Pitbull - Find the Pit Bull (http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html)

Where you aware that the pitt bull use to be the all around American family dog?

Did you know that in WWI there was a pitt bull named Stubby that was the unofficial mascot of the 102 division? He was such a hero he was awarded several medals and received the rank of sergeant.

Helen Keller, teddy Roosevelt, Mark Twain, John Steinbeck and many other famous figures all owned pitt bulls.

Remember Petey the pitt bull from the Little Rascals?

Before you say how awful these dogs are do some research first. You may find yourself surprised.


Good Post!

Snoopy ==> Snoop, once he gets big and rough. ;)

There are better options to choose from. Pit's can be great loving dogs but one option you must also thinkof is your parents insurance. Most homeowners insurance will not cover homes with these dogs and if they do, it will be veryy expensive. Also, I don't know if it was metioned already there jaws lock when they bite and they don't letgo.

The OP hasn't even bought the dog yet, and it may be a pipe dream. This is a young girl I believe, in a different country yet.

So far a poster has warned about ear cropping (and here again I believe it is a young person) a dead dog from a vet's erroneous ministerings and a warning pit bulls are dangerous to have.

She only asked for names because she may be getting a pit bull. Do you all get my drift. It is only about naming a dog and it has already gone to three pages !

Tick

Pit Bull - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_bull)


Check this out, it has lots of info just to make sure that your pitbull rights are meet, hope your puppy is wonderful and not a little hellien lol puppys can be no matter what breed

Different*

Its wonderful that you are thinking of names,I would also seriously look in to finding a proper place to have your dog trained in obedience. Pits are not for everyone and as with any breed ,you should know all there is about them before you find you have a dog who is not right for your family.
Pit Bull Breed Profile (http://www.rescueeverydog.org/pitbull_breed.html)

At least someonee is right! ^^^^^

Can you view both the parents of the puppy? It usually pays because temperaments can be inherited and if the parents are naturally aggressive then that can be a problem.

And yes although there are a lot of pit bulls out there that are great family dogs truth is, the stereotype started somewhere... they can be aggressive and it just pays to let people know before they buy one thinking they have this great dog that wouldn't hurt a fly.

Starfirely and Ana52406. Okay girls, your disagrees don't follow forum guidelines. I am not offering wrong advice, so your disagrees are not appropriate. I am offering my opinion only so I guess you will have to live with it. I don't see any of our experts chiming in on this, probably because it is just a post about naming a dog, not asking for advice on pit bulls per se, how to raise them, cutting their ears and how they are generally.

I suggest you both read the forum basics before you give anymore disagrees.

ms. tickle

OK, as far as names go, I have a few ideas for you.

Odin, Thor and Chaos. All names of mythological gods. There are some really cool ones.

*hides in a corner*

*whispers*

Call it Morgan

Also Bailey and Capone. Those are kind of cool too

*gets back out of the corner*
Well I might as well list the names of all the dogs we have had:

Great danes:
Morgan, Olivia, Orion, Heidi, Johnny

Poodles:
Charlie, Shae, Prada, Brodie, Logan, Tyler, Jordan

Shih Tzus:
Elliott, Bliss (aka lollygobble bliss-bomb)

Chinese crested:
Shawn (aka "stop peeing on the carpet ya little s#!t!")

At least someonee is right! ^^^^^

'Im not that much of an idiot to buy someone a dog out of random. I only asked for names not for opinions. He wants one, his familly wants one, and since I'm so attached to animals I have hooks ups of people that can give me one.'

This is part of a post you initiated on giving your b/f a dog, you asked for names and was quite upset because you got so much more then just names. I believe it was Feb . l3th. This poster only asked for names, and she is probably getting a lot more then she bargained for which you got so upset at receiving.

ms tickle

Oh, one other thing you need to take into consideration, even though owning them may be legal, even if your homeowner insurance allows them, how do your neighbors feel about them? Remember Deuce? The lovely brown and white pitt that loved life and everything in it I mentioned? One of their neighbors (still unknown) shot him in the head when they weren't home because of their bias against pitts. I don't know what kind of people you live around, but you need to consider whether anyone would be so against the dog they would shoot, poison, or otherwise harm it. Also you must be careful of people stealing it. A lot of pitts go missing where I live.

Damn, but where I live (townhouses) you're a loud to have them with permission of the landlord which my mom and me know him very well and my neighbors really don't care because beside me no one lives and the other side the lady is barley there so...

damn, but where i live (townhouses) your a loud to have them with permission of the landlord which my mom and me know him very well and my neighbors really dont care because beside me no one lives and the other side the lady is barley there so....

Thanks love for offering this additional information. It will probably get all our dog experts going again on having a dog in a closed space, especially a 'proposed' pitbull. Which as you know by now, covers a few breeds in that gender.

'Im not that much of an idiot to buy someone a dog out of random. I only asked for names not for opinions. He wants one, his familly wants one, and since im so attached to animals i have hooks ups of people that can give me one.'

This is part of a post you initiated on giving your b/f a dog, you asked for names and was quite upset because you got so much more then just names. I believe it was Feb . l3th. This poster only asked for names, and she is probably getting a lot more then she bargained for which you got so upset at receiving.

ms tickle

Umm at least I understood at the end.

yea i read it

I do want to know why you've decided to crop the ears. Personally, the fact that it's illegal in a lot of countries should be enough to disuade you. Tail docking and ear cropping are cruel, not necessary and painful. Why are you going to do it?

Alty, she is not saying she is gong to do it. Are you talking about the OP ? Did she say this?

She just said she read it, alty. This is just so circumstantial at the moment.

This is a 'name our dog post'. So my name would be appropriate for all dogs:

JUST Don't CALL ME LATE FOR DINNER

Tick

alty, she is not saying she is gong to do it. Are you talking about the OP ? Did she say this?

She just said she read it, alty. This is just so circumstantial at the moment.

This is a 'name our dog post'. So my name would be appropriate for all dogs:

JUST DONT CALL ME LATE FOR DINNER

tick

She said she was going to do it.

Read all the posts, that's why alty keeps insisting!

Honestly in the PAST years my family had dogs ( only pitbull's) and all of them had there ears croped and I thought it looked good on them so that's the only reason I want to do it. Oh and in Virginia they are not illegal

honestly in the PAST years my family had dogs ( only pitbull's) and all of them had there ears croped and i thought it looked good on them so thats the only reason i want to do it. oh and in VIRGINA they are not illegal

I didn't mean pitbulls are illegal, I meant that many countries have banned ear cropping and tail docking.

If you want more info on this I'll get it for you, it really isn't at all good for the poor dog, it's very painful and completely unnecessary. I'll leave it to you. If you want the info, I'll get it for you. Okay? :)

No I meant ear croping is not illegal where I live

no i meant ear croping is not illegal where i live

Oh, sorry. Just because it isn't illegal doesn't mean it's humane.

I won't lecture, I can't change your mind anyway, it's up to you, but I will supply the info, videos, vet advice, if you want to look at that before deciding. I'll leave it to you.

honestly in the PAST years my family had dogs ( only pitbull's) and all of them had there ears croped and i thought it looked good on them so thats the only reason i want to do it. oh and in VIRGINA they are not illegal

Yes, you are right. They are not illegal in Viriginia, but only used for illegal purposes because of it. Where did you read that?

Why didn't you mention, my dear, in your original post that your family only had pitbulls as pets ? I find find your information a little bit strange to say the least. Why not post everything and get it over and done with. I thought you only wanted a name for your dog ?

There are good reasons for working dogs to be cropped in either tail or ear, because in some areas of the continents they are still used for that purpose, the only reason, however, pitbulls have their ears cropped is because it was less to bite off in a fight between the two dogs.

Tick

Well yea I wanted a NAME and I still want one, but people started saying that they have bad temper... and why am I getting a pitbull that I should get a smaller dog if I wanted a family dog, all I wanted was your (all of you) opinion of a good name.

I don't think that pit bulls are "bad"; I think they are a breed that needs an experienced owner (as do German Shepherds, Rotties, Dobies, etc etc.)
I like to give the "big bad breeds" a really non-threatening name--I had a friend who owned a 90+ pound male Pit Bull named Squat (he never learned to lift his leg). Very sweet dog but she started enforcing rules from day one. Squat finally died of cancer a few years ago. She recently had an opportunity to adopt a new Pit puppy whose name is "Beano". My German Shepherd is named Toby and my Doberman is Gus.
I think people relax more when they meet a dog that has a light-hearted name. They ask more questions (instead of trying to get away from "Killer") and learn more about the positive aspects of the breed and about the individual dog.
Just my two cent's worth!

Hey does your dobe has his ears croped if no do you think its cruel?

There are reasons dogs have cropped ears and docked tails.
For example: Great Danes ears are cropped because they used to be used for hunting wild boar and they made the ears stand upright to help prevent them tearing their ears open when running through thick bushes.
These days though it is done purely for cosmetic purposes as that's the way people are used to seeing them.
Here in Aus cropping has been banned for many years but they have only banned tail docking in the past year or so.
I completely support the bans as there is now no actual reason for these procedures to be done other than to make the dog look "better"

Sorry, off the original topic but I wanted to add :)

My Doberman does happen to have cropped ears and a docked tail, but I adopted him that way as an adult. My husband and I have had some arguments about cropping/docking--he says Dobermans look like Coonhounds without it and I tell him he obviously doesn't know that much about dog conformation--after all, Dobies are supposedly "his" breed; mine is German Shepherds. I don't know why we argue over something that is not likely to be an issue. I have never bought a dog in my life (adopted, picked up strays, begged and even stole one once--long story).
I once heard cropping/docking referred to as "elective mutilation", and I have to agree. I love the look of a cropped Dobie but I can't justify it to myself. If the dog could show up at the vet's and ask for a cosmetic procedure so he could look like the dogs in magazines, it would be fine with me! As it is, it seems to be a VERY involved procedure done at a very young age that really serves no purpose nowadays except for our own vanity. And remember that tail docking involves cutting through the spinal cord!
As for Pit Bulls, I hate that short crop most of them have--I love the long, half-mast inquisitive look that uncropped ears give them.

Squishy, Squeezy, Squeaky, Binky, Angel, Bozo, Smiles, Happy, Jojo, Fuzzy, Peaches, Apples, Banana, Mango, Willy, Jack, Teeny, Tiny, Sammy, Smurf, Fraggle, Oscar, Bunny, Señor, Sally, Simon, Poppy, Penny, Minnie, Cuddles, Cotton or Kermit.

Mexcelala, now that we've gotten the names out of the way, I'll tell you that your posts have left me feeling a little confused.

How old are you? Just out of curiosity, why are you set on getting a pit bull instead of another breed?

I know you said that you want to have the cropping done because you like the way it looks. Honestly, I think cropping just makes sweet, happy looking dogs look more aggressive. Honestly, how would you feel if your mom wanted to crop your nose? It's the same thing. Do you thing there's anything wrong with that? Do you really think that it would be a painless procedure? Don't you like your nose just because you were born with it?

I'll never accept the argument about absolutely anything like ear cropping being perfectly fine simply because it's not illegal where you are. Ear cropping is indeed illegal in many countries around the world. Do you think those dogs' ears are any different than the ears of the dogs in your area? Guess what. Some of these things are still around because people make money off it.

Try thinking about what it really means to crop a dog's ears without thinking about what look you thought looked better before. I can promise you one thing. If no one else cropped the ears of certain breeds, you wouldn't be used to seeing them cropped, and you'd realize just how gross it really is. Unless you're hunting old-school with your dog, which I don't think you are because you haven't mentioned it, I don't know how you can begin to justify it.

I have an English Cocker Spaniel, and we were given the option of having his tail docked. I decided to really get informed first. From my experience, I think that once you get informed, there is no choice to make. If you're not hunting, it's completely unjustifiable. Our puppy got to keep his tail. Every now and then someone will happen to mention it. I tell them that he came that way. Actually, no one has ever told us that he would be better without it; to the contrary, all we've ever gotten is support for that choice. We're also designers, and we're honestly crazy about aesthetics. And do you know what? He's so much more beautiful because he stayed the way that God made him. Every time I see his happy wagging tail, I smile. I can only feel good about protecting him. My two cents.

It's legal, like you said, so you can technically do whatever you want. I just hope you really understand what ear cropping is all about, and that you're willing to put your dog at risk so that he can look ridiculous. I'm honestly sorry if what I've said came off as harsh, but maybe if more people did stick their noses into more situations like this one, people wouldn't consider aesthetic mutilation to be any kind of norm. okay, maybe that was 3 cents. Whew! I'm done with my rant. Again, my apologies. Good luck to you.

If it's a girl the name sadie is cute

If it's a boy, jasper is cute also

Squishy, Squeezy, Squeaky, Binky, Angel, Bozo, Smiles, Happy, Jojo, Fuzzy, Peaches, Apples, Banana, Mango, Willy, Jack, Teeny, Tiny, Sammy, Smurf, Fraggle, Oscar, Bunny, Senor, Sally, Simon, Poppy, Penny, Minnie, Cuddles, Cotton or Kermit.

Mexcelala, now that we've gotten the names out of the way, i'll tell you that your posts have left me feeling a little confused.

how old are you? just out of curiosity, why are you set on getting a pit bull instead of another breed?

i know you said that you want to have the cropping done because you like the way it looks. honestly, i think cropping just makes sweet, happy looking dogs look more aggressive. honestly, how would you feel if your mom wanted to crop your nose? it's the same thing. do you thing there's anything wrong with that? do you really think that it would be a painless procedure? don't you like your nose just because you were born with it?

i'll never accept the argument about absolutely anything like ear cropping being perfectly fine simply because it's not illegal where you are. ear cropping is indeed illegal in many countries around the world. do you think those dogs' ears are any different than the ears of the dogs in your area? guess what. some of these things are still around because people make money off of it.

try thinking about what it really means to crop a dog's ears without thinking about what look you thought looked better before. i can promise you one thing. if no one else cropped the ears of certain breeds, you wouldn't be used to seeing them cropped, and you'd realize just how gross it really is. unless you're hunting old-school with your dog, which i don't think you are because you haven't mentioned it, i don't know how you can begin to justify it.

i have an English Cocker Spaniel, and we were given the option of having his tail docked. i decided to really get informed first. from my experience, i think that once you get informed, there is no choice to make. if you're not hunting, it's completely unjustifiable. tour puppy got to keep his tail. every now and then someone will happen to mention it. i tell them that he came that way. actually, no one has ever told us that he would be better without it; to the contrary, all we've ever gotten is support for that choice. we're also designers, and we're honestly crazy about aesthetics. and do you know what? he's so much more beautiful because he stayed the way that God made him. every time i see his happy wagging tail, i smile. i can only feel good about protecting him. my two cents.

it's legal, like you said, so you can technically do whatever you want. i just hope you really understand what ear cropping is all about, and that you're willing to put your dog at risk so that he can look ridiculous. i'm honestly sorry if what i've said came off as harsh, but maybe if more people did stick their noses into more situations like this one, people wouldn't consider aesthetic mutilation to be any kind of norm. okay, maybe that was 3 cents. whew! i'm done with my rant. again, my apologies. good luck to you.

I wish I didn't have to spread the rep, because this is an excellent post. Cropping ears, docking tails, etc.: This is mutilation. I couldn't, wouldn't, mutilate something I love. There just is no justification for mutilating your dog so that it can conform to some ludicrous standard set by breeders or hunters or dog-fighters.

A dog isn't a boutique item. It is a living breathing being and it should not be customized to fit any fashion.

Linne,


Great post, as I said.

Just wanted to say that our dog, who was a rescue, had her tail docked before we got her. She's a spaniel mix but was gun shy and was left more or less to die, before someone found her and dropped her to the shelter and we got her, that was over 13 yrs ago so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she might make it through the summer :( but...

When I see her tail it reminds me how proud I am that she's ours, against the odds! :D

My sister in laws dog Gypsy had it's tail docked by its previous owners before they dumped it off at the humane society. They had been told it was a cocker spaniel puppy so they had the surgery done to it, but when they realized their "cocker spaniel" was really an Australian Shepard/ German Shepard cross they didn't want it anymore. It wasn't the pure bred show and tell dog they had hoped for.

That's terrible Silver! I just don't understand how people can be so callus and unfeeling. Jees I meet a dog walking the street and stop and I miss him after.. no joke!

I grew up in a house that could care less about the breed of the dog and couldn't care more about s/he's personality/health and well being.

She a spaniel mix, but as long as I know I couldn't tell you what she's mixed with, but as I said I couldn't care less. She's the most well mannered, well behaved, loving dog I've ever known! :D

It is amazing the fools even believed for a second Gypsy was a cocker puppy! She doesn't even look vaguely like a cocker spaniel at all! Her other two dogs, Smokey a Bernese mix, and Bandit a Cairn mix were taken in after a friends elderly relative died. The poor dogs were in an emotional wreck as it was days before anyone found the owner who was alone in the house with them at her passing. The family of the lady could not take the dogs, but since the lady had loved them so dearly they could not stand to put them in a shelter or separate the close pair so she took the both of them.

Anyway, there actually are some breeds born without a tail. The puppy in the ditch we had rescued is one of them. When she had her surgery at the vet he examined the stub and determined the puppy was born that way. At the time I thought it was a good 'ol fashion mutt, but later my father-in laws friend saw her he exclaimed "Where did you get that Mountain Cur?!" I had never heard of them before, but after doing some research I realized that Sweet Pea very much was one of these dogs. Not all Mountain curs are born tail-less but a certain percentage are. It also turned out that about 15 miles off there is a "breeder" of these dogs. Most likely when this little girl developed the severe umbilical hernia they drove off the distance and threw it in the ditch she was found in to die. Even though we did everything we could to make her healthy and happy, we couldn't keep her so she now belongs to my aunt and uncle.

Wow.. we all do dig each other right so lighten up :)

But it's still a happy ending!

Thank you for being such a caring person, there are a lot of people who would just hand them into the shelter and hope for the best, but to take real care is just very touching.

Silverfox, bless you! You are such a sweetheart. Akoue, Alty, all of you. These boards have really come back to life, and it's all because of your enormous hearts (and large brains). It's really moving. :) :) :)

Neverme, bless you too for being there for your pooch, both then and now. I know how hard it can be when your pets start getting older, but they're so full of wisdom then, aren't they? I'll never get over how much I learned from my old cats.

I've become a huge fan of English Cockers. I could not ask for a better canine companion. My furry little boy is as sweet as honey, as sharp as a tack, as silly as sin, and just so easy on the eyes. What wonderful dogs they are!

I was so used to seeing them with cropped tails that I honestly thought they were born with bob tails. Obviously, they aren't. I know that tail docking (outside of select cases relating to hunting purposes) has been banned in the UK (and in tremendous number of other countries across the world), but it's still legal in the US and in most of Italy, where I live now. Our pup was the only one in his litter who got to keep his tail. I think it really is about what people are used to seeing.

There's a wealth of information regarding tail docking laws across the world on Wikipedia if anyone's interested in checking that out for themselves. I was honestly surprised at how just how many countries have succeeded in completely banning this practice:

Docking (dog) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Docking_(dog)) *link corrected - was previously missing a character

Linne,

I love my dog, Levi, and she is wise, deaf and not walking too great any more but wise when she's with you ;)

Docking is so unnecessary, aesthetically *whispers* I actually prefer dogs with tails..

No, I feel too bad I take it back I love them all!

Neverme, lol, you don't have anything to worry about. All good dogs are beautiful, with tails or without. They never get a choice in the matter, so there's no reason to judge them for it. They manage just fine, wagging (or shaking) their bums and smiling away! The only ones who earn any questioning are the people who continue to engage in the practice because they think that docking is cool. If you can't decoratively tattoo your dog or have its ears and nose pierced, then why can you cut its ears and tail clean off? Talk about doing something to fit in. oy vey. Hugs and kisses to Levi, Gypsy and the gang!

My poodle Silver (got him when I was 11) had a docked tail. We got him when he was 5 months old so it was too late for us to decide, of course, back then there was no internet and not a lot of info on the harm of docking.

He was destined to be a show dog, 10 generations of champions in his bloodline, but to us he was just our little fuzz ball. He was neutered at 6 months and was our beloved family member until he died at the age of 18.

He had back problems all his life (poodles are prone to back problems) and the vet attributed it to the tail docking. Makes sense, the tail is part of a dogs spine, cut it off and what do you think will happen?

He lived a long life, but many years of that life was lived in pain because of his back. If only we had found him earlier, we would have insisted that he keep his tail.

I can't understand how anyone (after reading the info we've provided) could still consider getting a dogs ears or tail docked. The OP has a choice. You have to wonder about someone who consciously decides to put an animal through mutilating pain because he/she wants a certain look. Can I cut of your ears or part of your spine?

Didn't think so. :(

Dogs are so amazing in the fact that unlike us, they can have a limb cut off and still chase a butterfly like nothing ever happened! Tail, leg, doesn't matter. They don't sit around and mope about how much better their lives use to be. There is more wisdom is one dog then in a thousand humans.

I think that you should name your dog bella because that means buetiful or you could name it gunner it comes off kind of weird but you would get used to it

How about hades