[linnealand]

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.

[krispykruller]

If it's a girl the name sadie is cute

[krispykruller]

If it's a boy, jasper is cute also

[Akoue]

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.

[neverme]

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

[Silverfoxkit]

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.

[neverme]

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

[Silverfoxkit]

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.

[artlady]

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

[neverme]

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.

[linnealand]

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 *link corrected - was previously missing a character

[neverme]

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!

[linnealand]

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!

[Alty]

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. :(

[Silverfoxkit]

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.

[xopartygirl179]

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

[stablersgirl]

How about hades