Canis lupus hominis

Posted in dog breeds | Tagged Giant schnauzer, Riesenschnauzer | 8 Comments

8 Responses

1. on April 18, 2011 at 7:19 pm Sam Daley

   ehhh. I like them better docked and cropped.

   
   
   • on April 18, 2011 at 7:29 pm retrieverman

     This is the future of this and many breeds.

     Germany no longer allows docking in most cases and has banned cropping.

     The Germans hold the FCI standard for many of these breeds, so it’s just a matter of time until they all have to be left alone to be shown.

     Plus, fewer and fewer vets will do the procedures and the ones that are good at it are dying or retiring. The AVMA has taken a very strong stance against it.

     However, I think docking can be justified. The HPR breeds and spaniels do damage their tails a lot.

     Cropping, well, it’s a bit harder. Unless you are using livestock guardian dogs in the sticks and wolves are attacking them, it’s just harder to justify.

     
     
2. on April 18, 2011 at 7:59 pm Christopher@BorderWars

   Do like. Much better than the cleaned up version, more natural, very cute. I wouldn’t dock or crop after seeing this based on aesthetics alone. The sharpness of the cropped dogs seems a little silly in comparison. Nice color too.

   
   
3. on April 18, 2011 at 8:43 pm Pai

   I love the tail. I will admit to being neutral on the debate of cropping/docking, in general. Lately there has been some increased rumblings in Rottie circles over tail docking, it will be interesting to see where that goes.

   
   
   • on April 18, 2011 at 8:53 pm Dave

     I like Rottweilers with tails, oddly. It’s hard to find a breeder who leave them undocked.

     
     
4. on April 19, 2011 at 5:39 am tracey

   he is beautiful, just as nature intended him to be. thankfully over here in the uk we havent cropped ears for many,many years seeing it for the cruel unneccasary thing it is and also now tail docking is illegal so dogs can be left as they were born to be, i cant understand why anyone would want to chop of a tiny pups tail just for the look or send there healthy young dog off to a vet to be anthetised and have there ears mutilated just for a look. people sure are weird and cruel.

   
   
   • on April 20, 2011 at 1:28 am kym

     I wish my English Cocker’s tail had been docked when he was a tiny pup. Docking isn’t necessarily for aesthetic purposes if the dog breed still strongly retains those drives and instincts required for work that necessitated the tradition of docking.

     My Cocker isn’t a working gun dog, but he does gun dog training, because he still strongly retains that drive and instinct. He’s strictly a pet, but just because he’s a pet doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to crash through thick brush to retrieve something, which puts his tail in serious risk of getting broken or mutilated. I trim the feathering short to minimize the risk, but honestly, i wish he had a half dock like other working spaniels.

     My JRT is docked and thank goodness for that. I can’t tell you how many times his tail has served as a handhold to get him out of trouble, which being a terrier, he’s inclined to do.

     My opinion, if it’s a gun dog worthy of being called a gun dog, it should be docked if it’s working purpose requires it. If it’s a earth dog worthy of being called an earth dog, it should be docked if it’s working purpose requires it. Even if you don’t truly work the dog, those working behaviors will manifest themselves in play, which could put a tail or their lives at risk considering the things my dogs like to do: crash through thick undergrowth and chase vermin down burrows.

     
     
5. on April 20, 2011 at 6:01 am tracey

   not sure i agree with that. i have 2 english cockers both have full tails. freda is over 10 yrs old and peggy is 8 yrs old neither have ever had a problem and peggy especially goes ploughing through the undergrowth. her ears are at more risk than her tail. ive have also heard about plenty of working spaniels who work with a full tail and it doesnt get damaged. trouble is there will always be those who will not have a dog any other way than docked because that is the way they believe it should be and those like me who think a dog has a right to keep the tail he/she was born with.

   
   

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