So what about medical reasons for cropping ??? To that I will say this - Yes there are valid medical reasons - Most people lump cropping, docking and dew claw removal as all one basic proceedure. But I want to address it individually.
1 dews claws are ugly - they grow and can cause serious problems if not trimmed and cared for. Most people are not even diligent in clipping the regular nails so it eliminates one that will continue to grow and can grow right into the leg if not clipped. The second is any dog running loose in a field can snag that dew claw and rip it off. That is very painful to the dog who then has to undergo surgery to have it reparied and removed. I feel it is just better to remove the ugly appendage when the tails are done. Since it is a problem that can be avoided and can save the dog pain in the future I choose to removed all dew claws when the puppy has its tail docked. at 3 days of age.
2. Tails - First I don't like tails so for me it is also a personal preference. They bang around and get in the way. They knock things over and sometimes they get shut in a door and broken. That is very painful to the dog as now it is an injury and must endure an amputation. Docking at three days saves having to spend much more later for surgery should an accident occur.
3. Ears - All dogs in nature are pricked - because unless cleaned and maintained most floppy earred dogs have a much higher incidence of ear infections. Fortunatley ours is a cropped and docked breed so we can eliminate this problem also. Add to thast the fact Doberman ear leather is much thinner than those of a hound dog for example. This does make the ear more susceptible to hematomas from too much flapping the ears around. Hematomas are painful and on going. Once it starts they become chronic and can need on going surgery to repair. . All this can be avoided by cropping.
Since I work my dogs in tracking and other venues I have had many opportunities to observe their behavior and they use those ears like radar - they turn them every which way as they pick up sounds in different directions so they can hear better. And yes they do hear better. Put your hands over your ears and tell me if you hear as well???? I think not.
Talk to you vet. Ask them if they see more ear infections in floppy earred breeds than pricked or cropped. If a problem can be avoided in the future why would we choose not to do so and make it much easier on everyone concerned???
Why take the chance of invitng a problem that can be avoided and supports the breed standard. In todays economy where medical attention might become overwhelming and unbearable for a family??? It could become a of matter of keeping the dog or not. .
Next we will talk about the breed standard from the begining..... Stay tuned
The opinions expressed are those of Suzan Shipp/Dobs4ever and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of K9BSL.com or its members.
Copyright © 2010 [Suzan Shipp/J Bar S Dobermans/Dobs4ever]. All rights reserved. Revised: ALL PICTURES AND CONTENT ON THIS WEBSITE ARE THE SOLE PROPERTY OF Suzan Shipp/Dobs4ever and may not be used or copied without express permission from the owner Copyrigted 2010
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