Dog breeds have parts of their anatomy surgically altered for cosmetic purposes associated with breed standards. Docking means removal or amputation of tail and the dog is said to be docked. It can be done if there is some irreparable injury or condition to the tail, but is done normally for cosmetic purposes. As far as foreign countries are concerned, some countries have banned the procedure indicating it as against the welfare of the animals. In India, some people are in favour and some are against this procedure. It is banned in India; still it is practiced at a large scale throughout the country.
The most common examples of breeds in which tail docking is performed are Doberman pinscher, Miniature pinscher, Boxer, Rotweiller, Cocker spaniel, Poodle. The length at which tail is docked is also specific for each breed and is usually kept slightly longer in females as compared to the male of the same breed. Normally the tail is cut in about one week of age.
The tail of the animal serves some very useful purpose for its existence. It acts as a balancing organ while running at high speeds. It helps in swimming and most importantly it helps to a great extent in communication. The tail acts as a index of mood and the tail carriage varies with the type of the mood e.g. High held and waving tail indicates pleasure and friendly attachment; tail kept in between legs indicate fear or insecurity; low or stationary tail during eating or sniffing. So by docking we are depriving dogs seriously of their communication ability.
Earlier docking of tail was initiated in some of the hunting dogs to prevent them from being caught in some vegetation or other things while hunting. It has now become a norm/standard in certain breeds and the dogs are not even allowed to participate in the dog shows or competitions with the tail not docked for that specific breeds.
The practice of docking now in house-kept dogs is spurious and has no reason. Moreover, the procedure is very painful for the animal and is a type of mutilations done on the animals by the humans. Not only during the surgery, later also there is pain because of the neuroma formation at the site of docking. Removal of long hair on the tail might be helpful but removal of bones, skin and nerves is not.
Another malpractice done on the dogs is ear cropping. Ear cropping means that a portion of the ear is surgically removed. Ears are normally involved in signaling. Ear cropping is done only for the fancy of the owners. It has also become a breed standard e.g. in Doberman pinscher, Miniature pinscher, Rotweiller. It is purely cosmetic in nature and done to keep the ears pointed and erect and has no specific reason. It is done under general anaesthesia, which itself is a stressful condition. The procedure is painful and also leads to the stress on the part of the animal due to unnecessary surgery and anaesthesia. A part of the ears skin is removed along with the ear cartilage, blood vessels and nerves and is the two skin edges are then sutured.
The phantom pain (pain felt after an organ is lost) after ear cropping or docking also causes behavioral problems in dogs. These malpractices should be banned as there is no reason for these malpractices. The breed standards should be modified so that docking and ear cropping can be stopped. Only those animals should be encouraged in dog shows and competitions which have intact tails and ears which will really help in alleviation of these inhumane procedures. The Kennel Club of India, animal welfare societies, NGOs and government should help to enforce laws against these cruelties to all the registered kennels, breeders and pet owners, thereby, help in prevention of cruelty to the animals.
Dogs cannot speak and express their feelings, so you can become their voice. It is our duty as a human being to raise our voice against such cruelty and save the animals from inhumane practices like tail docking and ear cropping. We at Innovation India (www.innovationindia.webs.com) are on a nation wide campaign to bring people with similar thoughts under one umbrella to minimize the sufferings of animals. To express your views kindly leave your comment; they are the source of inspiration for us
The most common examples of breeds in which tail docking is performed are Doberman pinscher, Miniature pinscher, Boxer, Rotweiller, Cocker spaniel, Poodle. The length at which tail is docked is also specific for each breed and is usually kept slightly longer in females as compared to the male of the same breed. Normally the tail is cut in about one week of age.
The tail of the animal serves some very useful purpose for its existence. It acts as a balancing organ while running at high speeds. It helps in swimming and most importantly it helps to a great extent in communication. The tail acts as a index of mood and the tail carriage varies with the type of the mood e.g. High held and waving tail indicates pleasure and friendly attachment; tail kept in between legs indicate fear or insecurity; low or stationary tail during eating or sniffing. So by docking we are depriving dogs seriously of their communication ability.
Earlier docking of tail was initiated in some of the hunting dogs to prevent them from being caught in some vegetation or other things while hunting. It has now become a norm/standard in certain breeds and the dogs are not even allowed to participate in the dog shows or competitions with the tail not docked for that specific breeds.
The practice of docking now in house-kept dogs is spurious and has no reason. Moreover, the procedure is very painful for the animal and is a type of mutilations done on the animals by the humans. Not only during the surgery, later also there is pain because of the neuroma formation at the site of docking. Removal of long hair on the tail might be helpful but removal of bones, skin and nerves is not.
Another malpractice done on the dogs is ear cropping. Ear cropping means that a portion of the ear is surgically removed. Ears are normally involved in signaling. Ear cropping is done only for the fancy of the owners. It has also become a breed standard e.g. in Doberman pinscher, Miniature pinscher, Rotweiller. It is purely cosmetic in nature and done to keep the ears pointed and erect and has no specific reason. It is done under general anaesthesia, which itself is a stressful condition. The procedure is painful and also leads to the stress on the part of the animal due to unnecessary surgery and anaesthesia. A part of the ears skin is removed along with the ear cartilage, blood vessels and nerves and is the two skin edges are then sutured.
The phantom pain (pain felt after an organ is lost) after ear cropping or docking also causes behavioral problems in dogs. These malpractices should be banned as there is no reason for these malpractices. The breed standards should be modified so that docking and ear cropping can be stopped. Only those animals should be encouraged in dog shows and competitions which have intact tails and ears which will really help in alleviation of these inhumane procedures. The Kennel Club of India, animal welfare societies, NGOs and government should help to enforce laws against these cruelties to all the registered kennels, breeders and pet owners, thereby, help in prevention of cruelty to the animals.
Dogs cannot speak and express their feelings, so you can become their voice. It is our duty as a human being to raise our voice against such cruelty and save the animals from inhumane practices like tail docking and ear cropping. We at Innovation India (www.innovationindia.webs.com) are on a nation wide campaign to bring people with similar thoughts under one umbrella to minimize the sufferings of animals. To express your views kindly leave your comment; they are the source of inspiration for us