Cropped/Docked or Natural?

[SarahHound]

I hate the look of cropped and docked dogs. It always bums me out when I see a beautiful puppy, then someone goes and sticks a cone on its head End of beautiful puppy.

In my opinion, dogs look better with tails and ears.

Thankfully, pretty much every dog here now has tails, and cropping has never been legal here as far as I know.

 

[Gypsydals]

LOL here's why Dobes seem to be the exception.....

But in all seriousness, I support GOOD cropping. As in, cropping done by vets who really know what they're doing, and their crops are works of art. Anything less, and it's just not worth it. I'm the first person to tell someone NOT to crop if it's obvious they're not going to have their puppy cropped by one of the "masters."

I do like cropped danes and boxers, but I also love natural eared danes and boxers. ike Classic... his crop makes me drool! No problem with docked tails on most traditionally docked breeds, but I do like full tailed Entlebuchers.

I am with Sizzle on this one. Done right I love the look of a good crop and dock. There are some docks that I do think are a bit too short. Nubbs are good, nothing is not.
A lot of it depends on the dog itself. Some dogs with in a breed can pull of the natual look, others can't.

 

[kady05]

I hate the look of cropped and docked dogs. It always bums me out when I see a beautiful puppy, then someone goes and sticks a cone on its head End of beautiful puppy.

Well, Sako didn't have a cone on his head

But in all seriousness, do you really think that dogs that are cropped and/or docked lose their "beauty" and are ugly? I know everyone has different preferences, but I'm just curious because of your choice of words.

 

[AdrianneIsabel]

I don't mind altered dogs, I enjoy their look at times, I would however not crop/dock/declaw at this point. I also happen to own breeds that look great and don't *require* any alterations.

 

[SoCrafty]

Well, they aren't supposed to be docked, so that makes sense! People that dock Bully breeds make no sense to me.. unless it's done for a medical reason (like happy tail).

I knew of one person who had a Pit. The ears and tail were done and I thought it made the dog very unattractive. Then, when she bred her and had the pups she left the pups natural. It looked much better but I agree with you on the docking of Bully breeds; it does look silly!

Though, maybe they should - their tails hurt when they wag them!!! Thwack!

 

[AllieMackie]

I have no issues with cropping or docking of done correctly and humanely by an experienced vet. Personally I'm not a huge fan of many crop jobs, from an aesthetic standpoint. A good dobe show crop is beautiful (I always think of Kaylee) and I like the show crop on staffies, cane corsos etc.

I love the look of natural ears and tails as well. I'm pro-choice for both.

 

[Renee750il]

LOL, well I'll stop posting Sako puppy pictures so you can concentrate! That sounds.. complicated. I'm so excited though!

LOL! Oh, don't stop!

I made it a little bigger than I normally would for a dog of his size, but he's so muscular, and is still growing and is so freaking flashy that he needs a statement tag

 

[Grab]

I don't have cropped breeds. I have two breeds who are docked (Yorkie and Poodle) and don't mind either way. I don 't breed, which pretty much eliminates any choices I'd have in the matter anyway, since docking is done so young.

I'll have a Standard Poodle at some point and it does seem to be getting more common to leave their tails, so we will see

 

[Southpaw]

Jackson, a Yorkie, is also supposed to have a docked tail but was left long -- I love both.

Okay what the heck, I've seen videos and pics of him and never noticed the tail :rofl1:

 

[Toller_08]

I'm pro-choice regarding cropping/docking. As long as it's done properly by an experienced vet who knows what they're doing, I have no issue with it.

As for what I find aesthetically pleasing, a prefer a nicely cropped Doberman to a floppy Doberman. I also prefer Great Danes cropped as well. Rottweilers I prefer docked. Beauceron I prefer cropped. Other breeds that are traditionally cropped and/or docked, I don't really have a preference one way or the other. Most bullies are more attractive to me left natural, but some can pull off a crop really well too.

 

[kady05]

LOL! Oh, don't stop!

I made it a little bigger than I normally would for a dog of his size, but he's so muscular, and is still growing and is so freaking flashy that he needs a statement tag

Itty bitty Sako with "naturally" cropped ears.. LOL.

I was going to ask you about the size, I'm glad you did that! He's already as big as Piper, and he's only going to fill out, so he doesn't need a little dinky tag

 

[BostonBanker]

From a looks standpoint? I have yet to find a dog that I find more attractive cropped. While I suppose I can appreciate what people like about them - I think the super tall crops on Dobes and Danes look absurd and completely unnatural (which they are, but just...ears that long shouldn't stand up!). I'd go so far as to say I'd have a hard time adopting a dog with a show crop, no matter how nice the dog was. The look is that much of a deterrent to me. Now, I still find the dogs themselves gorgeous in a lot of case - just not the face once that is done!

Docked tails, I could give or take on looks. I've liked the look of a lot of traditionally docked breeds when I've seen them with tails, but I don't dislike the look of a docked tail either.

 

[Danefied]

If Breez's ears were cropped they wouldn't drape delicately on the edge of the holes she digs and stick her nose into...

I wouldn't have cropped anyway, but I think mismarked Danes look really weird with cropped ears. Like they're trying too hard LOL!

And if I have to mop coffee off the walls one more time because a great dane tail sent a cup airborne I'm docking the lot of them!

 

[Picklepaige]

The only breeds that I like better cropped are the doberman and the dogo.

I think boxers look really ugly when they're cropped. That face just does not go well with a crop.

Great Danes I can take either way, even though I prefer natural. I DO NOT like to see cropped ears on pit bulls. It just does not look right at all.

 

[Aleron]

I used to really dislike the look of docked dogs but I've gotten used to it. Maybe because there are two Boxers at work all the time. I think Dobes absolutely look better cropped/docked. They look rather coonhound-ish to me when all natural - totally lose the "look" of the breed. I will say though, that some of the modern show crops on them are a bit silly and some almost detract from the look of the breed as much as natural ears. Same with GDs. Show Boxer crops IMO tend to be a bit more moderate.

I actually prefer the natural looking. I think Dobes are adorable with natural ears and tails.

LOL that's the problem though. Dobes really aren't supposed to be adorable

When I first became interested in Pyrsheps, I absolutely didn't want a docked dog. But in the end, the docked dogs didn't bother me as much and I kind of liked the natural bobtails. I do like the cropped look on a rough-faced but cropped ears on smooth-faces takes a bit of getting used to. They are still done with a historically correct crop, which is a bit odd looking when the hair isn't covering it. I wouldn't choose to have one cropped though. I ende dup deciding to be open to taking a docked/cropped puppy if the temperament was what I was looking for. I tend to prefer natural but it seemed a bit short sighted to potentially rule out the perfect puppy for me because of cosmetic reasons. In the end, the right puppy for me ended up having a natural tail and ears anyway

 

[Archie's Mom]

If Breez's ears were cropped they wouldn't drape delicately on the edge of the holes she digs and stick her nose into...

I wouldn't have cropped anyway, but I think mismarked Danes look really weird with cropped ears. Like they're trying too hard LOL!

And if I have to mop coffee off the walls one more time because a great dane tail sent a cup airborne I'm docking the lot of them!

LMAO!!!!! Great pic!
I hear you loud and clear on the tail docking. I call Archie's tail the "Weapon of mass destruction"

 

[Giny]

I like tails on dogs, period.

From a purely aesthetic standpoint, I think long show crops look graceful on pointy-headed dogs like dobes. I think crops look downright ugly and unbalanced, no matter how well it's done, on broad-headed dogs like pit bulls and mastiffs. I don't find it complimentary to their structure at all.

On crop stand point, my views are pretty much the same. I much prefer a long crop on dobes and great danes, don't much care for any other lenght. I really don't care for the look of breeds who barely have ears left at all like the caucasian ovcharka.

As for dock, it's a come and go feeling. I've seen some Std Poodle with a long tail I just adore, but then on other breeds who's tail just doesn't seem to go on some breeds, or maybe it just me not used to seeing it. Like a Rottie who's tail curls over their back.

 

[SarahHound]

Well, Sako didn't have a cone on his head

But in all seriousness, do you really think that dogs that are cropped and/or docked lose their "beauty" and are ugly? I know everyone has different preferences, but I'm just curious because of your choice of words.

I do personally, but that is just my opinion. I think it makes them look aggressive as well.

Thankfully, I only see dogs with ears like that on forums, so I don't have to see it in real life.

 

[Romy]

Meh, I like them both ways. I prefer natural ears to a badly done crop (which are just ugly). Would I crop my own dog's ears? No, but that's mostly because I'm lazy and don't want to deal with posting and stuff. I don't even want to deal with taping collie ears so they will box properly. lol. I like my hound's low maintenance rose ears (which are also my FAVORITE style of ear on bullies).

Docking is meh too. Though, I'm really glad Charlie was docked because his tail would have cause some serious shin damage. It was only a half dock though, which was also nice because it was still expressive and he could communicate with it.

Rotties are the only breed that looks totally weird to me undocked. But that's because they weren't bred for any specific style of tail, and I've seen some bizarre out of place looking tails on them (like, long plumey whiplike tails. just weird.)

 

[SizzleDog]

I do personally, but that is just my opinion. I think it makes them look aggressive as well.

Thankfully, I only see dogs with ears like that on forums, so I don't have to see it in real life.

I wonder about this too - I've had people say (on forums) how beautiful my dogs are, but then they say something like this.

In fact, you yourself have commented on my dogs being "gorgeous" - so they're either gorgeous or they're ugly. They can't be both.