To Crop and Dock… Or Not?

Beauty isn´t always something you´re born with.

Just ask the millions of Americans who toil away on exercise bikes or treadmills, chanting a "no pain, no gain" mantra while in search of the perfect body.

Or the legions of plastic surgeons around the country who offer to fix many of our little "imperfections"—for a fee, of course.

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In many breeds of dogs, cosmetic "alterations"—namely, cropped ears and docked tails—are considered the norm. Dogs aren´t born this way, however; their ears and tails look the way they do because of surgical procedures performed when they´re puppies.

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Or the marketers who work so hard to convince us we´ll be sexier if we use their toothpaste, eat their cereal, or drive their cars.

Improving on Mother Nature´s gifts is hardly a new concept, and it´s not a concept that´s limited solely to humans, either.

In many breeds of dogs, cosmetic "alterations"—namely, cropped ears and docked tails—are considered the norm. Dogs aren´t born this way, however; their ears and tails look the way they do because of surgical procedures performed when they´re puppies.

Much of the practice is rooted in history and was originally instituted for pragmatic purposes. The Romans thought docking tails prevented rabies. Owners of working, hunting, and fighting dogs felt the animals would suffer fewer injuries if they didn´t have floppy ears or long, wagging tails that other animals could chomp into.

Today, although certain health reasons are cited—some feel that uncropped ears are more prone to infection, and that long, whip-like tails are susceptible to injury—cropping and docking are no longer a matter of practicality.

It´s tradition as much as anything else—cropped ears and docked tails are part of the breed standard in many cases. A boxer just doesn´t look as much like boxer without the perked-up ears and short tail.

In fact, breed standards for 14 American Kennel Club-recognized breeds (including Great Danes, boxers, giant and miniature schnauzers, and doberman pinschers, to name a few) call for the cropped-ear "look." Many more additional breeds are also traditionally expected to have docked tails.

The procedures

When breed conventions call for tail docking, it´s generally done when the puppy is about three days old, according to Dr. Peggy Rucker of Southwest Virginia Veterinary Services, a past president of the American Association of Animal Hospitals. The procedure is performed by a veterinarian, and calls for removal of a prescribed portion of the tail (which is a continuation of the vertebral column).

Anesthesia sometimes isn´t used—it´s difficult to put puppies that young under a general anesthesia safely, Dr. Rucker said. Sometimes puppies are put under light sedation that allows them to stay awake during the procedure, similar to the way dentists will sedate conscious patients while they extract wisdom teeth.

While many believe that puppies´ pain receptors have not fully developed at that age, there´s conflicting information about the truth of that theory, said Teri Barnato, national director of the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights. Some studies support the idea; others seem to refute it.

But most veterinarians are willing to perform the surgery. "The animals are younger, and it´s a less complicated procedure," Ms. Barnato said.

Ear cropping is generally performed when the puppy is older, between about six and eight weeks of age, depending on the breed, Dr. Rucker said. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia, and calls for portions of the puppy´s ear cartilage to be surgically removed.

"You cut off about half the ear, as horrible as that sounds," said Dr. Rucker.

After the surgery, pain medications are usually prescribed. The ears generally will be taped to shape them into position (which will vary by breed), and they´ll require quite a bit of aftercare. The surgery only relieves the ear of "excess weight," Dr. Rucker said. They still need to be shaped and "trained" to stand.

"I believe most veterinarians do not perform ear crops. It´s a small percentage," said Ms. Barnato. Ear croppings require repeated visits to the veterinarian for retapings, and the procedure also requires the skill to shape the ears correctly for that particular breed.

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Anesthesia sometimes isn´t used—it´s difficult to put puppies that young under a general anesthesia safely, Dr. Rucker said.

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Ear cropping isn´t performed automatically in many cases, said Lucille Jackson, breeder referral contact for the American Boxer Club. "My opinion is it doesn´t make a difference either way," she said. "To me, they look nice either way."

If a pup isn´t show quality, the decision of whether to crop will often be left to the new owners. And if the owners aren´t willing or able to follow up on aftercare, cropping is a bad idea, Ms. Jackson said.

"The ears are naturally down, so it´s against nature to have them stand," she explained. "It´s a lot of aftercare."

Tape is generally left on for five to six days, and then removed for a period of a day or two, during which the ears are cleaned and massaged. This goes on for about six or seven months, Ms. Jackson said—and the puppies are not generally too happy about wearing tape on their ears for that time.

"When I sell a puppy, I tell people they have the option—they can decide," she said.

Tail docking, though, is "absolutely necessary" because the dogs´ tails are so long, and they can be hurt easily, she said.

A tradition worth perpetuating?

Not all traditions are worth continuing, of course.

Docking and cropping (when performed solely for cosmetic reasons) have been the subject of considerable debate in dog circles in recent years. Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland have all banned cosmetic ear cropping and tail docking in accordance with the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, according to Nancy Peterson, companion animal issues specialist for the Humane Society of the United States.

In its position statement, the American Kennel Club "recognizes that ear cropping and tail docking, as described in certain breed standards, are acceptable practices integral to defining and preserving breed character and/or enhancing good health. Appropriate veterinary care should be provided."

Other organizations, however, have begun to portray the procedures as unnecessary, cosmetic alterations. The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights has long been on the record against cropping and docking, adopting a position statement in 1986 that called the practices "unacceptable" because they offer no benefit to the animal. The group also called for revision of breed standards that require the practice.

The HSUS and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals also have voiced opposition to docking and cropping, because such surgeries can be traumatic and can cause discomfort and pain for the animal.

The American Veterinary Medical Association adopted a somewhat contentious position in 1999, calling for veterinarians to counsel dog owners about risks associated with cosmetic surgeries. "The procedures cause pain and distress, and with all surgical procedures, are accompanied by inherent risks of anesthesia, blood loss, and infection," reads the group´s statement. It also indicated that cropping and docking "are not medically indicated nor of benefit to the patient."

"In this day and age, it seems that there is not much reason for these surgeries other than cosmetic," said Ms. Peterson. "Appearance is not a good reason to subject someone else to pain and distress."