I agree,but how much is balance that big of an issue to a dog? Cats, yes. But I don't see many dogs with docked tails fall over a lot. My beagle mix has an undocked tail and it's amazing how many times she falls over. My airedale has a docked tail and she never loses her balance. I can see the tail having an effect on balance for something like agility though.

In my opinion, ear cropping is ten times worse. It cause a lot of pain and there's no excuse for it. It's not needed for anything and it never was.

But docking a tail to prevent damage is a really stupid excuse.
I don't think many hunting dogs today DO need docked tails. In the past, I know it was so the tail wouldn't cause brush to rustle and scare off prey. But I think most hunting dogs today are used for retrieving anyway.

The tail especially has a lot to do with how you tell a dog's emotions. My Airedale's tail is short. Some times it's hard for me to tell if her tail is tucked, or just hanging down. Working at a boarding kennel, I meet many dogs with docked tails. Of course, a lot of the dogs there are stressed out already. But the tail tells me so much. A docked tail makes it harder for me to read a dog's emotions. I encountered a cocker once who was just being plain nasty. But his docked tail made it hard to figure out if the dog was scared, or just plain mean.

if you think ear cropping was never needed then you dont know about it. they were done to prevent worse damage to the ears. from fighting and what not. like they said tail docking makes it hard to read the dog and throws off balance.

to me docking would hurt more atleast after the surgery. to me it would seem like its hard for them to sit after they get it docked

Puppies get their tails docked normally at 3 or so days old, and they really have no need to be "sitting" per say. By the time they're ready to be up and moving around all puppy like - they're basically healed. That is what my perception of it is - my friend who is a cocker spaniel breeder: Tunrner Cocker Spaniels, does her puppies at 3 days old. There isn't too much fuss or mess. Ears I would say are much more sensitive, especially after they're more developed - to be having their ears chopped to pieces, bandaged up, and handled daily to ensure that they properly stand up. I would think that THIS would be more painful..

My dog has his tail docked, and we train in agility. He is amazing, despite not having a tail. So I don't think it has too much of an effect, at least not on all dogs.

I wish i had the video from the last time this came up from someone who did agility and it showed how much a dog uses their tail during agility, especially when first learning.

Again What exactly is the point of tail docking at all except for people's own aesthetic desires? I think rottweilers look a MILLION times better WITH their tails. In fact I don't think their truly IS a breed I LIKE with their tails chopped off.

I think it looks utterly stupid. I really don't see how ear cropping could be more painful then getting whole digits chopped off sorry >_> I don't begin to see the logic there.

lets if i had to chose between loosing part of my ear or a finger i thiiiink i'l go with the ear k thanks.

I'm also against getting dew claws removed again uhm why? Dogs DO use them

What do they use the dew claws for? I've always heard they are totally useless and can get ripped off. My mutt has her dew claws, I've never seen her use them for anything. But maybe I'm just not looking at them for specific use?

I guess it's all up to personal opinion as to whether ear or tail docking would hurt worse. Done the proper way, tail docking should be done around 3-5 days of age. They never have much time to really familiarize with their tail. It's over and the pain lasts a short time. The ear docking lasts a long time though, and it's got to be more painful.

I think ear docking looks stupid. It just looks plain stupid and the poor ears look so cut up. I don't think docked tails look stupid. Not a valid reason to have docked tails. But I'm also used to seeing certain breeds with docked tails. Seeing a rottie with an undocked tail looked stupid at first. But hey, it just takes some getting used to.

yea really unless you hunt with your dogs they dont need their dew claws removed

Actually, removing dew claws does have some actual use issues behind it.

For instance one of my co-workers has a wiener dog that doesn't have its dews removed. She gets them caught in her collar all the time. I swear one day she's going to rip out the claws herself on her own collar!

Maybe it's working dogs then because i know my rottweiler certainly uses her dew claws the placement certainly lends to helping her open doors. it's an extra grip in the back and greatly helps when scaling things or on weird platforms.

For the wiener dog it's a matter of size. A unique situation in most respects.

The majority of dogs have dew claws on their front paws.

Some dogs also have dew claws on their back paws.

Dew claws on the back paws is fairly rare for dogs in general, but somewhat common in certain breeds, including Great Pyrenees.

A dew claw is similar to a thumb -- complete with a toenail -- but it grows a bit higher up on the paw than the rest of the toenails on that paw and it never comes in contact with the ground.


Why Dew Claws Might Need To Be Removed
Rest assured that most dogs with dewclaws do just fine without having to remove the dewclaws.

Sometimes the dew claws are not "properly attached". They may also "dangle" or "hang", or just get in the way during the normal course of playing and walking.

Not to mention the fact that dogs with dew claws who also like to dig a lot, will sometimes irritate the dew claw, or even break the dew claw bone (not all dew claws have bones). This could usually happens when reaching through a chain link fence or something similar.

If the dew claws on your dog's front or rear paws seem to easily get caught on things, then they could easily rip off -- which would be very painful for the dog. In this case, you should talk with your vet about whether or not to have the dewclaw(s) removed.


How & When To Remove Dew Claws
Most dog owners who opt to have their dog's dewclaws removed have it done at the same time as the dog's spay or neuter surgery. That way, there is only one time going under the anesthesia, only one period of time for recovery, only one visit to the vet (and only one office charge).

Dewclaw removal involves removing the entire toe, not just the claw, and the cost may increase if the toe is firmly attached.

For the record, when done at the same time as the spay/neuter, some dog owners have indicated that the recuperation period for the dewclaw removal seems to take longer and be more stressful for the dog than the spay/neuter surgery part of the surgery.

For the most part, dogs seem oblivious to the stitches that result from the spay/neuter, but they can't seem to stop licking at the bandages which must remain on their paws for weeks from the dew claw removal.

Many breeders choose to remove dewclaws on puppies in the first week of life, because soon after birth the dewclaws are more like fingernails than appendages. At that young age, dew claws can be removed relatively easily and no stitches are required.

Lol but see thena again it's very mixed opinions through the community the same vets that say nothing is wrong with dew claws are the same that say tail docking and ear cropping is fine.

A shorter opinion
http://www.sarahsdogs.com/qa/why_do_dogs_have_dewclaws.html

And a lengthier article
http://www.workingdogs.com/doc0019.htm

I say the same application to dew claws should be taken with tail docking, unless for a medical proven reason it needs to be removed they should remain in tact.

I think you will find in the work bred versions of the breed the dewclaws are probably those of the firmly more attached variety as to where show bred dogs will have little use for them in lives of parading around a ring.