Dobermann Question

[Rachel]

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I recently saw a Dobermann with trimmed ears (in the Uk) - they looked like very sharp upstanding triangles!

Presumably he was an import - can ears be trimmed in this country? but can he be shown alongside our UK dobermanns - would those ears be penalised in the UK?

I must say, but I suppose it's a matter of taste, that I really disliked the look and can't bear to think of the practice of trimming them. I have had my whippets dewclaws removed at 3days, which I suppose is a mutilation, but it must be a far more major operation re. ears.

I think our UK dobes are lovely with their long ears. Triangle ones look very odd.

 

[FeeFee]

Cropping ears has been illegal here for ages so the dog must have either been done illegally (it still happens) or be an import. No dog with cropped ears can be shown at any KC licensed event.

I agree, I hate the look of cropped ears in any breed, but it's still very popular in the US and many other countries. I saw someone on a US forum recently saying how awful dobes look with 'natural' ears, and that if cropping was banned she'd no longer have dobes because they look so odd without cropped ears - mind you I've heard the same sort of attitude here towards docking. Someone I know has given up breeding Pembroke Corgis because having tails has 'ruined the breed'.

I guess aesthetically you get used to a particular look, but I can't see any justification for mutilating a dog purely for cosmetic purposes.

 

[Rachel]

Cropping ears has been illegal here for ages so the dog must have either been done illegally (it still happens) or be an import. No dog with cropped ears can be shown at any KC licensed event.
I agree, I hate the look of cropped ears in any breed, but it's still very popular in the US and many other countries. I saw someone on a US forum recently saying how awful dobes look with 'natural' ears, and that if cropping was banned she'd no longer have dobes because they look so odd without cropped ears - mind you I've heard the same sort of attitude here towards docking. Someone I know has given up breeding Pembroke Corgis because having tails has 'ruined the breed'.

I guess aesthetically you get used to a particular look, but I can't see any justification for mutilating a dog purely for cosmetic purposes.

Hi Feefee, completely agree re. mutilations, I can almost see the reason for dewclaws off, but have always had a problem with accepting that tails are docked because they get damaged - the only breed I know that regularly damages its tail is the greyhound, and of course they're not docked. Then again, I haven't had working dogs - perhaps like torn dewclaws in whippets, working dogs do get damages?

Re. the corgi breeder, I can see the dilemma! it must have been quite a shock for some breeders of docked dogs to suddenly have tails on their pups, and have to refine them alongside all the other conformational points - I thought it was a fascinating point in the KC history where they had to design breed standards to incorporate the new tails.

Tails (new ones) I like include all the gundogs, tails I hate include schnauzers and particularly rottweilers - what silly tails for such a noble looking dog! Just my personal taste though - anyone else have pet hates/likes for different breed tails?

 

[BeeJay]

I most certainly do like tails on Schnauzers because I own an undocked one and have previously owned one. Dunno what you mean by silly tails but neither of my Giants tails were curly like a spitz type and they both are/were strong enough looking to suit the dogs build.

I'm pretty certain that you wouldn't show a cropped dog in the UK because it's cropped ears wouldn't conform to the UK breed standard.

 

[Maya_Wells]

Cropping ears has been illegal here for ages so the dog must have either been done illegally (it still happens) or be an import. No dog with cropped ears can be shown at any KC licensed event.
I agree, I hate the look of cropped ears in any breed, but it's still very popular in the US and many other countries. I saw someone on a US forum recently saying how awful dobes look with 'natural' ears, and that if cropping was banned she'd no longer have dobes because they look so odd without cropped ears - mind you I've heard the same sort of attitude here towards docking. Someone I know has given up breeding Pembroke Corgis because having tails has 'ruined the breed'.

I guess aesthetically you get used to a particular look, but I can't see any justification for mutilating a dog purely for cosmetic purposes.

 

 

I would have to agree with you on the cropping being very cruel. I love the "Natural look". Although, I don't know much of anything about cropping, my two sense would be to 'let them be the way GOD made them'.

 

[Towy]

My mate has got a Dobe with cropped ears, he currently got pups for sale on EPups by him so could be the photo you seen, he was imported from Serbia last year and cost a lot of money, he thought the Dobes over here were getting a bit light in bone, this boy is big.