Docking and Cropping

Docking is used as a term for the intentional removal of part of an animal's tail or ears. The term cropping is also used, more commonly in reference to the docking of ears, while docking more commonly—but not exclusively—refers to the tail. The term tailing is also commonly used. The stump of the tail commonly is known as the dock.

Originally, most docking was done for practical purposes. For example, a large horse used for hauling large loads might have its tail docked to prevent it from becoming entangled in tow ropes or harnesses; without docking, it could be dangerous to the horse, and very painful if the tail were tangled, and inconvenient to the owner to tie up the horse's tail for every use.

Agricultural practice[ندعوك للتسجيل في المنتدى أو التعريف بنفسك لمعاينة هذه الصورة] [ندعوك للتسجيل في المنتدى أو التعريف بنفسك لمعاينة هذه الصورة]
A lamb in Australia which, unusually, has not had its tail docked.



Tail docking may be performed on livestock for a variety of reasons.
In the case of domestic pigs, where commercially raised animals are kept in close quarters, tail docking is performed to prevent injury or to prevent animals from chewing or biting each others' tails.
Many breeds of sheep have their tails docked to reduce fly strike.^[1] Also used for this purpose is Mulesing.
While tail docking is an effective preventive method in some cases, if it is not carried out correctly it may result in other problems such as rectal prolapse.^[2]
Depending on the animal and the culture, docking may be done by cutting (knife or other blade), searing (gas or electrically heated searing iron), or constriction methods, ie. rubber ring elastration.^[1]
As with docking of dogs, it has been identified that this practice contributes to masking underlying shortcoming of a breed, which - if docking were not the general practice - would be countered through selective breeding of animals where the tail does not lead to medical problems.

DogsMain article: Docking (dog)

As with other domesticated animals there is a long history of docking the tails of dogs. It is understood to date at least to the Roman empire.
The most popular reason for docking dog breeds is to prevent injury to working dogs. For instance, it has been stated that a vermin's bite to the working dog's flop ears can lead to a systemic infection, a serious medical problem that wouldn't occur were there no flop ears to be bitten.
In hunting dogs, the tail is docked to prevent it from getting cut up as the dog wags its tail in the brush.^{[citation needed]}
This is contested by a wide range of groups and is often considered a form of animal cruelty and torture. This has led to the practice being outlawed and made illegal throughout many countries, in some of which dogs are no longer bred for work, or used as working animals.
For example, in United Kingdom tail docking was originally undertaken largely by dog breeders. However, in 1991, the UK government amended the Veterinary Surgeons Act (1966)^[3], prohibiting the docking of dog's tails by lay persons from 1 July 1993^[4]. Only veterinary surgeons were, by law, allowed to dock.
However, following the passage of the law, the Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in November 1992, ruled docking to be unethical, "unless for therapeutic or acceptable prophylactic reasons". The requirement in which the Royal College considers prophylactic docking to be acceptable are so strict as to make the routine docking of puppies by veterinary surgeons extremely difficult. Vets who continue to dock risk disciplinary action, and can be removed from the professional register.
Those found guilty of unlawful docking would face a fine of up to £20,000, up to 51 weeks imprisonment or both.
They can only dock the tail of "working" dogs (in some specific cases) - e.g. hunting dogs that work in areas thick in brambles and heavy vegetation where the dog's tail can get caught and cause injury to the dog.
In 1987 European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, established by Council of Europe has prohibited docking^{[citation needed]}.
Also, Norway completely banned the practice in 1987^{[citation needed]}.
Other countries where docking is banned^{[citation needed]}: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Slovakia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Virgin Island, Wales
Manx CatsMain article: Manx (cat)

The tail on a tailed or stumpy (partial tailed) Manx is sometimes docked at birth to prevent arthritis to which the cats' partial tails are prone, as a preventative measure^[5]. Such arthritis can cause the cat extreme pain.

Cattle
Cattle on large Australian cattle stations often have the tail brush (not the dock) cut shorter (banged) before their release to indicate those having been counted, treated, their current pregnancy status etc. This is termed a 'bang-tail muster’ and those with long tails have not previously been counted.

History of docking and cropping
Historically, tail docking was thought to prevent rabies, strengthen the back, increase the animal's speed and prevent injuries when ratting, fighting and baiting.^[2] In early Georgian times in the United Kingdom, tax was levied upon working dogs with tails and so many types of dogs were docked to avoid this tax.^[2] The tax was repealed in 1796 but that did not stop the practice from persisting.
In modern times, tail docking is done either for prophylactic, therapeutic or cosmetic purposes. For dogs who worked in the field, such as some hunting dogs and herding dogs, tails could collect burrs and foxtails, causing pain and infection and due to the tail's wagging may be subject to abrasion or other injury while moving through dense brush or thickets. Tails with long fur could collect feces and become a cleanliness problem, and particularly for herding dogs, longer tails could be caught in gates behind livestock^{[citation needed]}.
In dogs used for guarding property (such as Doberman Pinschers or Boxers), docked ears are thought to make the breed appear more ferocious; hanging ears are reminiscent of the naturally droopy ears of puppies, looking more cute than dangerous. Cosmetic docking is also done to meet breed registries standards.
For dogs with tail injuries that cannot be treated sufficiently with basic medical treatment, the tail can be docked to remove the damaged portion.

Controversy
Docking of the tail and ears are both procedures which have been subject to controversy in recent times. Proponents state that the procedures are not significantly painful and can prevent future health problems that cause more pain and risk of infection than the docking procedure. Proponents believe that docking done almost immediately after birth ensures that the wound heals easily and properly, claiming that whatever pain the procedure cause is a worthwhile trade off.
Docking of less than 10-14 days old puppies are routinely carried out by both breeders and veterinarians without anesthesia.^[3] Opponents of these procedures state that most tail dockings are done for aesthetic reasons rather than health concerns and are unnecessarily painful for the dog. They point out that even non-working show or pet dogs are routinely docked. They argue that in breeds whose tails have been traditionally and routinely docked over centuries, such as Australian Shepherds, little attention is paid to selectively breeding for strong and healthy tails.^{[citation needed]} As a result, tail defects that docking proponents claim makes docking necessary in the first place are perpetuated in the breeds. They point out the many breeds of working dogs with long tails that are not traditionally docked, including English Pointers, Setters, Sheep dogs and Foxhounds.
Robert Wansborough argues in a 1996 paper^[4] that docking dogs' tails puts them at a disadvantage in several ways. Firstly, Wansborough argues that dogs use their tails actively in communicating with other dogs (and with people); a dog without a tail might be significantly handicapped in conveying fear, caution, aggression, playfulness, and so on. In addition, certain dog breeds use their tails as rudders when swimming, and possibly for balance when running, so active dogs with docked tails might be at a disadvantage compared to their tailed peers.
Wansborough also investigates seven years of records from an urban veterinary practice to demonstrate that undocked tails result in less harm than docked tails.
Critics point out that kennel clubs with breed standards that do not make allowance for uncropped or undocked dogs put pressure on owners and breeders to continue the practice. Although the American Kennel Club (AKC) says that it has no rules that require docking or that make undocked animals ineligible for the show ring,^[5] breed standards for many breeds puts undocked animals at a disadvantage for the conformation show ring. For example, the American breed standard for boxers recommend that an undocked tail be "severely penalized."^[6] The AKC position is that ear cropping and tail docking are "acceptable practices integral to defining and preserving breed character and/or enhancing good health."^[7]

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