Chimera Kennels

Hey guys new to this forum but I have a quick question. I wanted to know the pros and cons of cropping a puppies ears and docking its tail. I've heard both positive and negative things so I wanted to hear how you guys view it.:)

Wild canines have erect ears. There has been a selective advantage for it. It creates a saellite shape canal that directs sounds into the ear and promotes ear ventilation. Meanwhile, the floppy ear  prevents ventilation and muffles sounds.

The mid-long docking of the tail before the dog walks shows no weakness as far as I am concerned, but I avoid short dockings. Some people say it impedes balance, and while that may be true for a dog that learned to use its tail, again we can see animals like the bobtail cat or lynx which have very  short tails as well and they can out maneuver any dog  in terms of agility. The advantage of a docked tail is it prevents the dog from hitting things all the time and getting a bloody tip...or knocking into stuff like grape juice, candles, your food, kids in the face, etc. It also prevents it from getting slammed in a door.

It's safe to say that ear cropping and tail docking has multiple origins, both form to function.  The tail, which is an extention of the spinal column can be damaged in many working environments, and cropped ears as Lee stated may enhance hearing ability.

But it's also done in many breeds for the sake of breed differentiation. 

Wow I didnt realize all the ways those procedures have practical uses thanks for the responses. I've also heard that ear cropping can cause a phantom pain in the ear throughout the dog's lifetime and docking the tail can hinder the way the dog socializes with other dogs. Do these hold any truth?

I don't know why anyone would think an ear crop would cause life lasting pain other than ignorant propaganda.

Leave enough tail and the dog can still use it for communication. I read it when training.

Great info, I alway like to get a seperate perspective on things before I make a final choice. 

One con, in my opinion, to cropped ears is that dogs with naturally erect ears have more hair on the inside of their ears that offers more protection. I had my pit's ears cropped and always had to coat them with fly repellent during fly season. If I ever get another pit he will have his ears cropped. It definitely adds to the intimidation factor (ever seen a Doberman with out his ears cropped or his tail docked?). I didn't feel my American Sentinel would need any help in that department so his remained uncut.