Personally, I feel the same. Dew claws should only be removed when very evident that that avoiding injury will be, or is, pratically impossible during *normal* day to day life, and should only be done by a vet and under GA, but certainly not based on anything other than necessity and genuine reason.
My vet was most pleased to see that my [ rescue ] Lurcher has his dew claws and happily told me how much they help dogs of speed like him for turning, and how beneficial they would be for his agility [ then said ` oops, you do agility so you know that already, I`m teaching you to suck eggs a bit there ` ].

I`ve known plenty of dogs which have caught a claw [ any claw ] which has not recurred ever again for that dog, and far more paw claw injuries happen generally [ to my knowledge ], than to dew claws.

Thanks for that Ramble.

http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/informat...ns/taildocking
Written in fairly simplistic terms...but a good link about this and a pretty balanced argument.
http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Sate...=1139667873389
Again, an interesting piece, if you look at the evidence section, it's particularly interesting.
http://www.advocatesforanimals.org/pdf/Tail-docking.pdf
Yes, pro dog, therefore anti docking, but again an interesting read...
http://www.bva.co.uk/policy/issues/p...ef_docking.pdf

PLEASE look at point 6...even VETS say it hurts...
the pain issue again...
http://anti-dockingalliance.co.uk/page_26.htm

Again..more vets, surely they should know what's crual and what isn't????
http://www.wsava.org/Taildock.htm

Needless to say, I'm all for the ban and I have yet to see an argument put forward that would change my mind.

Thank you Patch.

No vet can change the anatomical factors involved, it does`nt matter how `experienced` they are.


Of course its anti - its the finding of people who know the anatomy involved - they are the experts.
If I told you, hypothetically, that my opinion of sticking a hand in flames is that it will not hurt or do damage, would you try it for yourself in order to catagorically prove or disprove my `opinion` ?


Hopefully before too long there will be so few available that you will be able to experience owning a Spaniel with the full beauty and normal uses of a fully tailed dog one day :smt001

I just don't get (and I'm really ot being akward or funny or sarcastic here it's genuine interest/bemusement) how people who obviously care deeply for their dogs, can be all for something that the professional veterinary associations say hurts them? I'm sorry, I really and truly don't get it?

I think Vets are crap at docking tails, they usually cut them, I dont like that. if you use bands it doesnt hurt, if it does you are doing it WRONG! Shame Lamb, Pigs, Calves dont have the same feelings as Dogs isnt it, maybe then they would be included, of course their nervous system is fully working by the time calves are castrated!! Priorities, priorities, no undocked dogs here and have spent 18yrs in working dogs, and there are countless Spaniels ripped to shreds because of undocked tails, pointers too, but then if you dont work dogs and they are pets alone, chances of you seen that are very small.
Dawn.

Yet (and not be funny either ) you were quite happy for Saturn to undergo an unecessary GA to be castrated when there is NOTHING wrong with the dog! It comes down to what we see as acceptable doesnt it, you may say if he was neutered he wouldnt get a testicular tumour, if my Dobermann was docked, he wouldnt rip his tail to bits and suffer numerous unecessary GA's to end up with a docked tail!
Dawn.

:smt039 Hi Dawn!
Fancy meeting you on here!
Couldn't agree more about lambs/pigs and calves, but the anti dog docking move surely means we are on step close to there being a blanket ban which would include farm animals. :smt002 Small steps.
In some of the links posted, it does discuss pain being felt when a band is used to dock as well.....
Ax

Satunr still has his furry plums Dawn and very proud of them he is too!!!!
Neither of my own dogs were castrated until there was a NEED, Mo was castrated this Feb at almost 9 years of age, as he had prostate problems, which would probably never have happened had I had him neutered when younger, but I didn't. He's now fine.