ears cropped, tails docked - why??

i dont want to put the cat amoung the pigeon but this afternoon i been thinking about this ear clipping then tail docking where i personal dont agree with it i dont no why it is done to some breeds why is it done , for my own curiosity i just wanted if thats ok ?

No valid reason at all in this day and age. IMHO, that is...

Ear cropping(to give it correct title )has been illegal in the UK for 100 years & any imported dog with cropped ears cannot be shown at KC shows(they can be bred from) It is only done for the "look"

As to docking done via the banding method at three days of age on breeds like GSP & GWP that might end up working is really essential as they can & do damage their tails working if they are undocked

It really annoys me that a relatively minor operation is condemned yet major surgery like spaying/castration is heavily pushed by vets, RSPCA, Dogs Trust etc of course they run the added risk of the GA as well

A touch of hypocrisy IMHO

BTW I don't have & never have had a docked breed

I dont personally agree with it, but some working dogs have there tails docked to prevent injury when working, like spaniels flushing game from undergrowth, ive seen some horrific injuries to dogs tails, while they are working, i agree for working dogs its better for the dog, but pet dogs i see no need what so ever to be docked!

ear cropping..? purely cosmetic!

The purpose of ear cropping was to prevent the ears being torn during fights, bear baiting, hunting of wild animals, and to remove a convenient hand-hold on dogs used to pursue humans. It is now predominantly a cosmetic procedure.

Tail docking is done to prevent injury to the tail.

docking and cropping i disagree with - not getting heavily involved - no time these days lol - but i don't like either - though i can see the reasoning behind docking. But then i won't chop ANY bits off my dogs. Dudley is not to be castrated unless it could save his life. I see no reason for speying/neutering. My attitude is that you should keep your dogs under control. I have kept entire dogs and bitches for years and never had one spot of bother. so no - i think if you can't keep a dog without mutilating it in some way you shouldn't keep a dog period.
Also - if the dog dsoesn't fit the image/design you want it to, get a different breed if that makes sense?

xx

sorry joedeeuk i didn mean to cause offence , i was just wondering , educating myself a bit thats all , i can see if its a working dog why its done for injury [ think thats what people have said ]

i didn want to cause a huge debate if its right or wrong i just didn no why they were done please no one take offence i was just curious

Done for reasons as stated by others, personally I would love a cropped Dobe (if I had another) and would NEVER own a docked breed that wasnt, if you get what I mean.
Dawn,

Ear croppingis done so people can cut away and shape a Dog the way they like it.its for looks only today.Having a Dog spay/castrated is not to make Dog look better, its done to Hopefully stop unwanted litters and possible health problems.imo