Actually, I believe it was from someone in one of those countries that took the conversation from ear cropping to neutering

.....but true.

I had a Shepherd who kept catching, tearing and injuring a front dew claw as she would go full pelt and do sliding stops. It frequently had to be treated for infections as a result.

Over time this damage caused it to stick out at a greater degree from the leg so it caught more, stuck out more etc so eventually it was removed but we left the one on the other fore which she used a lot for holding things and chewing them and opening doors.

With another monorchid shepherd I had the floppy non mobile loose non boned hind dew claws removed when he was castrated (retained testicle) but I had the mobile, boned, strongly attached front ones left which he also used a lot.

Aside from these I have had dogs with and without front dew claws, depending on what the breeder had done when I got them.

Those with them used them, those without didn't seem to miss them, not having ever known any different.

Not all dogs use their dew claws equally though, so they don't always get worn down. It drives me potty when owners let dew claws grow round literally into the paw though and haven't even noticed!!

There aren't very many of us though

I once got into a bit of a debate over ear cropping of Danes (which I think is really ugly!) The breeder's argument left me speachless

"I feed them, walk them, groom them, give them couches to sleep on, really, everything they want and need, the least they can do for me is get their ears cropped"


Umm, say what??? I was sickened by that statement. She went on to say that as they're under when done, it doesn't hurt. I then pointed to a puppy in the ring (6 months, first show), whose ears were red, swollen and sore (why the hell they were there was beyond me!) and asked if she thought that puppy wasn't in pain. She said that it was a cropping gone wrong.

I then asked her why my friends boxer (an x-show dog) yelped and tried to bite every time you touched his ears at the tip (to the day he died he did this). She told me that the dog is just too sensitive... well, sensitive or not, it does hurt them, sensitive dogs will just show it more.

The whole thing makes me angry.

but I do love the look of a cropped Doberman, I just dont believe it should be done! Every other cropped breeds I find ugly.

who said it wasnt? You said the same thing as I had said previously so not sure what your point is? I think you knew what I meant when I said cropping docking and nuetering (i.e. Males)dew claw removal was not necessarily needed for a long healthy life. I.e. "just in case" Tho I'm sure there are plenty owners of entire females who keep them this way too.

Saranscout, I'm the same, I love the look of a (nicely done) crop on a dobe too but I just couldnt send my pup in to the vets to have its ears cut up at a few months old under GA then the painful cleaning, posting...all at a time when you touching them should be a good thing to them. It's actually a big risk to them in more ways than one imho.

wow.im just catching up!,hello to all.i it is very interesting to me how crop issues have brought out lots of conversation about the things we remove from dogs ,for what ever reason.i dont feel the thread was robbed,so to speek,it was intended to educate and to have a voice..express.iv enjoyed everyones post,nice to see ,people from all over the world come together.and be civil.there will always be something to learn.personally and to sum cropping for me is...im on the fence .i would not crop a dog, as a pup, in my care,never have.i would rescue a cropped dog,and i have 2.cropped dogs work the best for property protection,in my case.in my experience.they are very simply,a harder looking dog.it is a fact,for me.that they are less approchable looking.i do undestand that i can do the same job with other dogs as well,but mt choise for the dogo also involes other factors for me, personally,the traits of the dog,its dule perpose,lots to consider and the dogo and pit bull where my choises,cropped ears where apart of a rescued dogs new life with me.there where 100,s of dogs to choose from,i am guilty of owning a cropped dog for the way it looks.is it nessesary?no.

Did they come to you as rescues already cropped?

rune

yes they did come to me cropped.

as an owner i do feel that im supporting it.im a big boy and will admitt to that.how could i not?,really?.