cropping (animal)

Historically, cropping was performed on working dogs as it was believed it would decrease the risk of health complications, such as ear infections or hematomas. Crops were also performed on dogs that might need to fight, either while hunting animals that might fight back or while defending livestock herds from predators, or because they were used for pit-fighting sports such as dog fighting or bear-baiting.

: {{cite web |title=Ear cropping: Correct or cruel? |url=http://www.briarleabouvier.com/ear_cropping.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030042313/http://www.briarleabouvier.com/ear_cropping.htm |archive-date=30 October 2020 |access-date=19 September 2021 |website=Briar Lea Bouvier |publisher=Briar Lea Bouvier Kennel |place=Glenwood City, WI |type=blog}}

possible duplicate page

: {{cite web |last=Martin |first=William M., DVM |title=Ear cropping: Correct or cruel? |url=https://www.earsbydrbill.com/ear-cropping-correct-or-cruel |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930182033/https://www.earsbydrbill.com/ear-cropping-correct-or-cruel |archive-date=2020-09-30 |access-date=2021-09-19 |website=Ears by Dr. Bill |publisher=Brevard Animal Hospital (W.M. Martin, DVM) |place=Flat Rock, NC |quote=Today, ear-cropping is a cosmetic surgery, pure and simple.}}

possibly an equivalent page, and better-documented topic-authority

: {{cite web |last=Pagán |first=Camille Noe |date=3 February 2014 |editor-last=Flowers |editor-first=Amy |title=Ear cropping and tail docking |url=https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/features/ear-cropping-and-tail-docking |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215062730/http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/features/ear-cropping-and-tail-docking |archive-date=2014-02-15 |access-date=2021-09-19 |website=Web MD (pets)}}

{{cite book |last=Murgai |first=R.P., Major |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cPPTZvzNNHMC |title=Handbook on Dogs |publisher=New Age International |year=1996 |isbn=9788122408935 |place=New Delhi, IN |page=46}}

Roman practices were to crop dogs’ ears to avoid damage and injury in fighting and hunting, with tail docking practiced to avoid the transmission of rabies.{{Cite journal |last1=Mills |first1=Katelyn E. |last2=Robbins |first2=Jesse |last3=von Keyserlingk |first3=Marina A. G. |date=2016-06-27 |title=Tail Docking and Ear Cropping Dogs: Public Awareness and Perceptions |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=11 |issue=6 |pages=e0158131 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0158131 |doi-access=free |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=4922641 |pmid=27348817|bibcode=2016PLoSO..1158131M }}

Cropping the ears of livestock guardian dogs was, and may still be, traditional in some pastoral cultures. The ears of these guardian dogs—such as the Caucasian Shepherd Dog

{{cite web

|last=Samsonova |first=Anna

|url=http://www.fci.be/uploaded_files/328g02-en.doc

|title=Caucasian Shepherd Dog (Kavkazskaïa Ovtcharka)

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426221530/http://www.fci.be/uploaded_files/328g02-en.doc

|archive-date=2012-04-26

|publisher=Fédération Cynologique Internationale

|id=FCI-Standard nr.328

|date=2 February 2011

|access-date=15 September 2011

}}

and the Maremmano-Abruzzese Sheepdog—were traditionally cropped to reduce the possibility of wolves or opponent-dogs getting a grip on them.

{{cite book

|last = Breber |first = Paolo

|year = 1983

|title = Il Cane da Pastore Maremmano-Abruzzese |language=it

|trans-title = The Maremmano-Abruzzese Shepherd Dogs

|edition = 2nd |pages = 98–99

|publisher = Firenze

|place = Olimpia

|section = The Maremmano-Abruzzese shepherd dog

}}

According to one description, cropping was carried out when puppies were weaned, at about six weeks. It was performed by an older or expert shepherd, using the ordinary blade shears used for shearing, well sharpened. The ears were cut either to a point like those of a fox, or rounded like those of a bear. The removed auricles were first grilled,

{{cite book

|last=MacDonell |first=Anne

|others=Atkinson, Amy (illustrator)

|year=1907

|url=https://archive.org/stream/inabruzzi00macdrich#page/n7/mode/2up

|title=In the Abruzzi

|place=New York, NY

|publisher=F.A. Stokes

|page=18

}}

then given to the puppy to eat, in the belief that it would make him more "sour". An alternative method was to remove the ears from newborn puppies by twisting them off; however, this left almost no external ear on the dog. Both ear-cropping and the use of spiked collars were described more than three hundred years ago, as a defense against wolves.

{{cite book

|first=Jean |last={{nobr|de la Fontaine}} |author-link=Jean de la Fontaine

|translator-last=Wright |translator-first=Elizur

|section=Fable 9

|title=The Fables of la Fontaine |quote=translated in verse from the French

|at=Book X p 74

|edition=English |language=en-UK

|orig-year=1678 |year=1862

|place=London, UK

|publisher=Miller

|url=https://archive.org/details/fablesdelafonta02fontgoog

}}

Similar to guardian breeds, in sport fighting, cropping is used to minimize the risk of ears being bitten and held. The ears were an easy target for an opposing animal to grab or tear. Dogs may have their ears cropped, legally or not, for participation in dogfights, themselves illegal in many jurisdictions.

{{cite book

|last=Curtis |first=Patricia

|year=2002

|title=City Dog: Choosing and living well with a dog in town

|page=37

|place=New York, NY

|publisher=Lantern Books

|isbn=978-1-59056-000-6

|url=https://archive.org/details/citydog00patr

}}

{{cite book

|last1=Robert |first1=Thayer Sataloff

|last2=Sataloff |first2=Joseph

|date=2006

|title=Occupational Hearing Loss

|edition=3rd |page=590

|place=Boca Raton, FL

|publisher=CRC Press

|isbn=9781420015478

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pn8qBgAAQBAJ

}}

In 2000, veterinarian Bruce Fogle wrote:{{cite book |last=Fogle |first=Bruce |author-link=Bruce Fogle |title=KISS Guide to Living with a Dog |date=2000 |publisher=Dorling-Kindersley |isbn=0789459760 |page=66}}{{blockquote|[D]ogs have their ears partly amputated—'cropped' is the benign word people like to use—for no other reason than to make them look fierce. This is primarily a German tradition, born out of the military origins and uses of breeds like Great Danes, Boxers, Doberman Pinschers, and Schnauzers. This mutilation—I am sorry to be so blunt, but that is what cropping is—is banned in its country of origin, and in most other FCI countries. North America remains the only significant region in the world where ear and tail amputations are still routinely performed. There is no medical or work-related justification for these procedures to be performed on pet dogs. Many dedicated, dog-loving veterinarians will no longer carry out these alterations.}}

The veterinary procedure is known as "cosmetic otoplasty", and involves the removal of a portion of the pinnae, the external flap of the ear. Cropping is usually performed on puppies at 7 to 12 weeks of age.[http://www.doggiesparadise.com/earcropping-dogs.shtml Practice of Dogs Ear cropping] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925085332/http://www.doggiesparadise.com/earcropping-dogs.shtml |date=2011-09-25 }} [sic] Doggie's Paradise. Accessed September 2011 After 16 weeks, the procedure is more painful and the animal has greater pain memory. Usually up to {{frac|2|3}} of the ear flap is removed in a cropping operation, and the wound edges are closed with stitches. The ears are then bandaged. Long crops are taped until they heal into the proper shape. The procedure is recommended to be undertaken under general anaesthesia; opponents' primary concerns revolve around post-operative pain.{{cite web |url=https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/LiteratureReviews/Documents/dogs_ear_cropping_bgnd.pdf |title=Literature Review on the Welfare Implications of Ear Cropping-Dogs |date=March 13, 2013 |publisher=American Veterinary Medical Association }}

American veterinary schools do not generally teach cropping (or docking), and thus veterinarians who perform the practice have to learn on the job. There are also problems with amateurs performing ear-cropping, particularly at puppy mills.{{Cite web|url=https://www.animallaw.info/article/cropping-and-docking-discussion-controversy-and-role-law-preventing-unnecessary-cosmetic|title=Cropping and Docking: A Discussion of the Controversy and the Role of Law in Preventing Unnecessary Cosmetic Surgery on Dogs |website=Animal Legal & Historical Center |publisher=Michigan State University College of Law |first=Amy L.|last=Broughton|date=2003}}

In the last 100 years or so, ear cropping has been performed more often for cosmetic purposes. In nations and states where it remains legal, it is usually practiced because it is required as part of a breed standard for exhibition at dog shows.[http://cfhs.ca/athome/ear_cropping_and_tail_docking Ear cropping and tail docking] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110909124714/http://cfhs.ca/athome/ear_cropping_and_tail_docking/ |date=2011-09-09}} The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies/Fédération des sociétés canadiennes d'assistance aux animaux (CFHS/FSCAA). Accessed September 2011. In the US, although tail-docking, dewclaw removal, and neutering procedures remain common, ear-cropping is declining, except within the dog show industry. Some show ring competitors state they would discontinue the practice altogether if they could still "win in the ring."{{Cite web |url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-07-30-dog-tails_N.htm |title=Banfield pet hospitals ban tail docking, ear cropping on dogs |last=Weise |first=Elizabeth |website=USA Today |date=30 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026065343/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-07-30-dog-tails_N.htm |archive-date=October 26, 2012 |url-status=live}}

{{Gallery

| title = Examples of cropping styles

| align =

| footer =

| style =

| state =

| height =

| width =

| captionstyle =

| File:Tête Utanalussa.JPG

| alt1=

| Long ear crop on a Great Dane

| File:Dobermann Black and Tan "Vito".jpg

| alt2=

| Long ear crop on a Doberman

| File:01 American Staffordshire terrier.jpg

| alt3=

| Medium crop on an American Staffordshire Terrier

|

| alt4=

| Short crop on an American Bully

| File:Mastino2.jpg

| alt5=

| Short crop on a Neapolitan Mastiff

| File:Ch Impolha da Casa da Praia.jpg

| alt6=

| Rounded crop on a Saint Miguel Cattle Dog

}}

The practice is illegal across most of Europe, including all countries that have ratified the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, and most member countries of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale.{{cite book|first=Bruce|last=Fogle|author-link=Bruce Fogle|page=66|isbn=0789459760|title=KISS Guide to Living with a Dog|date=2000|publisher=Dorling-Kindersley}} It is illegal in regions of Spain and in some Canadian provinces.

Ear-cropping is still widely practiced in the United States and parts of Canada, with approximately 130,000 puppies in the United States thought to have their ears cropped each year.{{cite web|url=http://www.animallaw.info/articles/dduscroppingdocking.htm |title=Cropping and Docking: A Discussion of the Controversy and the Role of Law in Preventing Unnecessary Cosmetic Surgery on Dogs |publisher=Animallaw.info |access-date=2013-04-17}} The American Kennel Club (AKC) and Canadian Kennel Club both permit the practice. 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."[http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/position_statements.cfm#earcropping Ear Cropping, Tail Docking and Dewclaw Removal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903110459/http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/position_statements.cfm#earcropping |date=2011-09-03 }} American Kennel Club Canine Legislation Position Statements While some individual states have attempted to ban ear-cropping,{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060618183601/http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=2908 | archive-date=18 June 2006 | url-status=dead | url= http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=2908 | title= New Call to Action for Amended NY State Crop/Dock Bill | publisher= American Kennel Club | date=9 June 2006 | access-date=31 December 2007}} there is strong opposition from some dog breed organizations, who cite health concerns and tradition.{{cite web|author=Abraham, S.|year=1993|url=http://americanboxerclub.org/Gazette/gaz93-01.pdf|publisher=American Kennel Club Gazette, American Boxer Club|access-date=January 18, 2016|title=Sad lesson learned|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406194857/http://www.americanboxerclub.org/Gazette/gaz93-01.pdf|archive-date=April 6, 2012|url-status=dead}}

The American Veterinary Medical Association "opposes ear cropping and tail docking of dogs when done solely for cosmetic purposes" and "encourages the elimination of ear cropping and tail docking from breed standards".{{Cite web|url=https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/ear-cropping-and-tail-docking-dogs|title=Ear cropping and tail docking of dogs|website=American Veterinary Medical Association|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200520001141/https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/ear-cropping-and-tail-docking-dogs|archive-date=May 20, 2020}}

In 2009, veterinary chain Banfield Pet Hospital announced they would no longer do tail docking, ear cropping or devocalization on dogs.

It has been suggested the cropping may interfere with a dog's ability to communicate using ear signals, however there has been no scientific comparative study of ear communication in cropped and uncropped dogs.Coren, Stanley (2001) [https://books.google.com/books?id=DeyzQI_a8EsC How to speak dog: mastering the art of dog-human communication] New York: Simon & Schuster {{ISBN|978-0-7432-0297-8}} chap. 9 [pages unnumbered]

Cropping of large portions of the pinnae of other animals is rare, although the clipping of identifying shapes in the pinnae of livestock, called earmarks, was common prior to the introduction of compulsory ear tags.[http://www.manade-en-camargue.fr/manade-en-camargue-lexique.html Lexique Camarguais] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015001430/http://www.manade-en-camargue.fr/manade-en-camargue-lexique.html|date=2011-10-15}} (in French) Manade Devaux. "Lexicon of Camargue terms" Accessed September 2011 Removal of portions of the ear of laboratory mice or neutered feral cats for identification, i.e. ear-notching or ear-tipping, is still used.{{cite web |title=Eartipping |url=https://www.neighborhoodcats.org/how-to-tnr/veterinary/eartipping |website=Neighborhood Cats |access-date=24 March 2022}} The practice of cropping for cosmetic purposes is rare in non-canines, although some selectively bred animals have naturally small ears which can be mistaken for cropping.{{Refn|Some animals, such as the Lamancha goat, have ears which are naturally small as the result of selective breeding, and some people mistakenly believe their ears to be cropped.{{Citation |title=The American Lamancha, and its Ears |last1=Woods |first1=Dale L. |last2=Hendrickson |first2=Pat |year=1978 |publisher=Dairy Goat Journal |url=http://www.lamanchas.com/ears.htm |access-date=2011-09-20 |archive-date=2010-09-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100924192734/http://lamanchas.com/ears.htm |url-status=dead}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.goats4h.com/none.html |title=What did you do to its ears? |website=www.goats4h.com}}

In other animals, small ears may result from a genetic mutation or the emergence of a genetically recessive trait, such as in Highland cattle, where the appearance of small ears, appearing to have their pinnae cropped, is viewed as a defect.[http://www.cruachan.com.au/bairnsley.htm Crop Ear. what does it look like?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816211947/http://www.cruachan.com.au/bairnsley.htm |date=2011-08-16}} Cruachan Highland Cattle. Accessed September 2011.|name=Genetic|group=note}}

• Docking (dog tails)
• Ear shaping (human ears)
• Overview of discretionary invasive procedures on animals

{{Reflist|group=note}}

{{commonscat}}

{{reflist|45em|refs=

{{Cite web|url=https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list|title=Chart of signatures and ratifications of Treaty 125 - European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals|website=Treaty Office|date=October 14, 2020}}

}}

Category:Dogs

Category:Cruelty to animals

Category:Dog health

Category:Animal welfare