Humans generated yet another sad aspect of dogs' lives: cropping – removal of a part of ear and docking – removal of a part of tail. Both are performed wile dogs are still cubs, sometimes soon after birth. Some countries banned both cropping and docking, some banned just cropping, while in many it is still permitted both styles of animal mutilation, since they are often a part of dog show standards.
Cropping
Many humans prefer dogs with flopped ears, especially longer ones, from the ones that have not so noticeable ears. There are many reasons, but the most common is desire to keep the cub feature, because cubs of all dogs, even wolf cubs, have flopped ears. This way, a grown domestic dog still resembles a cub to a certain degree.
Flopped ears send signals that are difficult to notice, both for dogs and humans. But cropped ears are barely mobile and may send signals to another dog that it is not accepting its friendly intentions, since that type of positioning, in dog communication, can be a sign of a challenge that dominant animal sends, or a sign of warning as well as announcement of possible aggression. So, on the one hand, there are difficultly noticeable signals – flopped ears, and on the other hand, with cropped ears, signals that are being send are not corresponding to dog's feelings.
Pendulous ears are humans' fault, because of long-term involvement in genetic changes. Accountability for cropped ears is immediate – because of the decision to go through with surgical procedure. Cropping of ears is cutting off most of the outer ear. All that just to satisfy crude human needs – to make something appear as they desire, at any cost. Most of the time it is done to make a dog appear tough. Therefore, cropping is usually performed on dogs that were initially created as breeds that guard or fight: Boxers, Dobermans, Great Danes, Cane Corsos, American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Dogo Argentinos, Giant Schnauzers...
Docking
Tail is very important for dog's movement, and one of the main means of communication. Tailless dog cannot give signals with tail. The reason is pretty simple – either it does not have it or it is so cropped that it cannot perform its function. This is why, both dogs and humans, cannot read the signals from this body part.
More than 60 breeds is submitted to partial or complete cutting of the tail. Mostly terriers and spaniels. Some breeds that are going through docking procedures are: Rottweiler, Doberman, Boxer, Cane Corso, Vizsla, Neapolitan Mastiff, Schnauzer, Black Russian Terrier, Poodle, Great Dane...
