Why is ear/tail cropping NOT cruel?
Many breeds that are traditionally docked have thin whip like tails that make them prone to injury even in a pet home, breeders also have no way of knowing at 2-3 days old which puppies may go to working homes. Docking is done at 2-3 days old before the nerves have fully developed. Most puppies go right back to sleep or start nursing as soon as they go back to the dam. Hardly a sign of being in pain. Many anti-docking people will make statements about the puppies crying/screaming when docked. This is from being held and removed from the dam and litter mates not the docking. Take most any 2-3 day old puppy from its dam and littermates and hold it do nothing else to it. You will get the same reaction. Tail injuries on the other hand are very hard to get to heal. They often result in the tail being amputated as the injuries keep reopening, getting infected or the dog injures the tail over and over again. Amputation is a much more painful procedure with a much longer recover time. Ear crop
