[topknot]

Okay, not sure why you put your post here in showing, since it has almost nothing to do with showing. But that is okay.

Your Quote: "So basically I'm asking, how do most treat their dogs? Why do the dog's HAVE to have a certain cut? Do you have to crop/dock certain breeds? What is it for- to judge how well groomed/good looking your dog is?
"

People do not have to have a certain cut when grooming their dog. It is up to them what cut they choose.

From what I know about the history of how they started to crop the yorkies tail was to help protect them from getting their tail bit by rat, since they were originally breed to be rat hunters in coal mines. I have also heard too that they were used in coal mines to protect the miners from loss of oxygen, they would warn the miners. Many countries have band or chose not to crop tails since it is no longer warrented. Not sure when or if AKC will do this in the near future or not.

Hair cut or having a certain length of tail is not for the judge to tell how well groomed or good looking your dog is. In the ring yorkies do not show in a puppy cut trim. We trim the length and under their pads so they do not trip. Make sense, so it is to help them.

Yorkies do not have an undercoat as most dogs do to keep them warm in the winter or cool in the summer. They have a single strand hair.

People care about their dogs (hopefully) reason they treat them as they do.

I hope this has helped.