Cropping,Docking, and Dewclaw Removal

[gemy]

The Canadian Kennel Club, is moving every breed club of theirs to voluntarily change the standard of any breed, to allow for dogs to be shown in the ring on an equivalent basis whose breed standard customarily provides for docked tails and or cropped ears and or dew claw removal. Which means that natural tails/ears and retained dew claws will be seen more and more in the ring.

If the breed club(s) do NOT or can NOT get the 66 and 2/3 vote agreement at the club level to change the standard, the CKC will go ahead and revise all the standards anyways.

This just has to be done. There are already apparently two provinces with-in Canada where it is illegal for a Vet to do the above procedures. Obviously at the National Registry the standards need to be in line with the law of the land.

How-ever this is a contentious issue through many breed clubs, mostly the working breeds and the guard breeds. I think the hunting breeds are exempt from this rule/standard change. Ummm they obviously had and have a very powerfull lobby group.

So watch out for the NEW CANADIAN STANDARDS for the Yorkshire Terrier somewhere the first or second quarter in 2014!.

For the Yorkshire Terrier - natural tails will be seen a lot more, and probably dewclaws being retained.

What this will do to many breed clubs that find this issue very very divisive, I don't know. It is possible that there might be a large movement of breed clubs that pull away from the CKC, and start their own Working Dog Registry and Conformation Showing. Many might move over to the existing Molosser Working Dog Organization.....

It could also mean that some dog breeders will re-locate out of the two provinces where these procedures are illegal, to provinces more in tune with their beliefs. Or some dog breeders electing to retire from breeding an "off standard" dog.

Interesting times.....

[MyFairLacy]

It is interesting....We've already seen some of the Canadian Yorkie breeders keeping some tails natural, but continuing to dock others. Here in the US, it is VERY difficult for a Yorkie with a natural tail to win. At the New York specialties, with foreigners coming in, natural tails have stood a better chance, but at your regular shows they just don't seem to get a second look. A lot of Canadians like to cross the border and get American titles on their dogs, and a lot of American buy dogs from Canada. So it truly does affect us here in the US too. I am a fan of the docked tail personally...I really hope that the US does not move toward making docking illegal and changing our standard. But it seems like we are going to be the only country left one day that still allows for docked tails....

[gemy]

Originally Posted by MyFairLacy

It is interesting....We've already seen some of the Canadian Yorkie breeders keeping some tails natural, but continuing to dock others. Here in the US, it is VERY difficult for a Yorkie with a natural tail to win. At the New York specialties, with foreigners coming in, natural tails have stood a better chance, but at your regular shows they just don't seem to get a second look. A lot of Canadians like to cross the border and get American titles on their dogs, and a lot of American buy dogs from Canada. So it truly does affect us here in the US too. I am a fan of the docked tail personally...I really hope that the US does not move toward making docking illegal and changing our standard. But it seems like we are going to be the only country left one day that still allows for docked tails....

Well not really, USA can join Russia, in allowing docked tails, cropped ears and dewclaw removal.....

I think that of all the choices being "outlawed", dewclaw removal is the most concerning for me. We simply don't have in my mind enough statistical information on the number of dewclaws torn with normal daily life, not to mention performance sport dogs. I at this point in time will still have the vet remove dewclaws, as I believe in the long run, it is safer for the dog, and the slight degredation in certain performance events that might just might happen (think flyball, and the speed turns), and I will continue to crop tails for my breed.

What is of concern for me is this is, a slippery slope, when our National Registries can dictate to the breed clubs what "must" be done. It happened in England after that expose of Purebred Dogs Exposed, and now Canada.

As you know National Clubs are the guardians of the Standard of the breed, and should be the ones to vote judiciously, changes into the standard, after plenty of discussion and long thought.

We can not nor should we sway to every turn in public opinion or "belief" of what is "wrong" with certain looks or practices.

We in Canada lost. We lost because we did not actively organize and submit expert dissenting opinions when legislation etc and public opinion in those two provinces were leading the rush to outlaw long accepted vet practices.

[Marhcarter]

What about dogs such as Dobies and Rotties? While I have seen yorkies both docked and undocked, I have never seen either one of those with a natural tail, and I don't think I have ever seen a doberman without clipped ears (or at least never one with flopped ears... they might just be born pointy for as little as I know about the breed )

[gemy]

Originally Posted by Marhcarter

What about dogs such as Dobies and Rotties? While I have seen yorkies both docked and undocked, I have never seen either one of those with a natural tail, and I don't think I have ever seen a doberman without clipped ears (or at least never one with flopped ears... they might just be born pointy for as little as I know about the breed )

Bingo you have picked the two clubs with the most vociferous concerns, and the most division among club members. Neither breed are borne to develop prick ears well certainly not the Dobies.

It is very sad for me to see the long tailed flopped eared Dobs and the the long tailed Rotties, perfectly spoils the look of the breed that were developed over hundreds of years.

They no longer look like a Dob or a Rottie, they look like some kind of houndish breed.

Imagine if you were a long time breeder of either breed, to "have" to submit to this dictated subversion of the breeds standard, that breeders have been breeding to for maybe 100 yrs or more.

Awh well at least the General Public have gotten their way in two provinces, and brought on board the Veterinary Associations. Hooray for the General Public.

Wonder how many of those breeders will be left as Registered CKC breeders once the dust settles. How many will retire from breeding, or pull from the CKC club, and use other registries?

And all this, when show attendance continues to decline.....

[Marhcarter]

Originally Posted by gemy

Bingo you have picked the two clubs with the most vociferous concerns, and the most division among club members. Neither breed are borne to develop prick ears well certainly not the Dobies.

It is very sad for me to see the long tailed flopped eared Dobs and the the long tailed Rotties, perfectly spoils the look of the breed that were developed over hundreds of years.

They no longer look like a Dob or a Rottie, they look like some kind of houndish breed.

Imagine if you were a long time breeder of either breed, to "have" to submit to this dictated subversion of the breeds standard, that breeders have been breeding to for maybe 100 yrs or more.

Awh well at least the General Public have gotten their way in two provinces, and brought on board the Veterinary Associations. Hooray for the General Public.

Wonder how many of those breeders will be left as Registered CKC breeders once the dust settles. How many will retire from breeding, or pull from the CKC club, and use other registries?

And all this, when show attendance continues to decline.....

I can only imagine, as I have never seen it. I think it should be optional; not a disqualifying attribute either way, although I really like the way the cropped tail looks on both of those breeds and the pointy dobie ears. On YT's, I like both looks-cropped AND natural tails, IF they have a pretty tail. Huey's dam (BYB) was a completely pale silver silky and very pale tannish facial markings with a natural tail, and it was skinny with thin, sparse hair and looked like a rat tail, so I was glad Huey's was cropped.

[gemy]

We have finished tallying the ballots, and the standard changes to allow for Uncropped tails, and leave dew claws alone, has passed!

It now goes go to the CKC for approval.