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AmStaff Ear Cropping Anon
Hi /an/
I just got found of a dog breed called American Staffordshire Terrier aka AmStaff.
I find them pretty sweet dogs (at least, the ones I have met).
I wanted to ask you about the ear cropping.
Why do people crop their ears?
Will it make a difference if one asks the breeder to not do it?
(Some AmStaff with cropped ears look very kitty-like, very cute).

Thanks, Anon
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
They are GREAT dogs. They are one of the few "bully" breeds that are great with kids. Hell, my buddy leaves his kids alone with his amstaff all the time, he even protects them from burglers!

Their ears are cropped because its tradition. If you contact a breeder before the litter is born, or when it is very young, often there is no problem with requesting a specific puppy not have its ears cropped (or tail docked, dewclaws removed, whatever the specific breed "requires"). You will be asked to pay for the puppy before though, because it may harm the dog's resale value. Some dogs have their ears cropped once they are at a rehoming age, but often those are for very long crops, not very close ones like the ovcharka and amstaff.
>> Anonymous
awesome dogs. loyal and great with kids.
I had two when I was six, the girl was a big wuss, but very kind, the male wasn't wussy at all, and when these robbers broke into our house he bit at them and barked, but they bashed him. luckily, he didnt die. Poor guy, my father thought he was a wuss and didnt fight back until the next day when his head massively swelled up.

I've never,ever heard them been called amstaffs though, whee I live they're called staffies :P

I would have no idea about cropping though, but they're defiantly a good breed of choice.
>> Anonymous
>>200113
qft about cropping

I have an Amstaff puppy in one of my classes - EXCELLENT dog, she plays wonderfully with the other dogs and gets along great with kids and adults alike.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
just FYI we're trying to get your kids killed
>> Anonymous
...I wasnt.
All the staffies I've met are great with kids.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>200126
So is garlic and white wine.
>> Anonymous
Ear cropping started out for dog fighting and, to a much lesser extent, aggressive animal hunting (think wolves); no ears means no place for another dog to latch onto and create problematic wounds (aural hematomas, etc.). There is absolutely NO reason for any dog to have its ears cropped any more. It is painful and serves no real purpose with modern care. If you think that cropping ears prevents ear infections, etc. think again. They can still happen; besides, looking in your dogs ears once a week is a more effective means.

I do approve of the removal of dew claws and/or the docking of tails for working/hunting dogs. Dew claws are dangerous in the field and docked tails still serve a purpose in some breeds (jack russells for one).
>> Anonymous
>>200133
This post summed it up.
Also, ear cropping is fuck ugly. Don't do it.
>> Anonymous
>>200133
>docked tails still serve a purpose in some breeds (jack russells for one).

Untrue. There is no statistical indication that docking tails prevents tail injury - this is why it's illegal for tails to be docked except in specific circumstances in the UK and Australia, as well as a number of other countries.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>200165
For clumsy dogs and those that are traditionally docked, it can help. Often when they are docked very young, it is unknown how well their tail is (would have been), so a line which may have wonderful, perfect puppies, may carry genes which produce a very weak, brittle tail. In such an animal, it is incredibly likely that they will break their tails as adults. I have seen quite a few boxers and pits have their tails docked or "Trimmed" as adults because they wag like crazy and knock into a wall, get caught in something, etc etc. Though, I have seen it happen in poorly bread dalmatians and labradors, as well as random mixes. It really depends upon the dog. I don't advocate docking unless it is medically necessity (or you have a horrendously clumsy dog with a thin tail, and it is likely he will end up breaking it and getting it docked anyway). I have the same opinion on ears: traditionally cropped breeds tend to have shitty ears, and long flimsy ears can and do get shredded occasionally. Not something I'd do just for looks, but I'd rather cropped ears than shredded, scarred masses. I am very very much aginst doing any of these procedures unless you are a vet. I'm looking at you, back yard breeders who yank out dewclaws with pliers and dock tails with hedgeclippers.

And yes, on some terriers and small dogs, the intent is not to keep the tail from breaking, but to provide a sturdy "handle".
>> Anonymous
tl:dr

They are cropped because ITS IN THE BREED STANDARD FOR FUCKS SACK open up the AKC rule book.
"Ears - Cropped or uncropped, the latter preferred. Uncropped ears should be short and held rose or half prick. Full drop to be penalized"
If your staffy has droopy ears and you want him to be worth anything to anybody then you crop them.
IMO if you dont crop them then you might as well get one of the 200 dogs at you local pound/shelter that look exactly like your average uncropped staffy. Same with dobies...if they are not docked and cropped you should have just got a damn black and tan coonhound
>> le/x/bian
>>200205
because dobermans and coonhounds act exactly the same, amirite?

You're saying you only need to crop if you want to show the dog, which I doubt many people here are going to. So no, you don't need to crop/dock in most cases.
>> Anonymous
Not quite the same problem, but we have a huge Great Dane. She came to us with her ears cropped.

... and they flop down anyway, which is just sad. So unless you're going to go and show the dog in shows where they give a shit, there's no need for it.
>> Anonymous
In several countries cropping and dogging is illegal since it serves no other purpose than making the dog prettier in human eyes.

All the medical reasons some have stated are just excuses to keep doing it, uncropped litters do just as fine. Personally i would never put my dog through damn plastic surgery to improve his looks.
>> Anonymous
make sure to let us know when your pit bull eats your baby!

(or rapes him anally! it happened.)
>> Anonymous
>>200260
So it's just like circumsision.
>> Anonymous
>>200262

you know Pits were originally called the Nanny Dog, and have a GREAT history with kids.

Stop pushing stereotypes of a dog forced to fight.
>> Anonymous
>>200260
Signed!
>> Anonymous
>>200281

DUDE I KID. all i ever do is tell people about ww2 heros/ nanny dogs etc.

(however, pit bulls will totes rape your baby.)
http://www.funlol.com/funpages/dna-proves-dog-rape.html

(and dont give me that bullshiit re. AmStaffs not being "pit bulls." i read badrap.org, i know the drill.
>> Anonymous
purebreds suck

get a mutt
>> Anonymous
>>200288

Pit bulls are whatever people think they are. Am staffs, APBT, Cane Corso mixes, Mastiff mixes... they can all be called "Pit Bulls" and all be caught under Pit Bull legislation and be destroyed for just looking like a Pit. A pit is whatever people say it is.
>> Anonymous
>>200205
Wait
Wait wait
So if the dog doesn't conform to an AKC breed book, it's not worth anything to anyone?
What the HELL.
>> Anonymous
>>200174

It's controversial I know, but tail docking / ear cropping to prevent injury is like a woman having a double mastectomy to prevent breast cancer - when she hasn't even been diagnosed with it. Just seems like causing unnecessary pain for what is mostly these days simply tradition, and not something I'd ever to do an animal.
>> Anonymous
>>200102

fuck me, this dog is very similar to a dog i've seen in a thread on neowin about animal abuse

http://www.neowin.net/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t573132.html

is it the same dog? he was very pwned and shit!