Is it necessary to arrest Doberman’s ears and tail, or can it be left unbroken?

Purebred dogs have a definite, reference look, and the owners who plant such animals for themselves should do everything so that their dog complies with generally accepted canons. Modern views on the procedure for cupping ears and tail are beginning to be criticized, and not every dog ​​breeder rushes to the vet to adjust his pet to the standards. To find out whether you need to stop Doberman or you can do without this procedure, you should carefully study this issue.

The Doberman was bred by Frederick Doberman, who had his own clear ideas about how this breed should look like, and for many years it was. The body of the dog had beautiful outlines, and due to the raised ears and short tail, the profile was powerful and attractive. It was this breed that won many prestigious awards, and the mass of breeders spent a lot of time and effort to bring their puppy to the reference appearance.

Recent years have brought to the fore the talk of animal rights activists who did not support changes in the appearance of dogs, calling it a mockery of animals. It is because docking ears and tail occurs solely for the sake of a presentable appearance, Opponents of this procedure are so insistently demanding that it be abandoned.

The Doberman, whose tail and ears have a natural appearance, is fundamentally different from the breed bred by Friedrich Doberman. Those owners who make a friend for themselves, and do not plan to participate in exhibitions, can safely leave the pet the natural length of the ears and tail.

To decide whether to change the appearance of the pet in order to please the breed or it is better to leave it as it was born, you can evaluate the arguments in favor of this transformation and against it. Those breeders that encourage docking speak about its positive aspects, which are manifested in the following points:

• maintaining the number of Dobermans as a breed, since the ban created a shortage in the number of individuals that look in accordance with the standard;
• in countries where there is no ban on docked dogs, it is this type that wins contests much more often;
• a chance to avoid diseases that can be obtained in its natural form: it is necrosis, ulcers and a variety of neoplasms;
• pets with pugnacious temper, as well as very active members of the genus, can injure long ears and infect the wound.

If we talk about the opposite arguments, the opponents of arresting speak about the benefits of the natural state of the dog due to such factors as:

• long ears do not change the quality of life of the dog, do not interfere with it at any age;
• dog fights and similar skirmishes have long been banned, because there is no danger of breaking the ears in such a battle;
• the truncated shape of the ears can interfere with the dogs to communicate with each other and understand each other well;
• Cupping refers to a surgical procedure that should not be done unnecessarily;
• there is an opinion that during the procedure the animal is very sick.

The procedure for cupping itself is quite painful, as it is necessary to trim the excess part of the tail and ears. To minimize the unpleasant sensations, the optimal framework of the procedure was derived. The first is better to work with the tail, and behind it the ears already go. It will be right to stop the tail from the age of three days, when the puppy is too small to understand what happened, and its caudal vertebrae are as soft and easy to cut.

You can perform the procedure in two ways:

• using a scissors for edema;
• due to the ligation of the tail in the place where it will need to be shortened (blood stops flowing into the limb and it dries out).

It is very important to carry out the work of transforming those puppies who are completely healthy and fullotherwise the animal will experience too much stress, life-threatening. So, you can shorten the tail from the third to the tenth day from the moment of birth, or delay the procedure for a longer period and hold it from the moment of the onset of three months and ending with six months. After that, you should not start this type of activity.

If we talk about cupping the ears, then the optimal time will be from 5 to 8 weeks, this will allow a certain break between the ears and the tail, so that the puppy can fully recover. From week 12 this procedure is considered undesirable., because at this time Doberman's teeth begin to change, which in itself is painful and there will be no additional stress for him. This period is marked by the rapid growth of the skeleton, which requires a large supply of mineral substances, and this will significantly complicate the process of healing the ears. The earlier the procedure of cupping is performed, the easier it will be transferred and the bleeding will be minimal. .

To stop Doberman’s ears and tail, the owner must first learn as much as possible about the specifics of the procedure, how it is carried out, and how to care for the animal after it is completed. It is worth noting that the operation can only be performed by an experienced veterinarian at the clinic, Any other options may adversely affect the health of the dog and the future appearance of the pet.

Preparation of the owner is the presence of certain knowledge and the correct choice of the timing of the procedure. It is necessary to plan for the cupping of the ears and tail so that there is at least a week of rest between them, which will allow the operated limb to drag on and to live.

If we talk about the training of the dog, it is important to pass all tests to check that the Doberman is healthy and ready to undergo two surgical procedures. It is necessary to make sure that the dog has no worms and fleas, that it is completely healthy and active. Immediately before the operation, you should not give the dog to drink, approximately two hours before the procedure, it is necessary to complete the water supply, and feeding stops one day before the scheduled time. Once all the tasks have been completed, it can be stopped.

Doberman must produce a cropping of the ears and tail by a specialist so that the result will satisfy the owner and not harm the animal itself. The first procedure in Doberman is performed on the ears and looks like this:

1. anesthesia is administered to the animal;
2. using a marker on the ear, markup is made to know which part needs to be removed;
3. using specialized scissors to cut off extra areas of the ear, after which they are brought to the desired appearance;
4. stitches are applied to the edges of the ear, after which the treatment with antiseptic is performed;
5. the tension of the ears on a specialized frame and bandaging with a wide adhesive tape.

After the procedure, Doberman may have certain complications associated with a discharge from anesthesia: drowsiness, slow breathing and heartbeat, a decrease in body temperature, an allergic reaction. Thanks to the experience, the veterinarian will quickly resolve the situation, so that nothing threatens the life and health of the pet.

The tail docking procedure is a little different. The doctor performs the procedure using straight scissors with a rounded cone. The tail at the exit must be tied up with a narrow bandage and behind it make an incision, which should be treated with an antiseptic.

To the ears had the desired shape, it is necessary to make some effort. For convenience, use a special design, which is called the "crown". It is put on the Doberman's forehead and tied around the head. Once the design is fixed, you can pull on her ears. For attachment it is necessary to use adhesive plaster, with the help of which the inner part of the ear is glued.

It is important to position the patch so that it does not touch the stitches that remain after the operation. The next step is the maximum tension of the ear up and winding it to the upper part of the crown. This manipulation needs to be done from each side. If it was not possible to purchase a frame in the store, it can be made from scrap materials, the main thing is to keep the proportions in such a way that the ears are maximally extended upwards, and there is a distance between them that does not allow to close.

During and after bandaging, it is necessary to check the correctness of the shape of the ears so that they are directed upwards, do not bend or sag, otherwise the appearance will be spoiled. Due to lack of experience, such errors may be frequent at first, therefore it is necessary to learn quickly in order not to make them. If the result of rewinding is unsatisfactory, you need to remove everything, ventilate the ear, wipe it with an alcohol-containing solution and repeat the procedure. The crown must be chosen correctly, otherwise there is a risk to provide the dog with a hall of the auricle, which will not give the desired shape.

When the ear after surgery is set in motion, horns are made of it, wrapping it into a rigid structure like a gypsum. Leave the dog in this form must be at least 5 daysthen everything is removed, the ears are massaged, then they are rubbed with alcohol, and the horns are wound again. This gives cartilage an opportunity to remember a new form, and for muscles, to keep an ear.

Any surgical intervention has certain consequences that you need to know and be able to quickly overcome. In the case of cupping the ears and tail of Dobermans, the owner should check the condition of these parts of the body, disinfect them and care for them until they are completely cured. In the postoperative period, it is important to maintain the same diet and walks that was previously - this will speed up the recovery of the dog.

Inexperienced breeders can be wary of complications after operations, which include:

• bleeding;
• thickening of the tissue at the seams;
• bulky fabrics in place of the scar.

If the procedure is carried out within the established age limits, then the risks can be minimized, if everything is delayed, then the consequences can be serious. In order not to get any complications, it is important to treat the treated areas with antiseptics, it can be:

• Zelenka - one percent solution;
• hydrogen peroxide - 3% solution;
• weak tincture of calendula.

The threads with which the ear is stitched should fall off themselves after 10-12 days, if this did not happen, then with the help of clean scissors it is necessary to remove all the knots and remove the remains independently.The postoperative period is characterized by initial pain, so you may need painkillers, which, if necessary, must be prescribed by a veterinarian. The most important thing during the healing of wounds is to observe the sterility of the sutures, to ensure that the Doberman does not touch the ears, otherwise you can carry the infection.

Thanks to tight bandaging, it is possible to protect the operated area from contacting the pet's paws, but if this does not help, you can wear a special collar that will serve as additional protection. The activity mode at the first stage after cupping should be small and calm, you should not play too fast with the dog, it should be sedentary during the week, which will allow you to easily go through a period of healing and recovery.

On whether it is necessary to arrest Doberman’s ears and tail, see the following video.