Surgery of ears and tail

Gunther Portenschlag (08.12.2004)
Crop Ears and dock tails is a controversial topic that affects many canine breeds among those are the Schnauzers.

Already several years ago breeders of countries of the north of Europe have given up the aesthetic surgeries in dogs and this decision was adopted by the Pinscher-Schnauzer-Klub 1895 e.V. that governs the Standard of the Schnauzer and Pinscher breeds.

April 6th, 2000 entered in validity the last version of the Standard of the Schnauzer breeds of FCI declaring their clear adhesion to the prohibition of surgery of ears and tail.

We find extreme positions that go from the prohibition for law of these surgeries in some countries of Europe to the prohibition of owning, import and traffic of animals with surgeries of ears and/or tail.
Federation Cinológica Argentina has remained silent up to now and this allows us to suppose that they give us the freedom to decide.

The tendency in USA and, for reflection, in Latin America it is Crop ears or, at least, dock tail. Although it has already been the topic of prohibition of surgeries in the parliament from California, I believe that it is still very distant a decision in this respect.

This was some history and introduction in the topic, what moves me to write on this is our decision of not crop ears neither dock tails without any fanaticism, respecting the different ideas.

We breed Schnauzers because we love these breeds and we analyze all information that allows us to learn and to improve the quality of life of our “babies”. We could not pass for high that happened in relation to the surgeries, we begin with natural ears and we already continue leaving long tails.

Every year of breeding we have accompanied our Schnauzer in their happiness and hardships, ad I have been next to them in all the pain and suffering moments. It is not true that the cut of a tail doesn't hurt and a surgery of ears neither is a pleasure, I have witnessed all the interventions of the last years and, for luck, I have not become insensitive, I suffer horrors.

We don't have any excuse to subject them to this treatment and a Schnauzer with ears and natural tail is not less beautiful.

I know that this is “swim against the current” and that it will bring us competitive disadvantages but I am sure that our Schnauzer will know how to appreciate this act of love and that many lovers of the Schnauzer will accompany us showing with pride their “natural Schnauzer.”