Tail docking and ear cutting on Cane Corsos are done for aesthetic reasons. Your breeder will probably go over choices like dewclaw amputation, tail docking, and ear trimming with you if you’re considering purchasing a Cane Corso puppy. So, in this article let’s know more about this.
Here’s a detailed description on tail docking and ear cropping in Cane Corsos, and the key takeaways of this controversial practice:
Tail Docking and Ear Cropping in Cane Corsos
- Aesthetic Tradition: Historically, these procedures were done on Cane Corsos to achieve a specific look and, some argue, to reduce injuries in working dogs.
- Tail Docking:
- Procedure: Removal of a portion of the tail, typically at a young age. Can be done surgically or with banding methods.
- Potential Benefits: Can prevent tail injuries in working dogs and aid in maintaining breed show standards.
- Controversy: Many consider tail docking unnecessary and potentially painful for the dog.
- Ear Cropping:
- Procedure: Surgical alteration of the outer ear flap to create an upright, pointed appearance.
- Potential Benefits: Historically, proponents believed this improved hearing and deterred ear injuries during fights.
- Controversy: Widely considered a painful and purely cosmetic procedure.
Should You Dock or Crop Your Cane Corso?
- Tail Docking Considerations:
- Breed Standard: While docking is favored in show rings, undocked tails are acceptable.
- Risk vs. Reward: Assess whether your dog’s lifestyle puts them at high risk for tail injury that docking might prevent.
- Ear Cropping Considerations:
- Animal Welfare: Many veterinarians and animal welfare organizations oppose ear cropping due to pain and potential psychological distress.
- Alternatives: Consider the natural beauty of the breed with uncropped ears.
When Are These Procedures Performed?
- Ideal Timing: Both procedures are best done on puppies between 8-12 weeks old for faster healing and cartilage shaping.
- Tail Docking in Newborns: Can be done on 2-5 day old puppies to minimize discomfort.
- Limitations: Older dogs can undergo these procedures, but it’s more difficult and recovery is longer.
Key Takeaways
- Controversial Practice: Tail docking and ear cropping spark ongoing debate about animal welfare and cosmetic necessity.
- Medical vs. Aesthetic: These procedures offer little medical benefit and are mainly done for appearance.
- Informed Decision: Research thoroughly, considering the ethical considerations and potential risks for your dog before deciding.
- Seek Veterinary Guidance: If considering, have these procedures done by a veterinarian experienced with Cane Corsos.
- Respecting Choices: Understand that owners may have different opinions on this issue.
Important Note: Many countries have banned or restricted ear cropping due to animal welfare concerns. It’s essential to be aware of the laws and ethical debates in your region.
What Is Tail Docking
When a dog is still a puppy, a portion of its tail is removed through the process known as tail docking.
A Cane Corso’s tail can be docked in one of two ways: surgically, or using medical-grade bands that restrict blood flow to the tail’s tip until it falls off naturally.
Tail docking is sometimes viewed as a superfluous cosmetic treatment. However, this procedure, like ear cropping, is done for the dog’s health. Some of the health advantages of tail docking include:
This helps to reduce tail injuries in working Cane Corsos. It avoids the dog’s tail from being damaged, which would detract from its overall beauty.
assures the Cane Corso’s qualification to take part in numerous tournaments.
Although it’s not technically necessary, docking the tail of your Corso is a wise decision.
Cane Corso puppy trauma stems from tail docking. Many veterinary professionals advise against docking a dog’s tail unless absolutely necessary.
However, many owners dock their Cane Corsos’ tails at a young age because this operation is so common and necessary.
The process is, however, the same as in surgery. Their skin and muscles must be cut by the vet. The pups thus had to go through the ordeal of having their tails docked.
How Does Tail Docking Work?
You will have a lot of questions if you are unfamiliar with these changes. Here is all the information you require regarding the Cane Corso design.
One of the considerations should be if you like a clipped or natural-looking dog.
This page will cover the operation, healing, shapes, styles, cutting tape method, aftercare, and anything else you’ll need to know about Cane Corso ear cropping and tail docking.
When elderly dogs need to have their ears docked, the process is more traumatic and should only be done under anesthesia.
Due to damage or injury to the tail, many adult dogs who did not have their tails docked as puppies eventually do so out of necessity.
When the tail of a puppy is docked, the puppy has only brief discomfort; but, if the tail of an adult dog needs to be docked due to injury sustained as a puppy, the dog may experience severe suffering and a lengthy and painful recovery process.
Is It Necessary To Dock The Tail Of The Cane Corso?
A tail dock is required by the Cane Corso standard at the fourth vertebra, or at a distance of one-third of the tail’s length. Undocked tails are acceptable but significantly more challenging to win within the US show rings.
Additionally vulnerable to harm and troublesome to live with are undocked tails.
Wagging enthusiastically against the corners of walls, tables, or furniture can quickly result in bruised, ripped, and bleeding tails due to the thick and heavyweight heft of an undocked Cane Corso tail.
Bloody tails that wag leave a trail of blood everywhere, are famously difficult to keep bandaged and take a long time to cure because of ongoing damage.
Undocked tails are heavy and swinging, which can tip over little toddlers, knock items off of low tables or shelves, and inflict shin bruises.
Early tail docking helps animals recover fast and easily from frequent tail injuries, which can later cause severe discomfort and be very challenging to cure.
When done correctly, docking is a totally compassionate treatment that avoids tail damage, removes the possibility of harm, and alleviates considerably more distress than it creates.
It is a straightforward and useful animal management approach that should continue to be accessible to dog breeders and owners, just like neutering.
Since a neonatal puppy’s nervous system has not yet fully matured, the docking surgery, when carried out correctly, between 2 and 5 days old, causes no more than brief discomfort.
Cane Corso Ear Cropping
A Cane Corso’s ears are cropped, giving the breed its distinctive look of a dignified head and smaller ears.
Cropping, which involves surgically removing a portion of the pinnae or auricles of the dog’s ear’s outer flap should only ever be performed by a veterinarian who has specific knowledge of Cane Corsos.
Early on in the puppy’s life, ear clipping procedures are performed. The best time to do the cropping technique is when the crop is 8 to 10 weeks old.
Cane Corsos include the removal of a specific portion of the ear, leaving little or no outer flap to protect the ear canal.
This results in a wonderful bell-shaped structure that allows the dog’s ear to stand up and form a half cup for enhanced hearing, making him a more effective guardian.
Benefits Of Cane Corso Ear Cropping
Cane Corsos frequently sustain injuries to their floppy ears while playing with other animals. Their ears are nibbled on by one another.
To avoid harm when playing with other dogs, Cane Corsos have trimmed ears.
The Cane Corse’s distinctive floppy ears could be bad for its health. Anything in their ears might easily do injury. This is prevented with cropped ears.
The Cane Corso’s natural ears are obstructed. As a result, the infection may progress if the ears don’t get enough fresh air and sunlight.
Therefore, trimmed ears shield children from illness.
Health Risk Of Cane Corso Ear Cropping:
Unfortunately, trimming a dog’s ears is cruel. A sad period is when the ears are cropped.
Even though there can be good reasons to clip a dog’s ears, it might be a painful process. Some dogs must trim their ears to ensure their safety.
A dog’s natural ears being cropped can occasionally cause psychological anguish and terror. It might also affect the dog’s behavior in the short- and long term. Therefore, trimming a dog’s ears is cruel.
What Is The Best Time For Cane Corso Ear Cropping And Tail Docking?
Between 8 and 12 weeks is the ideal time for tail docking and ear clipping.
Puppies are strong and grown enough to withstand surgery at that time, and their cartilage is still immature enough to recover fast to correct their ears.
Older dogs can have their ears cropped and docked, but the procedure is more challenging since the ear cartilage is thicker and it takes longer and is harder to elevate.
Additionally, since adult dogs heal more slowly, aftercare is more difficult. At this point, the tail is thick and completely formed, making docking extremely challenging.
A Cane Corso puppy’s ears should not be cropped or docked after twelve, and ideally after fourteen, weeks of age, in my opinion. I also doubt a licensed veterinarian would perform this procedure.
Newborn puppies should have their tails docked between 2 and 5 days after birth.
This time frame isn’t chosen at random; rather, it gives the pups a chance to start living while taking advantage of a still-developing neurological system that can take such an invasive treatment in stride.
Conclusion:
A simple surgical procedure that involves the excision of portions of the ear and tail is ear cropping and tail docking. Clamps or modules will subsequently be attached to the puppy’s ear.
Clamps dictate how the scar will appear and, thus, how the ear will seem. All dog breeds have clamps on their ears to make them look natural.
A characteristic of the Cane Corso’s appearance many years ago was its docked tail and cropped ears, both done in that particular manner and shape.
