Breeder dismisses ban on cutting tails, ears

An international conference of veterinarians is calling for a ban on the practice of docking dogs' tails and cropping their ears.

The procedures are performed on breeds such as miniature schnauzers, Doberman pinschers, Great Danes and boxers. The veterinarians say dog owners and breeders are inflicting unnecessary pain on the animals.

But Lynda Berar, who has been breeding miniature schnauzers for 34 years, says that's often not the case.

"With the tails, because they're done at around three days of age because the nerves aren't mature, there's very little pain," she says. "With the ears, I would say it's probably as any other skin surgery."

Berar also says cropping ears and docking tails is sometimes necessary for the health of the animal. "If a dog doesn't have a good ear, we could end up with a chronic ear infection if we don't crop it," she says. "It should be our choice."

Berar adds that some dogs need to have their tails docked. She says dogs can often inflict pain on themselves when they wag their tails and thump them into hard or sharp objects.