sue fitzpatrick FITZPATRICK
Posted : 8/2/2006 8:01:14 AM
With my last wolfhound, I had a wolfhound head airbrushed onto the spare tire cover on the back of my van....I had an gentleman who had immigrated to the US from Ireland follow me for almost 25 miles and pull in alongside me in a parking lot, just to see if my dog was in the car and he could pet her.....Made the man's entire week, and quite frankly, scared the you-know-what out of me... A wolfie will protect their family, but they are soooo slow to rile, ( and should be by temperment)
In the IW community, we threaten people with $5 & $10 fines for horse jokes to be paid to IW rescue.....
I was aware of the change regarding tail docking, and I knew in Europe-neither docking or cropping is permitted-in fact, I believe it is against the law for vets to perform those services-not only with Danes, but Dobermans, Rots, etc. I wasn't sure whether the ear cropping is considered required or optional by AKC standard. But there are alot of other breeds affected with tail docking-like cocker spaniels, English springer spaniels, Brittany spaniels and some of the pointers and setters have tail requirements that don't always coincide with what nature provides.
A dog's tail is one of its most expressive assets, so to have any animal required to have it removed, because some person thinks it is better looking, well,.....it makes me sad. I am glad about changes in the Dane world, but change is always somewhat slow to be accepted among people...I am sure the dogs are happier