Tail Docking: AS OF 8/06/10 Tail Docking Procedure. All our tail docking is done by my vet’s or my own expert hand. We stitch it shut to help it heal quickly and the puppies have much less pain when it is stitched. All that do our docking do have past medical experience and I do not advice inexperienced persons to stitch… I personally do not like tail docking even though I do it for our dogs. I feel it is a necessary evil. Why I dock the tails of all our dogs: I feel why offer quality dogs if they do not meet the standards of their breed… And that is a big reason I dock the tails of our Giant Schnauzers. If you want your puppy’s tail left long I will gladly do it but you must let me know before the puppy is 3 days old. I can also take a deposit for a future puppy and leave it’s tail long for you if you like.  I would like to say that tail docking is not something I endorse but it is a necessary procedure if you are sticking to the AKC breed standards.  The only thing I can do is make sure I do it with the best most painless method and have the experience to make sure it is done correctly. Tails are usually docked on 2-7 day old puppies, without either general or local anesthesia. We usually do it right at day 3. When the procedure is done the tail is first dipped in alcohol, and then clamped a short distance from the body, and the portion of the tail outside the clamp is cut away. Many breeders dock their pups themselves using a method that has been proven to be far more painful – “banding,” or tying off the tail. This stops the blood supply, which results in dry gangrene. The dead portion of the tail usually falls off about three days later. This can be likened to slamming your finger in a car door – and leaving it there. We first clean and disinfect it with alcohol, pinch it with a clamp to stop the blood and cut it with the scalpel and then stitch and glue it shut to close it completely up. I also cut the dew claws at the same time. The whole procedure only takes 2 minutes from start to finish. Puppies undergoing any method of tail-docking squeal and cry, yet advocates assert that the newborn’s nervous system is unable to feel the pain. They point out that puppies immediately crawl to their mothers to nurse. But don’t all hurt or frightened children immediately cry for their mommy? Moreover, research indicates that suckling causes the release of endorphins, the body’s natural pain relievers, which may be a more realistic way to view the puppies’ desire to nurse. Docking advocates ignore the fact that a newborn puppy simply is not capable of a wide range of responses. It is very difficult to accurately assess the degree of pain a newborn is experiencing. In my experience puppies cry for a minute and then whine under their breath for a few hours after that, then they are fine by the end of the day. So they are in some pain for a few hours and I think like a new born human baby they forget the pain by the next day…To stick close to the AKC standard I have to dock the tail of the Giant Schnauzer and I advise everyone to write to the AKC to ask them to change their standards for this breed so it is no longer necessary. Again if you want the tail left long and natural you can let me know before the litter is born or up to 3 days old and I will gladly leave it long for you. If you have a wheel chair or want a working dog a docked tail is best so a long tail does not get in the way or get damaged.

Ear Cropping: Yes we can have ears cropped if you absolutely want it done and can not find your own vet to do it. I however do prefer you get your puppy and have your own local vet do it after you have your puppy in your home.  I absolutely HATE putting the puppies through this. It is painful for them and a cropped pup can get sick from a weaker immune systems from the cropping and vet offices are full of germs. When I compare two pups at 6 wks of age that are the same size, the cropped pup at 8 wks is always smaller. I believe it is because the ear cropping takes so much out of the puppy’s energy stores to heal and a pup in pain will eat less for a few days. Please also consider there is a slight risk of death and or infection from any surgery. We do not guarantee ears: If a buyer decides to do this elective cosmetic procedure the buyer is taking full responsibility on any negative outcome from the surgery. Keep in mind the  Vet decides what type of crop puppy will get. Puppy must be paid for in full before ear cropping for this very reason. If you want to do the best thing for your puppy please decide to leave the ears natural. Before you decide to still crop ears please read over the EAR CROP CARE page and EAR CROPPING portion of the health guarantee. Ear Crop Care Page explains pup will come with ears still healing and tells the care involved in posted the ears to get them to stand well. Keep in mind it is a process that can be as quick as a few weeks or can take over a year of posting correctly for good results.