[nagdu] docking and cropping dogs

Linda Gwizdak linda.gwizdak at cox.net
Fri Feb 5 18:35:53 UTC 2010 

Julie,
Natural Boxer ears are similar to Lab ears.  They arew very cute that way! 
So, Monty's ears sound like they are like they'd be if he were a full Boxer.

Lyn and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julie J" <julielj at windstream.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 6:03 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] docking and cropping dogs


> Monty is a Boxer and lab mix.  He has natural ears that are very much like 
> lab ears.   Well, they could look like natural Boxer ears too, but I have 
> never seen a Boxer with natural ears so I can't compare.
>
> His tail was docked.  No clue why the tail would have been docked in a 
> mixed breed dog.  He does wag it quite exuberantly at the slightest 
> provocation. I think if it were long he could take out whole swarms of 
> toddlers, contents of coffee tables and quite possibly break some knee 
> caps. LOL  If I were doing the choosing though, I would not dock either 
> ears or tail.
>
> Julie
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Linda Gwizdak" <linda.gwizdak at cox.net>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 4:22 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] docking and cropping dogs
>
>
>> Hi Tami,
>> Yeah, you and me both!  I've been to local dog shows and watched the 
>> German shepherds walk.  Their hips were so weak and angulated that they 
>> looked like walking in a squat position - not attractive!  I think the 
>> show people like the curvy, flowing lines the dogs have with that 
>> angulation.
>>
>> Working shepherds have a straight topline and strong hips - as produced 
>> at guide dog schools.  Seeing Eye's shepherds have a nice straight 
>> topline and they have good hips for the work.  Those Best-In-Show 
>> shepherds couldn't hold up to a good working shepherd worth a diddle.
>>
>> It's the same for the pug-nosed breeds. They are bred with such severe 
>> shortened noses that they can't breathe right!  that's why you hear that 
>> labored breathing from Boxers, Pugs, Bulldogs - English and French ones. 
>> These people seem to want to recreate dogs in the images they want 
>> whether it is healthy for the dog or not.
>>
>> Take ear cropping and tail docking - both of which are illegal in the 
>> British Isles.  Dock the tail and you take aaway a dog's full ability to 
>> do doggie communication to avoid fights and misunderstandings with each 
>> other. Crop the ears and the ear is left open to all kinds of foreign 
>> debris. Natural flop ears are hairless while natural erect ears have lots 
>> of hair in the canal to keep stuff out.  Very sad.
>>
>> More people are chosing to leave ears and tails natural.  What are the 
>> ears and tails like for those of you using Boxer and Dobie guide dogs? 
>> My friend, who had a Dobie from Pilot in the 1980s that had both docked 
>> tail and cropped ears.  Does Pilot still crop ears or have the puppy 
>> raisers do this? It would be so nice if America stopped allowing this to 
>> be done to dogs.  they are beautiful as they come into this world!
>>
>> Lyn and Landon
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Tamara Smith-Kinney" <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
>> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 10:07 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dog names
>>
>>
>>> Linda,
>>>
>>> Yeah, every time I used see the Best of Breed GSD in the televised dog
>>> shows, I would get so mad!  Why do that to such a great breed?  How is 
>>> it
>>> even attractive?
>>>
>>> I've been seeing some really great, really straight young shepherds at 
>>> the
>>> dog park we go to.  I like the more level top line much better!
>>>
>>> So maybe the breed is heading back toward a healthier hip angle.  I hope 
>>> so!
>>>
>>> Tami Smith-Kinney
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>>> Behalf
>>> Of Linda Gwizdak
>>> Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 11:54 AM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dog names
>>>
>>> Marion,
>>> I wonder if GDF will encounter the same problems with German shepherds 
>>> as
>>> GDB?  It's a shame how this beautiful breed has been ruined by the 
>>> show-dog
>>> crowd!
>>>
>>> I know aboout the "pressure" of being the first one in something. In my 
>>> work
>>>
>>> with the Humane Society, I am the first disabled person with their 
>>> service
>>> dog to join the Pet-Assisted Therapy Program.  they've had lots of
>>> puppy-raisers and their service dog pups, but not someone like me. they 
>>> are
>>> very happy with my and Landon's performance of the job that another 
>>> program
>>> wants me to join them!
>>>
>>> You'll do fine - and the new shepherd guide!
>>>
>>> Lyn and Landon
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Marion & Martin" <swampfox1833 at verizon.net>
>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 10:08 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dog names
>>>
>>>
>>>> Linda,
>>>>    GDF hasn't trained Shepherds in more than 20 years. Because I have 
>>>> so
>>>> much experience with the breed, they are re-introducing them with me as
>>>> their first handler. Oh, the pressure! (smile)
>>>>
>>>> Marion
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>> From: "Linda Gwizdak" <linda.gwizdak at cox.net>
>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 12:54 PM
>>>> Subject: [nagdu] Dog names
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Hi Marion,
>>>>> I didn't think Guide Dog Foundation used German shepherds anymore. The
>>>>> name "Sarge" seems to fit a shepherd more than it would a Lab.  I have 
>>>>> a
>>>>> friend at the Naval Medical Center who has a Lab named "Scout".
>>>>>
>>>>> My dog, Landon is named for Michael Landon actor in the old TV series,
>>>>> "Bonanza" - Little Joe who was always fighting!  The actor Landon was
>>>>> also in "Little House on the Prairie" and I think "Stairway to 
>>>>> Heaven".
>>>>> He was a more mature and peaceful charactor on those two shows! I 
>>>>> enjoyed
>>>
>>>>> the first two shows!
>>>>>
>>>>> My old dogs were Heidi, Charm (and she was!), Brownie (my Mom said for
>>>>> her brown eyes - she was black!), Olivia, Hanna, Janelle, Jacob, and 
>>>>> now
>>>>> Landon. I liked all the names and didn't feel the need to change them.
>>>>>
>>>>> Lyn and Landon
>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>> From: "Marion & Martin" <swampfox1833 at verizon.net>
>>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 6:37 PM
>>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Interesting Names Re: guide dog book about young
>>>>> person
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Rox,
>>>>>>    When I first heard my future guide dog's name, my first impression
>>>>>> was, "Oh, no! That will need to change!" However, the more I have
>>>>>> learned about him, the more his name seems to fit him! He is a big
>>>>>> German Shepherd,weighing in at 91 lbs. about three weeks ago and not 
>>>>>> yet
>>>
>>>>>> 2 years old. He has an all black face and gold eyes! His name is 
>>>>>> Sarge!
>>>>>>    Now, I'm a fairly liberal person and would consider myself a peace
>>>>>> activist, so the name seemed a little out-of-place for me. At the 
>>>>>> same
>>>>>> time, my first trainer was also the Founder and Executive Director of
>>>>>> the school from which I recieved my first three guide dogs. He is now
>>>>>> the Director of Training (I think they call it Training Officer) for 
>>>>>> the
>>>
>>>>>> Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. His name? Well, Mike Sargeant, 
>>>>>> often
>>>
>>>>>> called "Sarge"! When I spoke with him the last time, he referred to 
>>>>>> my
>>>>>> dog as "my namesake"! Mike is a great guy and I count him as a close
>>>>>> colleague, so I couldn't change Sarge's name now! BTW, Mike told me 
>>>>>> he
>>>>>> thought of changing Sarge's name himself just to rattle my cage! To
>>>>>> what? Well, he said he thought of "ACB"! Nice guy, huh? And I call 
>>>>>> him a
>>>
>>>>>> friend? (big grin)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> fraternally yours,
>>>>>> Marion
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>>> From: "The Pawpower Pack" <pawpower4me at gmail.com>
>>>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 8:45 PM
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Interesting Names Re: guide dog book about young
>>>>>> person
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> When I adopted Laveau from the humane society, her name was Marge. 
>>>>>>> That
>>>
>>>>>>> had to go because... it just did.  It didn't take her long to switch
>>>>>>> and now when I say or sign her name she wags like crazy.  She was 
>>>>>>> only
>>>>>>> a year old and I don't know how long she had been stuck with the 
>>>>>>> horrid
>>>
>>>>>>> moniker of Marge.  No offense to anyone with that name but it just
>>>>>>> wasn't for her.  Also I'm a huge Harry Potter fan and everyone would
>>>>>>> have called her aunt Marge.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Rox and the Kitchen Bitches
>>>>>>> Bristol (retired), Mill'E SD. and Laveau Guide Dog, CGC.
>>>>>>> "It's wildly irritating to have invented something as revolutionary 
>>>>>>> as
>>>>>>> sarcasm, only to have it abused by amateurs." -- Christopher Moore
>>>>>>> pawpower4me at gmail.com
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Windows Live Only: Brisomania at hotmail.com
>>>>>>> AIM: Brissysgirl Yahoo: lillebriss
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
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>>
>>
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>
>
>
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