I'd like to crop my brother-in-laws ears...

[Carissa]

I'm so mad I can't fall asleep.

Today I went to my inlaw's for a nice birthday dinner. My sister-in-law tells me that they're planning to get a puppy. She has never ever wanted a dog in the house and her husband was the one who always wanted a dog so bad. So as we're sort of talking about it she mentions they're thinking of getting a mini pincher puppy so I casually bring up the ear cropping issue. She says she likes it better when they aren't cropped but her husband wants them cropped. So I inform her of some of the reasons why I oppose ear cropping. I am firm but polite.

Later he is talking about how if the puppy isn't tan and black he doesn't want it and he doesn't want an ugly dog. Then my sister-in-law brings up the ear cropping so I voiced my views to him and It took every ounce of my being not to reach across the table and pound his smug little face in when he reponded with, "I don't care. I think it looks good. besides it's just a dog." After six years of hearing his smug little comments to me about my weight, how he likes to kill cats, and more recently, my being vegetarian I think I've had it with him. He is just one of those extremely little guys who wants a dog just so he can order it around and show what a "big" man he is. I kept my mouth shut today out of respect of my husband and sister-in-law but afterward my husband said I should have let him have it.

I guess my question is how do you deal with people like this and not go crazy? I just wanted them to make an informed descion that is in the best interest of the dog not just because he thinks it looks good and I was met with a comment that was so obviously meant to hurt and anger. I just hope it was only meant to hurt me and he doesn't really feel like his puppy is "just a dog".

Thanks for reading. Sorry for the ramble, I'm just really upset.

[manhattan kat]

You have every right to be upset. People don't understand what it takes to crop a dogs ears. If he thinks of it as just a dog tell him about how much time and money he's gonna have to put into "forming" the ears. After they're cropped you have to go back to the vet more than a few times to have the ears formed around cones (usually just paper cups) so that they will stay up. And its not always guarenteed that they will stand up. I'm sure he'd be even more upset with a dog with one ear standing up and one flopping over. (Just a point to bring up to him so maybe he won't take in an animal that he shouldn't have.)

And a point for you, I worked as a vet tech when I was in high school and I've seen a dog get his ears cropped. There were 6 vets at our clinic and only ONE would do this because the others refused. It's disgusting. They literally just take scissors, make some markings on the ears and cut along the line. It looks like ketchup squirting out of 2 thin layers of balogna. It made me sick. And what made me even sicker, and really mad was when the dogs ears didnt stick up after they tried to form the ears (the dog was a boxer by the way, much bigger ears) the man was so mad at the vet because now the dog looked "stupid" because his ears didnt stand like they "were suppose to." I wanted to say that they were "suppose" to be flopped over like they were before you demanded they be cut off.

I feel your pain. Let him know how much work dogs can be and the possibilities that the dog wont look how he wants and maybe he'll reconsider without you having to tell him what a crappy view of dog ownership he has.

Good luck!

[piggly wiggly]

Instead of putting another dog through ear cropping, ask your sister inlaw's husband to adopt a dog with it's ears already done. I volunteer and foster dogs for the miniature pinscher rescue. Tell him to look up IMPS, there are hundreds of dogs looking for homes and alot already have their ears done. (Only mention it to him if you think he would give a good home)

[JarBax]

Well said pw

...and if it's not too late, "Happy Birthday"

[Carissa]

You have every right to be upset. People don't understand what it takes to crop a dogs ears. If he thinks of it as just a dog tell him about how much time and money he's gonna have to put into "forming" the ears. After they're cropped you have to go back to the vet more than a few times to have the ears formed around cones (usually just paper cups) so that they will stay up. And its not always guarenteed that they will stand up.

I will definatly use this if it come up again, I think it might change his mind since looks are so important to him. Thank you.

Tell him to look up IMPS, there are hundreds of dogs looking for homes and a lot already have their ears done. (Only mention it to him if you think he would give a good home)

If he's willing to put a dog through all that just so that it fits his image of the perfect dog I have to wonder what he'll do if the dog doesn't act how he wants it to. And the fact that they both work and are away a lot in the evenings, I don't think it would be a good home. Thumbs up to you for volunteering and fostering dogs though, that is something I've always wanted to do. The world needs more people like you.

...and if it's not too late, "Happy Birthday"

Thanks, JarBax!

Oh and by the way, the puppy they were thinking about was already gone, thank goodness.

[piggly wiggly]

Happy birthday!

[pamziaw]

You held your own better than i would have done! I'd have thrown him across the table or asked him to pick a window. People like that are nothing but inconsiderate $%&*!£$! (insert your own chosen word here) that need to have their ears cropped to get some perspective! (Apologies, angry with PMT.)

[suzilovespiggie]

My nephew is like this. He hasn't a clue how to raise a dog. He has gotten dogs in the past, doesn't train them and when the dog took a cookie from his daughter's hand, he hauled off and socked it with his fist in the face. That's his idea of discipline. His wife can't stand the dogs in the house.
They had a rabbit, no veggies or hay just s--- pellets. The rabbit got sick and died. They think I am crazy for the way I treat animals. We go round and round. My daughter feels like I do and we want to clock him. He is now thinking of getting a great dane. We are trying to talk him out of it.
We have told him some people shoud not have animals and he's one of them. I have talked to Humane Society, they go look but as long as they are fed and show no sign of abuse they can not pick up the dog. (the last one) . Excuse my rant also. This is an issue that makes me just purple with rage. It splits our family it is so close to home.

[cookie_gal]

I really hate people who alter a dog just to make it look 'nice'! If they don't like its proper appearance then they should get another breed. Then again, if someone thinks it is right to do this to a dog then they should not have one at all.

Why can't all creatures just be left as nature intended?

[HandcuffedAngel]

I'm pretty much agreeing with everyone else.

My father is horrible to animals. Luckily, he knows he hates them and he chooses to no longer own anything except fish.

I hope your brother-in-law does not get a dog.

On Animal Planet the other day they showed a pit [I believe] whose
owner had taken scissors and cropped the ears by himself without anesthetic or anything of the like. The dogs were left outside in the mud without food or water.

They were seized. People are awful.

[diane]

We have a springer spaniel who had his tail doch=ked when we got him. But it always looks funny. But he has so many other problems. He has allerigies to everything and is the hardest animal I have every tried to train. The one part of a dog I agree with altering is thier dew claws. The claws higher up on the leg. My dogs are jumpers so they would scratch me all up if it weren't for the fact that the dew claws were removed. I guess there are two things, Nuetering as well. We nuetered our dog as soon as we were able to. Due to the fact that my husband's aunt lives around the block and had the same breed and wanted to breed herself. We told her absolutely not, but she said she would just leave her dog in our yard. The nerve of some people. She is one of those bad owners. She has a house of cats and dogs all female none are spayed and then she just drops the litters of at the local Humane Society.

[strigercake]

I would like to crop his ears also. He sounds exactly like my brother which also should NOT have any animals. I even went as far as reporting my brother for the treatment of his untrained, outdoor Siberian Husky. Unfortunately, due to PA laws, there wasn't anything they could do at the time. My husband and I have thought about stealing the dog, but he would just get another one sooner or later. He also thinks dogs are just only dogs, cats are only cats, etc., like they don't have any feelings or they are less important.

I would tell your brother-in-law exactly what manhattan kat mentioned.
There are no guarantees with ear cropping. A few years ago, I used to work at a vet, and these undesirable people came in with a min pin (can't figure out how they could afford this dog), to have his ears cropped. Well they got really mad because one of the ears did not stand up and he threatened to sue us. Doesn't this idiot know that is not grounds for suing?

Good luck with your brother-in-law and I hope he doesn't ever get a dog with an attitude like that.

[Marlania]

Originally Posted by diane

The one part of a dog I agree with altering is thier dew claws. The claws higher up on the leg. My dogs are jumpers so they would scratch me all up if it weren't for the fact that the dew claws were removed.

I wouldn't remove them if it wasn't necessary, but I've seen a couple dogs in our rescue kennel get their back dew claws (which were really dangle-ly)stuck on things over and over again, and they had to be removed because they were constantly reinjured and infected.

I disagree with ear croppings, tail dockings, and any other procedures done for cosmetic reasons. I prefer the natural look, and I also don't think my dog would care if he had floopy ears when his breed standard stated otherwise (not that I have a dog whose breed standard calls for cropped anything).

Recently, this family I know allowed their dogs to breed, and instead of spaying the female, they had the puppies' tails docked because one potential "puppy buyer" wanted docked tails on the dogs. They refused to spay the female because it was "too expensive," but for the price they paid to dock the tails, they could have fixed the mother and still had extra to put towards altering the male. I'm still not sure how I managed to stay relatively calm when dealing with these people.

[Sviega]

I had a Schnauzer and the breeder didn't allow her pups to have their tails or ears docked. I was very glad and when Pepper had her babies I didn't have them cropped either.

You have a jerk for a brother in law, but you have to tread softly. You could ruin your relationship with your sister. Surely, if it came to a showdown I'm sure she would chose her husband over you.

You've had your say, some people just won't listen. Be careful or you could cause problems in your sister's marriage.