Problem solved.
Alrighty then, so after much deliberations and some gin an excellent compromise has been reached. The subject of moving has been solved thusly.
1-We are to enjoy being engaged as neither of us has ever been engaged before.
2-I'm going no where, he's going no where-for the time being. If we're still blissfully happy about being engaged in another few months we will look for a place, together.
3- that means both of us make the leap and start off on a totally clean slate and even footing.
4-We are to ignore all opinions of family and friends and do what suits us.
5- We are to remind ourselves-regularly- that while family and friends all have very definite ideas of what we should be doing, family and friends can go take a running jump.
That all worked nicely for me.
And I am getting a new phone that lets me see numbers before I answer.
On an entirely seperate issue. Can anyone explain to me the logic of chopping off the tails/ears of dogs? I only mention it because earlier on my way back from being thrown around the gym I met a girl I haven't seen for years walking her boxer, a daft, stupid over-excitable thing called Dudley. Dudley had a tail, a fine long tail that he used to whip the crap out of my legs before he flung himself on the ground and pushed himself along on one side using his back legs, (really boxers are the silliest of creatures).
'Your dog has a tail.' I observed. Oh some mornings I am a quick as a whip myself.
'Yeah, my uncle bred him and he doesn't believe in docking or cropping. He thinks it's cruel.'
'Indeed.'
But it set me to thinking, in this day and age is there really any reason to dock a tail or crop ears? Is it just for fashion? Is it cruel? Would an undoctored dog be of less value? Why must show dogs be cut?
My old doberman was docked, but his ear were flappy, like a labrador because the woman who bred him said he wasn't a show dog so no need to crop (it makes a huge difference in how they look, cropped ears give dobies that very fierce intense look everybody is familiar with). So why do people do it? What about great danes, (ears) jack russells, rothweilers, cocker spaniels, pointers, old english sheepdogs? Why do they get their tails lopped off but not say, red setters or pugs, or German Shepherds? Someone once told me it has to do with damage sustained while hunting, but that doesn't make sense becasue fox and deer hounds all have full tails and uncroopped ears, and they go through the worst vegetation. And what about labs, they're a gun dog...what about...eeekk, French Bulldogs. Do the little chaps I love go through pain to make them look the way they do?
Does anyone know why the alterations? Is it to qualify for breed standard? I'm genuinely interested.
posted by fatmammycat at 11:21 a.m.
3 Comments:
They used to chop the ears of dobermans because they used to be fighting dogs, and dogs do go for each other's ears when they fight. There is absolutely no reason to continue doing it, because if a dog owner only owns a dog to make it fight (which should be illegal, if it isn't already) then they're the last person on earth who should be allowed to own any animal.
Same goes for great danes, another of my favorite breeds.
A doberman with his natural, floppy ears and tail is a nice, goofy, sweet looking dog. A doberman with his ears cropped looks like a jackal from hell.
...I'm against it.
My Spanish friend has a great dane for years, she was totally blind for the last four years of her life, hated the rain, and used to get into my friend's bed, burrow under the duvet and sleep with her head on the pillow- like a person. Such gentle animals.
I don't think my doberman ever looked 'goofy' but they do look more like hunting dogs with the ears left and the tail on. I think they are trying to pass a law against cropping here in Ireland, or maybe it has already been passed. I'll check. Can't see why any dog needs something lopped off unless for a medical reason myself.
French Bulldogs are born without a long tail and their ears naturally stand. They are not cut nor docked. I did once have a doberman growing up and we did cut his ears and his tail was docked, but after experiencing the dobies time after his ears were cut, i would never ever ever do it again.
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