Roger- Thankyou for sticking up for the U.K. even though Princess Annes dog last year bit the maid and attacked one of the Queens Corgis which had to be put down and she fought to keep that dog from being put to sleep ordered by the courts and won. The papers said the dog was left to do as it pleased and she had no control over it- it was some kind of pit or bull terrier-can't remember what it was exactly.

ok ok I'm sorry, No more British cracks today, see guys later. my cousins are coming over to help me take the wheels off my new house <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

from what i've read, docked/cropped are to minimize targets in fights--floppy ears, long tails are easy to grab, and sensitive to boot. i personally love the look of a cropped Dobe, Dane, and the docked tail(Dobe)makes them much less a menace to the coffee table <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

The Princess Anne dog was a White Bull Terrier. Lisa, correct me if I'm wrong. The difference between the UK and American legal system is, in America, the prosecution has to prove the defendant guilty. In the UK, the defendant has to prove his/her innocence.
I've done earth work with a number of UK terrier men over the years and they've always commented on how radical the animal rights people are over there. One guy told me, some what seriously, that your better off being arrested for child abuse, than being caught with a terrier in a badger set <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />.

It was an English Bull Terrier, and, as I wasn't in court to hear all the evidence I can't really comment upon the judgement (although one does have opinions about what some 'well-connected' persons appear to 'get away with' , esp speeding prosecutions <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

English criminal law requires the prosecution to prove guilt 'beyond reasonable doubt', which AFAIK is much the same as in America. Civil prosecutions require less rigorous proof and go on 'the balance of probability'.

(Many European countries do require a defendant to prove his innocence of the charge.)

I'm sad to say that there certainly are 'animal rights terrorists' in UK, but I have been quite distressed to see how lightly some animal abuse cases are dealt with in the courts.
One could say the same about some child abuse cases, but if you are not in court to hear all the evidence.....

I am sorry that the above is off the topic of unnecessary mutilation, which is how I personally regard ear-cropping and much of the tail-docking which is done for 'cosmetic' reasons.

O E D Bob Scott, yeah what that fella told you I'd certainly agree on. Rogers right on the breed of dog English Bull Terrier (which most are white) so you're not wrong either! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
There was another case last year where this man (but would rather call him something else <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />Hung a puppy from a tree outside a children's garden party, for all of them to see. I don't EXACTLY remember details, but he was caught and got a petty fine and a few hours community service. ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING!!! All the animal rights were going mental- Bloody Judges!
I'd better stop talking about 'cruelty' it gets me so angry!

Let's talk about something nicer- <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I would like to comment on the docked tail leads to loss of balance argument. This makes intuitive sense, but I haven’t seen it in practice. My agility dog has no tail and was probably born without one; he has no stub or anything. I don’t think he has a balance problem. I see lots of agility dogs without tails and they seem to be at no disadvantage.

He does seem a little messier when he poops, but only when things are a little runny. It seems to me this is because he doesn’t have a tail to pull stuff out of the way. I think if he had very short tail, instead of nothing, this wouldn’t be a problem.