Rusty Rose Ranch Dog Blog

Happy 3rd birthday to my sweet baby Nessie. You are the closest I've ever come to having a child of my own and I love you more than life. I loved you when you were a blip on an ultrasound, when you were a little skeleton on an X-ray, and when you took your first breaths in my hands. Every day with you is a blessing.

And happy birthday to all the other Spyro the Dragon Puppies....

Basil, Beau, Ranger, Elvira and Raptor who is waiting on them at the bridge.

I stand with New York trying to pass laws to forbid tail docking. I know I have friends who disagree and that's ok, but I support this ban 1000%.

I'm not usually a fan of big government but animal cruelty is already illegal and people are getting away with this still, so obviously the law needs to be more specific.

I am not just pro tail; I am adamantly, militantly, unapologetically anti docking and cropping. I don't believe it should be a choice. I don't believe it should be legal without extenuating circumstances. I am also not a big fan of NBT. Dogs without tails are disadvantaged in many ways.

Dogs deserve their tails. Even show dogs. Even working dogs. Yes, dogs can safely work with tails. Tail injuries are extremely rare and can be handled on a case by case basis. They can also be avoided by selectively breeding for correct tail set (upright, loose eyed herders like Aussies, for example should not have low, "sweepy" tails like border collies if they're going to work cattle).

Remember that the vast majority of upright herders are NOT docked (cattle dogs, English Shepherds, etc). In fact Aussies are very closely related to English Shepherds, who are nearly identical in both conformation and working style.

For every breed that's docked to avoid tail injuries, there is a similar breed that is not docked and they simply selectively breed for safer tails.

This goes double for ear cropping. For every cropped, hunting breed there's a hound who isn't. Catahoulas are hog dogs and work with loose ears.

And if you're breeding lines that never work in the field you have zero excuses for docking and cropping. No one is buying show line Aussies or MAS or Pembrokes to work on REAL ranches. No one is doing ANY kind of hunting work with great danes.

Stop using breed standards as an excuse. They're written by humans and can be changed to reflect modern science, morals and animal husbandry.

I used to be ok with docking (never was ok with cropping). I've since educated myself and moved to a new place in my understanding of ethical treatment of our dogs. I own docked dogs. I have friends who dock. I love them even if I disapprove of their choices.

If laws are the only way to stop people from mutilating tails and ears to impress show ring judges, I am all for it. We obviously lack the morals as a country to simply do what's right by our animals.

If any of this offends you, feel free to unfriend or unfollow me. But remember, I was willing to be your friend despite believing your practices to be barbaric. I was willing to look past that difference and still be your friend. I was willing to agree to disagree and not make it personal.

If you can't look past the differences, that's on you. I've never unfriended anyone for vocally supporting docking.

Commenting turned off because I'm not going to debate something that should fall under basic morality ie don't mutilate live creatures for cosmetic reasons (and no I don't accept the working dog excuse...dogs work with tails and ears all over the world).

Big thanks to Mark for my great photos!

Nessie's first dock diving lesson!

Stop mutilating animals to please show ring judges.

And yes I'm aware I have friends who feel differently. That's fine. I'm still your friend even if we see it differently...unless you laugh react to me expressing my opinion at which time you go on the block list. If I'm a big enough person to be your friend even though you dock/crop, you can be a big enough person to support me voicing my opinion.

I also understand some people genuinely believe working dogs are safer cropped/docked. I disagree but respect your opinion.

Docking and cropping a non working dog specifically for the sake of winning ribbons is not something I will ever be ok with.

Doesn't mean I don't love my friends who feel differently; I just don't love their choices. As my Mimmy used to say "hate the sin, not the sinner."

When a dog wins at a major show, their picture is beamed around the world and becomes the ‘normal’ for how that breed should look.

Which is why it is so upsetting to see Penny the Doberman on the podium yesterday at this year’s Westminster Kennel Club show in America.

Not because she isn’t a healthy, functional and clearly very loved dog.

But because she has been subjected to ear cropping and tail docking.

Unfortunately this is the breed standard in America but, thankfully, in much of the rest of the world these practices are recognised for what they are; painful and unnecessary mutilations of our pets.

Dobermans shouldn’t look like Penny, they should look like the other dog in this picture, the Best of Breed at Crufts last year, who demonstrates very clearly that cropping and docking only detracts from the beauty and presence of these lovely dogs.

We had a great morning at the DFWLRC rally trial!

Sonic finished her RAE2, RM2, and won her Advanced class with a 100. She also has all 20 triples for her RACH and we are just chasing Master points now.

Nessie finished her RAE and RM and had good scores all morning too. We are not planning to pursue a RACH for her right now, so we will be pulling back from rally now to focus on agility.

Almost forgot to share these!!

Well it took a while but I finally got the last of the pics that I ordered from our photo session at Rally nationals!

2 announcements!

1- I already shared this on my personal page but we have a new resident here! We took in a sweet little papillon as a rehome. If things go well, he may do some sporty stuff. I guess he's an honorary MAS. This is Zap!

2-On a more somber note, at this time, we are putting all breeding plans on hold. Between various factors affecting my personal life, the emotional fall out of Raptor's passing, my day job increasing my work hours and a desire to focus on the dogs I have and give them as much of me as possible, I don't feel I have the time, energy, money or emotional bandwidth to pursue breeding right now.

I've told myself I am going to take 6 months to think before I run off and spay everything, but that IS something I am considering.

I appreciate all the great support I've received in my efforts to start a program and I do plan to stay heavily involved with MAS and the breed club regardless of what I decide. Certain factions are not getting rid of me that easily!

I may also revisit the idea of breeding when I retire from my real job in 5 yrs.

This is just a heads up to anyone who might have been watching for a breeding that it won't be happening soon.

Thanks to everyone and lots of love from the Rusty Rose Ranch crew to all our friends and family.

New BCAT for Nessie!