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Dog lovers' hearts went out this week to AK, the Windsor, Ont., puppy who was found whimpering and bleeding after his owner sliced off his ears, allegedly in an attempt to make the German shepherd-Rottweiler mix look more menacing.

But across the country, similar - though much more safe and humane - operations happen every day. If you've never seen a doberman with floppy ears or a Rottweiler with a long tail, it's because breeders and veterinarians crop dogs' ears and dock their tails to make them conform to breed standards.

The ideal of canine beauty may be changing, however, as dog lovers, veterinarians and a few breeders increasingly challenge the routine practice of cropping and docking.

"There is no logical argument for docking in this day and age," says Suzanne Eikanger-Stoops, a Rottweiler breeder and shower who splits her time between Abbotsford, B.C., and Boring, Ore.

She has several champion "natural-tailed" Rottweilers she imported from Germany, where docking is illegal, but she still docks the tails of her puppies. "It's cosmetic - we do it because we like the look."

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association opposes both cropping, in which the ears are cut and reshaped, and docking, in which the tail is cut off. Dogs go under anesthesia for ear-cropping operations, but not for tail docking, which is usually done with a snip of the scissors or slice of the scalpel when puppies are three to five days old.

"I frown upon it," says Toronto veterinarian Jonathan Mitelman, who refuses to perform either procedure. He has treated dogs with complications from botched tail docking such as spinal cord injuries and skin problems on the tail nub. "It's quite yucky," he says.

The United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and other countries have banned the practices. Newfoundland and Labrador prohibits ear cropping, and is the only province so far with such a law. But even though she engages in the practice, Ms. Eikanger-Stoops feels change is inevitable.

"Within 10 years I think docking and cropping will be outlawed completely," she says.

That doesn't mean attitudes will change easily. Some dog-show people fight tooth and nail against any changes to the breed standard. At one show in the United States, Ms. Eikanger-Stoops says, traditionalists actually booed a Rottweiler with a tail. Opponents also printed up T-shirts with a picture of a tailed Rottweiler inside a circle with a slash drawn through it.

"They considered it an affront to the breed standard."

While the Rottweiler Canadian Kennel Club breed standard was changed in 2006, after several years of deliberation, to allow natural tails, many breed standards still require docking or cropping. That means dogs are penalized in the ring if their ears or tail haven't been altered.

Proponents of tail docking and ear cropping say the traditional procedures are humane, and protect dogs from injuring otherwise vulnerable body parts.

"If they don't like it, they don't have to buy a docked breed," says Carolyn Irvine, a Spruce Grove, Alta.-based doberman breeder who supports cropping ears and docking tails when it's done by a skilled veterinarian.

She says dobermans with tails would make unwieldy indoor pets, and that the breed has declined in countries where docking is illegal.

While the show community drags its feet, the general public is pushing for undocked and uncropped dogs, says New Brunswick veterinarian Jim Berry. Recently, he says, the only Great Danes and boxers with cropped ears that he sees are show dogs.

"People are very much aware of it as an issue," he says. "The public is saying, 'No, we don't want this.' "

Theories vary on how docking and cropping became a tradition. Some working dogs had their ears and tails snipped to prevent injuries as they went crashing through the woods or fought opponents. Others say farmers in England began docking tails in the 1700s to avoid a "tail tax."

Now, though, it's mostly a cosmetic thing. Amy Nardella, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals agent who rescued AK, says the dog's owner cut his ears to make him look meaner. The same motivation drives some responsible owners to have their dogs' ears cropped by a vet.

"The main reason is to give them a more menacing look," says Shelagh MacDonald, program director at the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, which strongly opposes the practice.Fans of long tails and floppy ears welcome the friendlier look it gives their dogs. While Rottweilers can be intimidating, Ms. Eikanger-Stoops says her natural-tailed champion, Fabius, won many over with his tail-wagging.

"With tailed dogs, the public perception of the breed tends to be more relaxed and positive," she explains. "They can see the body language."

Dock, crop, or not?

Docking

Amputating a dog's tail to a desired length, which varies from non-existent (as in Rottweilers) to a few inches long (as in Weimaraners). It's usually performed on puppies aged 3-5 days without anesthesia. Vets or breeders use scissors, a scalpel or rubber bands (which cut off the tail's circulation). Other docked breeds include boxers, cocker spaniels, Jack Russell terriers, corgis and dobermans.

Cropping

Veterinarians put dogs under anesthesia and cut their ears to a certain shape, which varies by breed. In some breeds, owners must follow up by taping the dogs' ears to "train" them to stand up. It's usually done at about 10-14 weeks. Breeds include Great Danes, dobermans, schnauzers and German pinschers.

Rebecca Dube

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Cosmetic procedures aren't just for beauty queens any more. Whether for the sake of tradition or vanity, dog owners have found many ways to alter their canine's natural appearance.

Ears can be cropped

Imperfect teeth may be surgically corrected

Some dogs have been given facelifts and botox injections

Dewclaws may be removed to prevent them from catching on things

A dog's coat may be powdered, oiled, sprayed or coloured

Tails can be docked