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Often as a puppy matures, ears which looked right at cropping time become disproportionately small on an adult dog's head. We must assume, too, that some puppies bleed to death at the hands of inexperienced breeders attempting to cut costs by doing their own cropping. In all probability there are also puppies who sustained permanent physical damage because of poorly administered anesthetic.

Even when the operation is performed by a veterinarian or an experienced breeder, there is always a risk of faulty healing or carriage, which ruins the dog for show purposes and detracts from his appearance, even as a pet.

Women's fashions are in a constant state of inconstancy. Every season brings radical changes in periods of adjustment of public taste. But after a very short time our eyes become accustomed to thigh-high skirts, short hair styles, or the latest shoes available, and these things seem normal, and even attractive. Likewise, if the practice of ear cropping were abandoned, surely it would take only a short time to adjust our eyes to the new look.

In Great Britain ear cropping has been outlawed for more than 90 years. British Boxers and Schnauzers and Danes are every bit as attractive as ours, in just a slightly different way. The natural ear of the Schnauzer is no more unattractive than that of the Fox Terrier, and breeders in those countries are spared the expense, the risks, and the bother of cropping.

In the United States, the group of breeds that have standards which specify cropped ears are: Miniature Pinschers, Manchester Terriers, Miniature and Giant Schnauzers, Boston Terriers, Boxers, Doberman Pinschers, Bovier des Flandres, and Great Danes.

The standards for Affenpinschers, Brussels Griffons and Standard Schnauzers state that the ears are usually cropped, while the Staffordshire Terrier standard says that the years may be cropped or natural. For the Briard, the standard says that the ears are usually cropped in France. Until ten years ago the Bull Terrier standard said that ear cropping was optional, then the option was deleted from the standard.

Among the people who raise these breeds, reaction to the cropping question varies from, "I hate it but there's nothing I can do if I want to show my dogs and sell my pups," to "I've been doing my own cropping for years and I don't mind it anymore and I like the look of cropped ears."

Still, it's hard to believe that anyone who has the best interests of his or her dogs at heart could get any sort of satisfaction out of the practice of ear cropping.

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1. Clipping my Poodle isn't really much trouble until I get to her feet. Why is she so jumpy about it and what can I do to make the job easier?

Many Poodles are extremely sensitive about having their feet clipped, especially the front ones. I think that the first few grooming sessions set the pattern for this sensitivity. You may never be able to change him now, even if you manage to develop a gentle touch with the clipper.

It is important to hold the weight of the clipper in your hand instead of resting it on your dog's foot while you clip. Pull the hair away from the toenail with your fingers so the clipper can pick it up easily.

Do not dig it out with the sharp points of the blade. When you clean the hair from between the toes, let your finger separating the pads beneath the toes protrude just enough to protect the web. Any dog that has been poked and cut will always flinch, so it may be necessary to get someone to hold the leg at the elbow to prevent movement.

2. Everyone tells me that I should show my new Poodle puppy. Should I do anything special about his clipping?

I believe that getting involved with a kennel club and learning all of the ins-and-outs from them is one of the best ways to go about this concern. There is much more to being a show dog than meets the eye. This includes expending lots of energy and time. In the meanwhile, be sure any groomer who clips your puppy knows you intend to show her so the groomer won't cut the hair you will need later.

3. My Poodle's teeth need to be professionally cleaned by the vet once or twice a year. Is there any way I can keep from having to have this done? She refuses to chew bones.

In the first place, chewing bones is not always all that effective, and, of course, you have to be very careful about that anyway. I have seen dogs that chew that have terrible teeth and dogs that don't and have beautiful teeth. The best solution is to brush your dog's teeth everyday using a baby toothbrush. If this is too much for you, then continuing your regular trips to the vet is the next best solution.

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How would it feel knowing you took your dog to a local groomer, sat in the waiting area outside of the view of the groomer, and then found out that in order to get the job done the person tied your dog's mouth up, smacked its bottom, and did other things to "restrain" the pup so that the groomer could finish the job?

This type of approach is being used every day in dog grooming parlors around the country. When asked about such practices most give the same reply: That these are the necessary tactics to getting the dog trimmed and groomed.

Sandra Booth, A Professional Groomer For More Than 20 Years, Doesn't Agree:

"All of our grooming is done in plain view so that anyone can watch their pet being groomed. All I ask is that the owner pretend to leave the shop so the dog won't be looking around for that owner. Once the animal is convinced that the owner has departed, that owner is perfectly free to watch the entire grooming process of their pet."

Some shops invite first-time customers into the grooming room for a behind-the-scenes peek, which usually delights the dog owner. However, customers are not encouraged to view their dog during the grooming process.

The pet is anticipating going home, and when the groomer is working on the dog using sharp shears, the chance of an accidental cutting is great when a dog goes into an alert at their owner's presence.

The shop operated by Sandra Booth is located in a quiet suburb of a large Southern California city. It was immaculately clean with the smell of disinfectant in the air even though an interview was unannounced.

"Do you see any dog mouths shut?" asked Mrs. Booth. "Do you see any of my employees giving tranquilizers? Any dogs being spanked, hit, beaten, or mistreated? There's absolutely no reason for dog grooming to be done behind closed doors, unless the groomer has something to hide"

Sandra goes on to say, "If a groomer knows his or her business, enjoys the work, likes animals, and keeps their welfare uppermost, then there is no reason to hide anything. If a groomer's work can't stand the light of day, and has to be kept hidden, then there is something wrong."

When she was asked her feelings about the possibility of getting license after all of these years being in the business, "I'm all for it," she replied. "It's about time. There's been too much quackery in the grooming business, with incompetent, self-proclaimed groomers not only hurting the reputation of reputable groomers, but hurting dogs as well."

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Cruelty among unlicensed "backyard groomers" has been a growing series of unfortunate events in both small and large towns across the country.

With cheap services that are far lower priced than professional groomers, it's easy for many dog owners to see the benefit of saving money over the possibility that the groomer might not know what he or she is doing.

Fortunately, there is an organization that works hard to protect the sanctity of professional animal groomers across the nation. They are the National Dog Groomers Association of America (NDGAA).

With tens of thousands of members running strong, the NDGAA has been responsible for introducing legislation around the country to bring more responsibility and legal protection for dog owners and the garage groomers that do business today.

Unfortunately, it has not been an easy task to convince lawmakers to hold the same standards to the dog grooming business as they do for human barber shops and stylists. Beauty operators and barbers are licensed and must adhere to various controls to protect the consumer.

Licensing of dog groomers appears to be just over the horizon. While nobody likes federal and state governments to step in and control private industry, the present state of the grooming industry is such that steps must be taken to protect the consumer, as well as the unsuspecting animal. At present, any person has the right to call him or herself a groomer.

A Recent Shocking Survey

Last year a small group of individuals who support laws to come down hard on dangerous grooming practices and unlicensed shops took it upon themselves to interview 85 establish groomers in as many grooming shops as 5 large cities.

It was bewildering to discover only one shop conducting grooming in full view of customers and other patrons. This led to the shaking of a few more insights, and a desire to know why grooming is normally done behind close doors.

The answer, it seems, is that the dog owner "wouldn't understand" why a groomer was doing a particular thing or treating an animal in a particular way. It seems that many animals left for grooming are in such a terrified state of mind that they have to be tranquilized.

In some cases, some animals are anesthetized before any grooming can take place. One groomer explained:

"Most animals left to be groomed are spoiled rotten, and you can't do a thing with them unless they get their bottom spanked. Sometimes, we have to tie their mouths shut, but the general public just wouldn't understand this."

These groomers may have a point here about having a hard time keeping dogs calm during the process, but the underlying justification to abuse animals in order to get the job done is not enough to warrant such practices.

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Have you considered having your dog groomed by an unlicensed groomer, perhaps one that is considerably cheaper than a professional? If so, there are some important things you should be aware of.

For starters, at present, any animal left with a groomer is unprotected by law, and no requirement exists that the particular groomer has to be qualified and proficient in the art of dog grooming. Laws requiring dog groomers to pass state board tests, or to otherwise prove their capabilities, simply do not exist.

Grooming schools that allow students (whom are not yet licensed) to perform on your pets are not required to give the student a sufficient number of hours to assure the graduate will be capable of safely handling an animal. A novice simply should not be permitted to groom animals for money without sufficient training to avoid the many accidents reported daily.

Grooming Horror Stories

In doing some serious behind-the-scenes research, we have learned of the many horror stories which otherwise would not have surfaced. It has been reported throughout many cities that teats have been cut off accidentally, and dogs are suffocated daily in unsafe homemade dryers - as examples of the injuries occurring at the hands of untrained persons dealing in grooming services.

A woman from California who experienced a terrible accident when she brought her Poodle to a backyard groomer stated "It's getting to the point now where licensing is a must, as protection for the legitimate groomer, the animal, and the owner."

Reports of dog groomers who are sadistic, as well as dishonest, have been reported to the authorities in many areas across the nation. One report alleges cruelties such as smashing dogs' heads to the floor from the grooming table. These types of reports, although hard to believe actually happen, were investigated and found to be true.

The animal cannot fend for itself and there must be guidelines set up to protect everyone dealing in and needing grooming services. The public is under the impression that "professional dog groomers" are already licensed.

There are no health standards governing backyard grooming shops, and many with public locations are not legally licensed or respecting any particular health codes.

In many of these places you will find everything from cockroaches to mange. Proper methods of disinfecting the premises, general rules of safety in handling animals, and proper crating procedures, are totally ignored - or are foreign - to many so-called groomers who have simply purchased a business license and became self-styled dog groomers.

The garage groomers have no problems of proper hygiene, because, due to the lack of licensing procedures, they have no license to be revoked. All the garage groomer has to do is close up and move to another location when he becomes unpopular in one neighborhood.

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