docking tails right or wrong????

Question

new docking rights have finally come through to help defenceless animals who have no say in there own welfare. but working dogs are still allowed to be docked should this be allowed?? also crufts now have to except breeds with tails that have never been shown with tails before how do you think this will go down ???

how would you feel if someone cut off your lips so you couldnt smile and show someone you were happy >?

Answer 1

It's absolutely wrong! There's no need for it, it's just mean!!

Answer 2

I understand that it is necessary to prevent injury to working dogs.

As for crufts accepting tails on traditionally docked breeds, it's about time (although I believe the scoring is still biased in favour of docking). The "breed standard" argument holds no water. Whether a dog's tail has been docked surely has nothing whatsoever to do with breeding.

There is argument on both sides as to whether it hurts or not. Whether it does or not I don't know, but to me it seems obvious that NOT docking CAN'T hurt.

Even if cutting off a dog's tail does not hurt, and the dog suffers no ill effects - given that most dogs are bred as companion animals and therefore are less likely to suffer injury, the best thing that can be said about docking is that it's unnecessary surgery.

Personally I don't like the idea of docking, but I'm hoping that some pro-docking people can give a reasoned argument as to why it's necessary or even beneficial. Then perhaps we'll learn something.

Answer 3

i have two rottweilers. they're tails were docked and they have suffered absolutely no ill effects from this. they still have "stumps" and they wag them like crazy, and in a way part of me is glad they don't have full tails because judging by the amount they wag them, i'd say we'd be bruised all the time if they did.

as far as i know in the rest of europe the dog shows will no longer accept dogs who's tails have been docked. and personally i feel that this is completely right and just. in time it won't even be a question, the dogs will simply all have tails, and nobody will think anything of it.

had the choice been mine, i would not have had my dogs tails docked. it's an out-dated proceedure, and a completely unneccessary one. its a tradition that never took the welfare of the dogs into account, because nobody ever thought of dogs feeling pain before. now that we know better, we should take this into consideration and question whether we want our puppies to go through a proceedure like that because "all the other dogs had it done".

i think this will go down just fine, because in no time at all nobody will even think twice about it.

working dogs that have the proceedure done for their own long-term benifit rather than for traditional or cosmetic purposes are a different case, however not all dogs are born working dogs. some are just bought for that purpose, so personally i think that the proceedure should be banned after a certain age for all dogs. if its not done within the first few days of their life, it shouldn't be done.

Answer 4

Now i am a dog trainer and i am in an irish family in which all the males have been dog trainers. now on occasion other people have used tail docking but my family have never beilieved it totally necisarry. it is usually just used for dogs with stronger tails which could whack people. to dock a tail is a very painfull procedure for dogs and can bleed for serveral days later and often becomes infected. after a while it stops hurting but most people would agree that a docked tail is not a pleasant thing to see. it would have been very painful for the dog and is highly un natural for it.
and there is also an ongoing debate in crufts about the tails issue and what should and should not be allowed so i ahve no real idea about the outcome. my grandfather, my father and i have all opposed docking of any kind. simply due to the animals wellfair.

Answer 5

The law in the UK against docking has been in effect for a long time. Only vets are allowed to dock so people with docked breeds went to those vets that did it. Dogs have always been able to be shown with a tail, didnt mean they were going to win though and you have to win at other Championship shows to be able to go to Crufts. So Crufts has always let dogs with tails in but they have very rarely been able to go because they dont qualify at other shows first.

Answer 6

I totally disagree with tail docking. Dogs with docked tails are unable to communicate normally with other dogs as they use their tails more than any other part of them to show how they are feeling. I feel that docking a tail for working purposes is a poor excuse... Labrador retrievers and Golden retrievers are both working breeds but they have never had to have their tails docked so why should others? As for working guard dogs that are subjected to docking... I think they look menacing enough when they are on the attack, even when they have a tail!! Altering a dog's appearance to make it easier on the eye for a judge is just horrendous.

Answer 7

I'm glad this law has finally been sorted out.
I've always been against docked tails, it takes away from a dog a valuable way 2 express its self.
Different forms of wagging mean different things & the dog's far happier.
Working Dogs I suppose I'll accept that, I've seen a tail go septic from a rat bite, better 2 avoid that with docking.

As 4 Crufts.
I hope every1 can ease in2 it without 2 much fuss.
Fingers X'd, U never know people R people, after all .

Going by the amount of thumbs downs banded about I'd say the " Keep Docking Brigade " R here.

Not every1 agrees with mutilating perfectly healthy dogs.
It's dated & unnecessary.
If it didn't need it, mother nature would take care of it & the dog would B born without a tail!

Answer 8

If you have a working dog then it is safter for it to have its tail docked. If not then it could injure its tail by getting caught on fencing ect...
If you will not be working your dog then there is no need to dock the tail. But, to be on the safe side all tails are docked when they are very young as it the best time to avoide distress.
If a breeder had waited untill they knew the future of the pup, then they would have to dock later and that is much more distressing.
So for working breeds, I say yes its right.

Answer 9

Working dogs should have their tails docked. I work at a rescue, and the only reason I believe in this is for this simple reason. When springer spaniels are out with their owners, they are expected to run and fetch the phesant or rabbit that its owner has murdered. The dogs have to go through bracken, brambles and stinging nettles to get to these poor helpless animals. Whilst running through brambles, their tails get literally ripped to shreds by the thorns. They bleed and bleed, and this causes the dog a lot of pain.

However I do believe that this practise should be done legally by a vet, and that it is done properly and will not cause the dog pain from when it is done and throughout its life.

There is no need for dogs such as rottweilers and dobermanns to have their tails docked. It's just for appearance and this is very cruel. It makes you wonder if these dogs are wanted for they love that they show or for the prizes they win. As for crufts, people will have to get used to it. Sureley if they care enough about their animals, they won't mind if it's banned?

Answer 10

Definately against.
Docking is an unecessary mutilation. It's done at a couple of days old with no anaesthetic. To my shame I am someone who used to breed and show docked breeds and used to dock myself. I hated it. I hated the puppies screams and their grizzling and crying afterwards. Breeders will tell you that it doesn't bother them but it does. Scientific tests have proven that young puppies have more nerves in their tails than previously thought and the pain is horrendous. If they don't cry much it's because they lose their voices from shock and pain. The arguments used by the pro dockers is nonsense. They say that gundogs get their tails torn while going through brambles. If this is the case, why not dock labradors then? I kept cockers most of my life and the bits to get torn while going through brambles wasn't their thick, well covered tails, it was their ears, yet I don't see anyone asking for cutting off puppies ears.
Most of the customarily docked breeds have nothing to do with hunting.
Tail docking started in medieval times when it was thought that rabies was caused by a worm in the tail. Rabid dogs would chase and snap at their own tails. In some parts of Europe, Spain to name one, peasants still cut off the tails of kittens in the belief that it stops them getting rabies.
The sooner it is banned the better.

Answer 11

TOTALLY WRONG!
It is banned in the UK
Un-docked dogs of certain breeds ,traditionally docked ,
are now judged on the breed standards.
but a docked tail, is not now, a part of a dogs com formation.
( and no marks are taken away for one with a tail )

It is cruel and totally unnecessary.
A dogs tail shows , pleasure by wagging ,
helps with balance while running
A tail looks far better than a stump.

Why maime a good dog, for fashion reasons.

>^,,^<