Tail docking?

Question

i know tail docking has been made illegal in the UK as of April 2007. i want to know if you agree with it.

ok so most people are saying that its cruel and that tails help them balance and communicate. i happen to have a springer with a docked tail and he has brilliant balance, especialy when he is doing agiltiy. he functions just as well as the undocked springer next door.
please look at this web site
http://www.cdb.org/

ok people, please look at the site above before answeing this question, please tell me if this changes your mind.

Answer 1

Having kept Yorkshire terriers for over 30yrs, I had always been used to their 'traditional' docked tails. To be honest, I never gave this a second thought as the 'breed standard' always specified either a very short 'show' tail or a slighter longer 'gay' tail.

When I acquired my present Yorkies, they both had their natural tails... although one has a much shorter tail than the other! It took me a long time to get used to the breed with their natural tails and, even now, I'm not 100% used to it. Of course there are valid arguments on both sides of the docking issue and I respect both. However, why does one never see either a Norfolk or Norwich terrier with anything longer than a tiny stump? Or has evolution intervened here?

A few years ago, I telephoned the kennel club and asked if I would be seeing any Yorkies with undocked tails at Crufts that year. I was told that the dogs would not be shown docked. Well, six years on, the dogs I saw in the show ring were most certainly docked. So this must mean, the 'breed standard' still exists for showing of certain breeds. It hardly makes sense and seems a direct contradiction to any present laws. For my own personal taste, I preferred the breed docked although this is purely my own opinion and not one I would ever foist on others.

Tail or no tail, I love my dogs and wouldn't alter them for the world.

Answer 2

There is no real reason for routine tail docking, and causes about the same pain and stress as a human infant's circumcision.
.So, I am not really for or against, except in the extreme dockings of the total tail in some breeds.
However, dockings other than during the first 5 days after birth are cruel, risky and unnecessary unless the tail has been injured.

Answer 3

I don't need to look at a website to make a decision about docking.

I disagree with it. It is completely unnecessary.

I can understand that working Springer Spaniels might damage their tails in certain conditions. I'd be interested to see the stats on how many injuries are actually incurred by undocked working dogs. I would guarantee that the percentage would be probably less than the tail injuries caused in domestic accidents.

I slammed a cupboard door on my Border Collie's tail (no lasting damage) and my friend's German Shepherd got its tail caught on a nail but I don't think this justifies having every Collie and every Shepherd's tail docked which is the argument used by people who support docking.

The other argument is that 'it looks better'. A Rottweiler with a good strong, thick tail carried low looks great. Much better balanced and aesthetically pleasing than that disgustingly short stump.

P.S. Docking became popular as a scam to avoid tax. At one time a tax was levied on all non-working dogs so people cut off their pet dogs' tails to make them look like working dogs because all working dogs had docked tails.

Answer 4

Tail docking is done within a day or two of birth. Breeds like Boxers, Dobies to name a few, have their tails docked. Newborn pups do not feel the docking if done right after birth. What is wrong and cruel is cropping the ears. I know that was outlawed in the UK a while back. AKC has relaxed its rules on ear cropping so dogs with natural ears can be shown in conformation competitions. A dogs tail should not be docked when it is older as the dog can bleed to death.

Answer 5

I feel that both tail docking and ear cropping should be entirely left to personal choice. There are a number of legitimate reasons for both practices and there should be no problems so long as the procedure is done by a professional and properly cared for afterwards.

I've seen pups with tape still on their ears that weren't at all affected by it, and I've seen older dogs who have had to have their tail amputated and they had no sign that it bothered them (mostly confusion as to where it had gone). Dogs, even pups, have much higher thresholds for pain than people do, and I'm sure it's not exactly comfortable or pain free, but it doesn't seem to bother them any more than any other procedure or even getting actually hurt while playing -- they still keep going.

I personally prefer a lot of breeds with docked tails and/or cropped ears to have those procedures done. Besides, breed standards were written up for how a dog should look to perform their job correctly -- in many cases that involves these procedures.

I understand many people have problems with it, and that's fine so long as they don't try to force their issues on other people. After all, a vet takes the same precautions in tail docking or ear cropping as they would a spay procedure.

Answer 6

Do I agree with docking or the ban? I don't feel that non-medical docking is necessary for most of the dogs that get docked. Dobermans are docked to stop burglars grabbing them by the tail. But GSD's aren't. Gundogs are docked, but not setters.
I've seen badly docked dogs and the results aren't pretty. I feel if it has to be done it should only be done by a vet.

Answer 7

Boxers get their tails docked at a very young age. I always took my pups in between 2-4 days of age. The vet just snipped it off and put a stitch in the end. It is much less painful than declawing a cat. Boxers get so excited that they are at a high risk of breaking their tails when they whip them. Fixing a broken tail is much more painful and expensive down the road than just taking them in at a young age. It is also safer for their humans :)

I looked at the site and get the impression that these are very opinionated people, yet uneducated about the facts. I volunteered in a vet clinic as well as watching as my pups as they were docked. A majority of the pups don't even yelp! It is not even necessary to put the pups under anesthesia, unlike cats when being declawed who must be completely put under a general anesthetic.

By the way, last time I checked, they still circumsized human babies in order to cut down on infection and decrease the risks of them having greater pain down the road. I suggest that all u males that are totally against this "cruel and evil" practice should take a minute and think this one over!!!

Answer 8

I'm probably going to upset a few people with this answer. For dogs kept as pets i don't agree with it. It's purely for vanity then. When it comes to working gundogs though it should be done. I've seen dogs working with undocked tails, the state they end up in is unbelieveable. Blood all over them, right up to their shoulders because their tails have been injured whilst working. It's been known for adult working dogs with undocked tails to have to have major surgery and their tails amputated due to injury.

Answer 9

I would not say it was cruel if it is done properly but it is wrong. A dogs tail isn't just for balance it is also a communication device. If nature had decided to give them short tails they would be born that way, as with most things us humans want them to look the way we want them to look even if this means mutilating them to get the desired effect.

Answer 10

Tails are supposed to be docked at 3 days old. It is done quickly and the pup has no complaints in about 30 mins!
I have a doberman, and I can't imagine one w/ a long tail! I wouldn't want one w/ a long tail! Have you ever been hit in the leg w/ a wagging tail that was supposed to have been docked?? They leave whelps on ya!.... & can clear a coffee table too!
So I think that they should be docked.... but only at the very young age!!!