should i be worried about my miniature poodle puppy's tail it is not docked some people say docking is just..

Question

just for show while others say their are health problems that will arise later on in life?

i really have no interest in getting him docked and he is 11 months old so really i wouldnn't want him to get it done

Answer 1

Miniature poodles generally get to keep their tails for cosmetic reasons. Also puppies tails need to be docked withing 3-5 DAYS after birth, while the puppy is still developing to retain from health problems. There is no reason in this day and age to dock any dog's tail exept for cosmetic purposes, unelss it is s working dog. (like farm dogs, hearding dogs, or hunting dogs. whos tails could potentially get in the way or injured during work) If your dog is more than 3 days old, I seriously advise you just leave it.

Edit: I'd adding this after i've read your additional information.
I'm glad you're not thinking of amputating, Dogs are born with tails, like we are born with fingers, a tail on a dog will cause as many health issues as a person's fingers. in other words no, you should have a healthy tailed puppy :)

Answer 2

The practise of docking a dog's tail is being debated as I write.

So many of the reasons for docking are buried back in history (some where) and may not apply in this day and age.

I would leave your dog's tail as it is right now! Just as the old saying goes "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" >

If you are interested, I would recommemd that you research the history of the Poodle.

The breed was originally called "Pudel" and did not originate in France as it is believed, but in Germany.

This was, and is, a "Water Dog".

The breed originally was used by the fishermen to haul in the lines to the fish nets and/or the lines used to moor the boat.
The dog had a very dense coat that did not add to the breed's performance in the water; it would soak up the water and make the dog so heavy that it ran the risk of drowning. That is when the owners decided to cut as much of the coat off as possible to reduce the "drag" in the water.
Just enough coat was left in place to protect the lungs / heart and the joints( wrist and heels). of the dog.....the fad caught on and was perpetuated. The tail was docked for the same reason, to reduce the "Drag" that the heavy tail would have.

A poodle coat is considered to be very much like" wool" rather than "hair", so, if you think about how heavy a wet wool sweater is , imagine a dog having to swim against such a handicap. This trimming was the pattern that we now see in our "Dog Show Poodles".

Just for interest sake, the tail of the water retrievers is like a rudder on a boat. If it was too heavey to perform this function, then the mobility of the dog would be compromised!

This is probably more information than you wanted ,but, when I start I cannot stop !

Answer 3

The only reason I would suggest an older dog have its tail docked is because of injury. You may even have trouble finding a vet that would do it.
The biggest problem with an undocked tail on a poodle is the fact that the hair keeps growing and growing and growing and.... You can keep it very short along the shaft of the tail. I have one that comes in for grooming and the owner just loves the fact that I still pom the tip of the tail. The rest of the shaft is taken extremely short, just as tight as if it had been docked.
She looks like a little lion.

Answer 4

Poodle's used to be hunting dogs and some argue that the cause of docking originated in limiting dogs that hunted from getting their tails stuck in brambles, etc.
A dog actually uses their tail for balance but will adjust to the absence of it. Tail docking now is only for appearance, just like ear clipping. Because people are so used to seeing dogs like Dobermans with the cropped ears and docked tails, same for poodles with docked tails, it seems weird to see ones that haven't been altered in appearance.
I have a Pit Bull dog (largely pit) whose ears I did not get cropped. She looks really cute with her ears. People have gotten more used to seeing this breed with their ears and so it doesn't seem weird anymore when they haven't been altered. A poodle's tail is normally docked about three days after birth. Some do it within hrs. after birth. When a poodle has matured, if you were going to insist on having the tail docked, get a Vet to do it. NO HEALTH PROBLEMS will arise from not having the tail docked unless your dog get's it's tail slammed in a door or something like that.

Answer 5

Docking a dog's tail is just for looks. I think it is a rather cruel thing to do to any animal. I had poodles when I was a kid and we never had their tails docked and there were never any health issues with that. Poodles have hip and joint problems and that definitely is not related to their tails.

Answer 6

No health problems arise from having their full length tail. It is just a show-quality purpose. Do not consider having her tail docked now, because I assume she's over 5 days old, and it would no longer be a docking, but rather it would be a surgery & amputation.

Answer 7

Dogs tails don't need to be cut for any reason besides fashion. It would be be a painful experience for your dog at this point (they are usually docked at 2-3 days old), so just don't do it.
I wish more people would stop docking and cropping ears, it's illegal to do it in England.

Answer 8

Don't dock the tail unless you see any signs of infection or something like that in the tail.

Answer 9

No problems will just have a tail.

Answer 10

really it dont madder but in other ways it will........it will do a little affect in its life in a cople years...but it depends on how old it is.. it will be okay it just will not look really good.