docking tails?

Question

I might breed my Aussie on a year or so. Its a long way away but I was wondering about tail docking. My aunt had a litter and docked the tails by tying rubber bands around them. She said after a few days they fall of. Do they are in is safe?

Answer 1

Sounds like a good way to give a puppy an infection to me.. Try talking to your vet about it.

Edit: Newborn puppies DO feel pain. Pinch one and it will squeal just the same as a 2 week old puppy will. The myth that they don't is there simply to make people not feel like crap for mutilating newborn pups.

Answer 2

NONE of those breeds are docked/cropped due to guarding, protection work in order to keep someone from grabbing on. Those are MYTHS thrown around. You can not understand if you do not truly know. Rottweilers were bred as a working breed, not a protection/guard breed. Largely used around cattle. Same as with many field dogs, a tail with excess fur is a magnet for burs, mud, waste, etc... that can lead to infection and problems. So, remove the tail. Because 2,000 years ago, there weren't vets around to fix infections. Dobermanns were never docked/cropped to protect their ears and tails. They were docked and cropped because they were meant as a protection breed, and a cropped/docked dobermann LOOKS much more intimidating. I would question approaching a good looking dobie. A weird looking hound thing with a long stringy tail and huge floppy ears, not so scary.... German shepherds with their prick ears already have a naturally striking appearance, hence no need (obviously) to crop or dock. You also have to look at time periods. Max Von Stephanitz started breeding german shepherds in the late 1800s. There have been amazing medical advances since then, but veterinary care would still of been WAY above veterinary care during the roman empire and the middle ages that the rottie stems from. Besides, german shepherds were never really meant to be a herding breed, they were a working breed. So they were not in the field following a herd of large cattle. And it has already been pointed out that none were cropped/docked to protect them from assailants. REPEAT, German shepherds were NEVER truly bred as a HERDING BREED, Max V Stephanitz wanted the perfect WORKING dog that could do EVERYTHING. HE approached the german army about using his dogs, HE created schutzhund to test breeding stock (and notice that nothing in schutzhund involves herding). He largely used herding breeds to set the foundations for the breed because of their rugged nature and keen intelligence.

Answer 3

The rubber band method takes longer to heal, therefore the puppy is feeling pain for longer. Imagine having Your appendage tied so tight that the blood circulation caused the end to die and fall off.
My dog had its tail docked within 2-3 days of birth by a vet. It only took a few stitches to close and He has had No negative residual effects. In fact, for many breeds- a docked tail is imperative to their breed standard and what kind of work they were bred too do.

Answer 4

Not a good way to do it at all. The tails should be cut at 3 days. Rubber bands just kills off the tissue and can cause major injections.

Before you breed your aussie, make sure you've got her tested for hip dysplasia and find out if epilepsy has occurred in any of her littermates or aunts/uncles. Epilepsy is the number one growing problem in aussies these days.

Answer 5

Here's a great idea. Don't breed your dog. The world isn't hurting for more Aussies.

Check out www.petfinder.com There are 7-8 million homeless dogs in the United States alone. Over half of those will be euthanized.

Please hold off breeding until all other dogs have a home.

Answer 6

If you needed your finger amputated, would you prefer the surgeon cut it off properly, or me to put a rubber band around it till it fell off?

The dog I have to assume would have the same answer.

Your already going to take their tail, at least have it done properly by a professional, not a rubber band.

Answer 7

NO!!! Please have a vet do it. If done wrong the puppies can suffer from infections and it may cause even more seriouse proublems.
If you can't afford to have their tails docked by a vet then you can't afford to raise a litter of puppies.

Answer 8

Docking tails this way is VERY painful for the pups and can cause infection. It is NOT safe to do, and is NOT humane. If you're going to have the pups' tails docked, please have a veterinarian do it!

Answer 9

isnt that illegal now?????
No terrier i know has a docked tail.... I had one puppy with a docked tail around 10 years ago. But we got told they weren't aloud anymore... It doesnt even sound fair to me. Tails are nice anyway

Answer 10

So not a good ideal. The pups should be taken to the vet for docking.