.com Forum · Australian Forum

Whats everyones opinions on tail docking??

I know it is banned everywhere except WA now but my vet will still do it for a medical reason (such as repeated broken tail)

My dobie pup was bred in WA so her tail has been docked - apparently dobies tails are quite fragile and break alot.

My rottie has her tail docked - We got her from the pound like that - I suspect it was done with a rubber band and now she has a lump that almost resembles a belly button - she is always itchy and chewing her tail as a result.

Just wondering what people think about tail docking - Im sure this will get a few people angry!!

I really dont like it when people dock dogs tails. If they cant enjoy the natural beauty of a dog then why should they get one? I have a JRT who has its tail docked.. we got it like that. it makes me upset that people would do that... its like cutting off part of your arm or somthing! (A dogs til has importance, so does a human's arm)
R_S

Im pretty sure that it is banned here (W.A) for backyard breeders but for registered breeders they are allowed to dock.
I like the look of tail docking but what purpose is it to dock? Is it just cosmetic?

In some breeds it is essential for their work. Brittany Spaniels are field dogs and their tail is docked so that it does not get caught in the brush.

For breeds like Aussies, most sporting breeds, dobes, rotts, etc. it is to make it easier for work. Aussies and rotts it is so the cattle dont stomp on their tails. Sporting is so they dont get caught on the bushes. Dobe is so whoever is attacking doesnt have anything to grab onto to hold the dog back.

I ahve dobes and they get their tails docked with the first week of their life it is painless.

quote

---

posted by Venus Kennel
For breeds like Aussies, most sporting breeds, dobes, rotts, etc. it is to make it easier for work. Aussies and rotts it is so the cattle dont stomp on their tails.

---

See, to my mind, the tail arguement in Aussies at least is rubbish, as the other herding breeds, like border collies and rough collies manage perfectly well with tails that remain unstomped even those who work cattle

quote

---

posted by Short dog
In some breeds it is essential for their work. Brittany Spaniels are field dogs and their tail is docked so that it does not get caught in the brush.

---

pretty sure that we dont get brittany spaniels here.

quote

---

posted by Whispering Willows Kennel

quote

---

posted by Short dog
In some breeds it is essential for their work. Brittany Spaniels are field dogs and their tail is docked so that it does not get caught in the brush.

---

pretty sure that we dont get brittany spaniels here.

---

I just used it as an example. Docking for a reason other than cosmetic.

I beleive that the argument for guard dogs like dobermans and rities is that a burguler might grab the dogs tail and inhibit it doing its job.
I'd just like to ask these people if they've ever tried to grab an angry dogs tail? I can't even touch my dog when i play tag or tug-of-war, and they are both tame trained dogs. not trained guard dogs.
I think that tail docking is stupid and senseles.
there are breeds bred with stumpy tails, if it was such a problem, as with "breaking the tail" which I tend to think is a load of poppy-cock, then in only a few generations, all those odgs could be breed with stumpy tails!
It's a bit like cutting off the tip of our tonge though, a dog uses its tail as a vital means of comunication with people and other dogs.
with most of their tail gone, dogs cannot comunicate properly! How well would you be able to talk to your friends if the tip of your tonge was missing!
It would be bloody dificult and frustrating!
It's a bit like ear cropping, it is solely cosmettic.

quote

---

posted by tomcat1

quote

---

posted by Venus Kennel
For breeds like Aussies, most sporting breeds, dobes, rotts, etc. it is to make it easier for work. Aussies and rotts it is so the cattle dont stomp on their tails.

---

See, to my mind, the tail arguement in Aussies at least is rubbish, as the other herding breeds, like border collies and rough collies manage perfectly well with tails that remain unstomped even those who work cattle

---

yeah I dont really get the Aussie part but I was just using them as an example.

But for most people who show dogs and/or do breed specific training (hunting, retreiving, herding, etc.) Tail docking makes a lot of sence. And dogs can still perfectly commuticate without a tail.

I have dobies -and thier tails have always been docked by the breeder - I would neevr dock thier tail so it couldnt be grabbed - what a stupid reason!! Besides my dobes are made for being little teddy bears not guard dogs - they are scared of the neighbours cats!! so tough!!

My father in law has a staffy and his tail has been broken so many times that it is permanantly crooked - it looks like someone has done origami with it - and itmakes the dog yelp in pain if he sits on his tail - so I dont think dogs having broken tails is a load of poppycock!!

Yeah my dobes are wusses too :P Seven my oldest who is 4 is afraid of the cats. She only likes to chase them if Anna is there.
But I am pretty sure that is the reason dobes used to docked and cropped. I have a book from 1936? I think and the dobes back them had really short ears and tails like rotties.

I personally prefer the look of docked and cropped dogs they look more elegent. But i think great danes and boxers look pretty dang cute without cropped ears.

I dont like dobies with cropped ears.....Ive heard from a few vets its really painful to crop a pups ears....
I love my dobies floppy ears.....they just look cuter and dopier with them as they are naturally......and more pathetic which means they get more cuddles!!

Thankfully, the breed that I will be working with in the future (Ridgebacks) dont need their tails docked or their ears cropped. So the arguement on whether it is good/bad doesnt really apply to me.

IMO I believe Dobermanns look better with natural tails and ears.

However I think that Rottweilers look nicer and more balanced with a docked tail. (this is just my Opinion, so dont take offence)

However the issue of whether or not to remove dew claws is something that I am undecided about.

My own dog used to always get his dew claws caught on the fence and in the bushes - and would often tear it off halfway. The nail would grow incredibly fast, and because it never wears down, the 'quick' would actually grow longer, makng it harder to cut the nail down short.

As I plan to be involved in Agility and Lure coursing, I think that it might be a good idea to have my pups dew claws removed at 2-3 days of age. But I am still very undecided.

My puppies always have their dewclaws removed, more for safety than anything else, but it also contributes to a smoother appearance to the leg in the showring. Mine are done at one day of age, then they have the whole rest of their lives to forget about it


Wendy

Sorry I'm not Australian, but this showed up in latest topics, so I responded

I have an Airedale with a docked tail, and I don't know if there is a "reason". There used to be one, I'm sure, but now for the most part it is purely cosmetic. I'll admit I like his tail much better than the tails of the non-docked Airedales... the thin tail curled over the hip thing doesn't do much for me.

I prefer the look of cropped and docked Dobies, personally. I think that it is much more elegant looking and it really brings to mind that this is a breed that is both striking and slightly daunting. I'm not saying that Dobies are dangerous or anything; just saying that when they have the floppy ears and long tails they tend to resemble Coonhounds... and therefore aren't doing what they were intended to do.

But, I mean, if the dog is a pet and you don't really care if it looks doofy (exactly the reason I let Jackson's hair grow long and curly, lol), it doesn't really matter. It's more of a thing for show dogs, anyway.

Tail docking is a harmless procedure if carried out correctly, and the banning of tail docking will only result in the demise of many docked breeds in Australia.

Although tail docking is banned, veternarians around Australia are still have to dock tails because of painful tail damage.

quote

---

Why Are Dog's Tails Docked?
1. To avoid tail damage
A number of working gundog breeds have to hunt game through heavy vegetation and thick brambles, where their fast tail action can easily lead to torn and bleeding tails which are painful and extremely difficult to treat. Docking the end of the tail eliminates the risk of injury.

Working terriers are docked for the same reason. In addition, terriers which are bred to hunt below ground for purposes such as fox control, have their tails docked to a length which is more practical when working in a confined space.

Other non-working breeds which have an enthusiastic tail action, are also liable to damage their tails, even in the home.

Since docking was banned in Sweden in 1989, there has been a massive increase in tail injuries amongst previously docked breeds. Within the 50 undocked Pointer litters registered in that year with the Swedish Kennel Club, 38% of dogs suffered tail injury before they were 18 months old and in 1991, the number of individuals with tail injures had increased to 51% of the group.

2. For reasons of hygiene
Long haired, thick coated breeds like the Yorkshire Terrier and Old English Sheepdog are docked to avoid the hair around the base of the tail becoming fouled by faeces. Even with constant grooming and washing, such fouling is unpleasant. If allowed to get out of hand, it can lead to severe problems of hygiene, or even flystrike and subsequent infestation by maggots.

Hygiene problems can be greatly reduced or eliminated altogether by docking.

3. To maintain breed standards
Breeds which have been docked over many generations have been selected for specific qualities of build and conformation, but not for tail length, shape or carriage.

If left undocked, it is unlikely that the best dogs would carry good tails. In seeking to maintain the quality of the breeds, breeders would therefore be left with a diminished number of suitable sires and dams. The genetic pool would be reduced, greatly increasing the risk of hereditary diseases taking hold. Some breeds could even disappear for ever.

---

FYI, The organisations who lobbied for the introduction of this ban used anecdotal and emotive arguments which were not supported by any scientific evidence.