would you ever dock a dogs tail?

[Lori Jordan]

I have an Australian Shepherd,And her with a tail would not be the same,With the breed some have Natural Bobs,Which Lacy does.

But the thing i do not understand,A friend owns Rotti's and they put elastics on there tales,Is this what they all do now???

[Canis-Lupess]

When puppies are docked, they tend to do one of two things. The first is simply to chop the tail off with scissors, the second is to tie elastic bands around them so tight the blood circulation is cut off and the tail dies and drops off. Can you imagine doing this to the little finger of a human baby?
I can't imagine the pain being much different really. They can't use anaesthetic on puppies that young so they have to deal with whatever pain they feel.

In the UK, most vets won't dock and they can't anyway because the royal college of veterinary surgeons is opposed to it and will strike any vet off their register if they are found to have docked puppies for non therapeutic reasons.

Docking by the lay man, unqualified person, is illegal but thats mainly who docking is done by here now because most of the vets refuse to do it. Breeders do it themselves and insist they are doing it right but, how would they know, they aren't qualified or had any professional training?

At the end of April, docking is being banned in England apart from certain working dogs that are being exempt. Scotland has gone for a complete ban. They'll not be allowing dogs to go over the border into the UK to be docked and taken back either.
No docked dogs will be able to be shown at any paying dog show either.

I don't mind dogs that are born with naturally bobbed tails because they don't have to actually have it chopped off. I know there are some breeders in Europe breeding specifically for naturally bobbed tails in several breeds in countries that have already enforced a ban on docking. If it turns out ok, then all's well but I do worry a little about what other impacts such select breeding could have on the dogs.

[TFTpwnsYou]

I voted yes because well I do own one with a docked tail. I read about the proceedure because I just thought that would hurt. It really doesn't. Puppies don't have the feeling pain capability as just a few days old when the docking takes place. Now I cannot personally dock a tail because a.) I don't breed, and b.) I would not trust myself to do it even if I did. To me that is better left to a vet who knows what they are doing.

Docking has very good reasons though. Especially for field and hunting dogs. I saw the damage done to a tail of a non-docked hunting dog. Now that would hurt. Now a small breed like mine I never understood, but it is the standered, and I truthfully look at him, and I think he'd look funny with a tail....lol.

[cali]

I would and have adopted a dog with an already docked tail. but I would never dock or drop myself, I have one breed(Blair) who is supposed to be both docked and cropped, I have him completly natural, and I prefer it that way.

[sprokett]

I voted yes and no.

I personally own four (out of 5) dogs with docked tails.

I felt I couldn't just vote no, because when Kyra's litter was born "we" chose to dock the tails of the pups. We honestly didn't think there was any other option at the time, they're jack russell terriers, and jack russell terriers are "supposed" to have docked tails. We also had their dew claws removed, because, once again, we thought it was necessary. However, after watching the procedure, I won't do it again.

I'm not totally against docking (ear cropping is another story), but if the situation ever arose where I had a choice, I definitely wouldn't want it done.

i think it is kinda ok with JRT's because if they are low to the ground they tend to have a lot of problems so i kinda agree with them

[luvofallhorses]

NO!!! unless the tail is broken and has to be removed.
I wouldn't crop a dog's ears or declaw a cat either.
Would I adopt a dog with an already docked tail? of course!
same goes for adopting a cat that is declawed and a dog that
already has cropped ears.

[cassiesmom]

I have a former co-worker who kept her Great Dane's ears un-cropped. I wouldn't do either unless there were some medical reason for having it done.

[lute]

But the thing i do not understand,A friend owns Rotti's and they put elastics on there tales,Is this what they all do now???

NO WAY! they should take the pups to a vet and have it surgically done! What they are doing with the elastics is cruel.

[sprokett]

well how i feel about it is


if the dog was made to have a docked it would be born that way
who cares if it can not be shown if you have a dog to purely show
then i say you should not have a dog.
alot of people say that the puppys cannot feel it at a few days old
how would we know are we dogs????? NO!!!! of course not!!!
yes, i would adopt/rehome a do with a docked tail
no, i would not dock a dog tail my self could you imagine how
much pain those puppy's go through to be able to be showed

[applesmom]

No I wouldn't have an adult dogs tail docked for cosmetic reasons, and I would never attempt to dock a puppy's tail on my own. That's a vets job.

However there are some breeds whose tails are docked for valid reasons and I support their reasons for docking.

Here are a couple of links to the other side of the discussion.

Vizla club on docking

Scottish study on tail docking

[BitsyNaceyDog]

I personally wouldn't have a dogs tail docked unless there was a medical reason to do so. I would however adopt a dog with an already docked tail, in fact I have- my Min Pin, Charlie, has a docked tail. I do like the look of a docked tail, however I don't think that is a good enough reason to have it done.

[king2005]

I have no issues with a vet doing the docking. I dissagree with cropping however. But I'm all for male human babies having thier foreskin cut off.

[lute]

if you have a dog to purely show
then i say you should not have a dog.

that's a little silly. From what I've witnessed show dogs are some of the most spoiled dogs ever.

[Kfamr]

No - I would never have a dog's tail docked. However, If a dog's tail was docked and I were to adopt it, it wouldn't stop me.

It's just not a procedure I agree with having done for cosmetics. If a dog needed it's tail amputated, that's fine.

[areias]

I eventually (in the far-off future) will have a Doberman-and yes, it's tail will be docked. Skye (my pointer mix) has a long thin tail and is constantly opening the end of it. It hurts us too, lol!

I have docked a puppies tail, myself, under the supervision of a vet and it honestly wasn't a big deal.

I would never crop ears.