They dock the tails when the pups are a day or two old and while it's not pleasant for either party it's not nearly as bad as cropping ears.
I agree with this. Anyone who thinks docking is a horrible, brutal process that requires a long recovery time has obviously never seen it done. It is very quick, very simple, and is healed in a matter of days.

I own several dogs with docked tails. I didn't get their tails docked, they were already done when I rescued them. But, I do like the look on my dogs. I would not have an adult dogs tail docked. I would, however, not hesitate a moment to have a newborn puppies tail docked, if I was buying the puppy, and it was a breed that was normally done. (However, I would never buy a puppy, so it's a moot point.) I would NEVER crop ears.

My opinion is that the dog people who are in a big uproar all the time over cropping and docking are barking up the wrong tree, so to speak. If someone loves their dog, treats it well, gives it a good home and lots of love for its entire life ... say, seventeen eighteen years .... who cares that the puppies tail was docked when it was 12 hours old?!?! There are MUCH bigger issues in the dog world to deal with ..... dog fighting rings, homeless dogs, starving, abused, neglected dogs, millions of dogs euthanized at shelters. Whether or not a loved, well-cared pet has a tail that is three inches long or eight inches long should be the LEAST of our concerns.