Leslie...no anesthesia? I never knew that! Poodles have their tails shortened and mine have been no exception. I confess I never thought much about it before as it was done long before I ever saw them. If it was up to me to actually have to do the cutting, their tails would still be long! It's much the same way I feel about eating meat. I enjoy a good steak, but if I had to personally kill the cow I would never have another one. We get sort of detached from what is really going on when these things are done by others.