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Tail Docking - A Doggy Debate
by Irish-Le-Feaux @ 2007-03-09 - 19:54:50

Been a lot on the local TV over the past couple of days about tail docking of dogs. Apparently a ban on this procedure is on the horizon.

I say about time to. There is no real excuse for this to take place anymore. Many many years ago this was an acceptable and required practice as some dogs "working dogs" would have serious injuries to the tail if they hadn't been docked.

Nowadays this is purely for cosmetic reasons and required by breeders. I believe that the kennel club is going to stop accepting dogs with docked tails into it's dog shows. It must be remembered that this is carried out on puppies under 7 days old and without any anaesthetic!!

There was an idiot of a breeder who was saying that she would give up breeding dogs (boxers) if the ban came into force because the dogs would not look right. Barmy. How can a dog, that is born with a tail not look "right" without it.

Ban it I say and quickly.

Irish

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MsMottyMsMotty pro
http://www.myspace.com/ljmotty
2007-03-09 @ 20:02

Maybe for some people it will seem strange at first, more dogs at Crufts and so on with a whole tail, but with regard to the mantra trotted out that working dogs need a docked tail, when will they inform the breeders of foxhounds, greyhounds, basset hounds, retrievers and so on? None of these breeds have docked tails and yet are used for "working purposes" I would have thought there would be more chance of serious injury to a tail out in the field than in the show ring. A dog's tail is it's main means of expressing it's feelings. How can you tell if a dog is happy if it has no tail to wag?

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craig [Visitor]

2008-07-18 @ 13:13

I have a dog with no tail and you tell if he's happy or not

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MsMottyMsMotty pro
http://www.myspace.com/ljmotty
2008-07-19 @ 00:56

One of the great joys in life for me is to watch Tess "scenting". Her tail up, curling over her body. To watch her running back towards me, tail wagging frantically, her entire body showing her happiness and joy is lovely to watch. A dog without it's tail for purely cosmetic reasons is a dog deprived of an essential part of it's being.

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freeasthewindfreeasthewind [Member]
2007-03-09 @ 20:14

I agree with stopping Docking. I ran into someone the other day that a pit and the cut the ears to the point the poor dog didnt have anything but nups. So stopp docking tails and cutting the ears. My BA doesnt have anything and he is full blooded red nose pit.

GilraenHGilraenH pro
http://www.gilraen.blog.co.uk
2007-03-09 @ 21:59

You and I are always on the same page, Irish. How anyone should be able to undertake this procedure under any other circumstances but medical is beyond me. We shouldn't be doing this just because we can.

Sorry, Irish, so like my cats and dogs.

:)

Peter McCullough [Visitor]
http://www.kimmax.co.uk/is-tail-docking-finished/
2007-03-10 @ 14:07

The problem with people who have emotional opinions and no experience and logic is precisely why this stupid law is coming in.

Gundogs, especially HPR gundogs, are docked for good reason - to prevent a lifetime of misery of tail damage.

Puppies are generally docked at 1-2 days old - by a vet! not by breeders as the idiots said on Crufts (since that has been illegal for at least 10 years) - there is no pain, no nerves and no blood. To shave a 'stump of at tail' it is docked half way along its length at that age.

If this is so bad - why are they allowing it to continue in pigs, sheep etc. and why is dew claw removal in dogs OK - which can be done by anyone and is very painful.

In Scandanavia, the champions of anti-docking, they suppress the fact that there has been a huge rise in tail amputations due to tail damage.

Yes, there are idiots who do it for cosmetic reasons, but they have been banned.

The law is now largely irrelevant - since most vets have had their livelyhood threatened if they dock.

Once again it is the true countryside versus the towns.

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Irish-Le-FeauxIrish-Le-Feaux [Member]
2007-03-10 @ 14:20

Thanks for your input. Firstly though I must point out that I am not a townie. I am from farming stock traced back 300 years.
I can see some logic in dogs that are being worked having their tails docked, but I would say that a very small percentage of dogs would get tail damage and to dock all dogs on the off chance seems somewhat illogical. Secondly you say that there are some idiots that do it for cosmetic reasons. I would say that 99% or more of all the dogs that have their tails removed have it done for cosmetic reasons as that is what the breed is supposed to look like. How many of the so-called working breeds actually do work? That is completely tosh as a dog that is born with a tail should look like it has one.

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MsMottyMsMotty pro
http://www.myspace.com/ljmotty
2007-03-10 @ 20:19

If the people who do it for cosmetic reasons have now been banned, why are dog's tails in some working breed still docked for the show ring? I applaud the KC for now including a standard on those breeds with docked tails where it is stated how an undocked tail should be carried. If tails must be docked for working in the field, then those dogs should be kept from the show ring, as there is no need of docking there.

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Irish-Le-FeauxIrish-Le-Feaux [Member]
2007-03-10 @ 20:30

Totally agree with your comment Motters. If it is unecessary to dock then dont do it.

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