Docking of dogs tails!!

[patricks148]

We recently got another dog from the German Shorthaired Pointer club rescue service. His owner died from cancer and he has been languishing in a kennel for the last few months. So we rescued him and gave him a home.

He is a pet and has had no training at all, but he has been docked. Our other dog still has her tail and is the same breed. Her tail is a huge part of her character and is always wagging; in fact you can usually tell where she is in the house due to the thump, thump, thump of her tail in the floorboards.

The poor little bugger looks weird with no tail.

Now, I believe it’s illegal in Scotland to dock, but not in England though.

I know there are a few guys on here with dogs, what are you guys opinions on this agree or not.

I certainly don’t.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

Unless there's a medical reason for it I can't see why you'd get it done.

It's the same as declawing cats; happily, a practice banned in the UK since 2006.

And well done you for rescuing a dog in need of a new home

 

[deanobillquay]

Totally unnecessary practice IMO. I have 2 westies and couldn't possibly imagine docking their tails.

 

[HotDogAssassin]

If the dog is a working dog where a long tail can cause problems then yes I agree, if the dog is only ever going to be a domestic pet then no.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Boxers look wierd with a tail so I suppose it is what you are used to.

I am against docking as I believe that a tail is there for balance. our big Labs tail is capable of knocking grandchildren over.

 

[patricks148]

Unless there's a medical reason for it I can't see why you'd get it done.

It's the same as declawing cats; happily, a practice banned in the UK since 2006.

And well done you for rescuing a dog in need of a new home

Two words.....

Kennel Club!!!
He’s a pedigree and the kennel club have docking down is preferable, looks wise for this particular breed.

 

[Rooter]

Rottweilers and dobermans look odd with long tails!! but i agree, shouldn't be docked for anything other than medical reasons IMHO.

 

[drawboy]

Docking is no more cruel than circumcision in some religions, it is done early and the dog knows no difference. If the breed standard calls for it and it is done properly then I cannot see a problem. I have owned my share of dogs with tails and without, they were all happy and healthy regardless.

 

[bladeplayer]

Docking is no more cruel than circumcision in some religions, it is done early and the dog knows no difference. If the breed standard calls for it and it is done properly then I cannot see a problem. I have owned my share of dogs with tails and without, they were all happy and healthy regardless.

Personaly i wouldnt be a fan of it , if nature meant them to have a tail why should we change it ,

but being the realist i am , i think drawboy has it in a nutshell here, done right & done young it does not affect the dog.. IMO

 

[Andy808]

The practice was banned in 2007 with the exception of working dogs and for medical reasons.

http://www.cdb.org/awa/index.htm

 

[Midnight]

I work dogs and for example think a springer looks weird with a tail, I do believe that it should only be done if the dog is a working one or for medical reasons, I have seen to many dogs that have had it done because the owner wanted to.

One of my old black labs had his tail docked as he cut the end of it, due to the fact that he wagged it so much , he kept splitting it more and it would not heal, so in the end we had it docked.

 

[chris661]

I have two springers which were both used for shooting, one has had her tail docked pretty short the other about half way. The one with the longer tail has had numerous injuries to her tail which take an absolute age to heal as the bloodflow is poor and this means they just keep reopening. Docking in certain instances is good.

 

[Andy808]

I have two springers which were both used for shooting, one has had her tail docked pretty short the other about half way. The one with the longer tail has had numerous injuries to her tail which take an absolute age to heal as the bloodflow is poor and this means they just keep reopening. Docking in certain instances is good.

Hence the ban not including working dogs!

 

[chris661]

Hence the ban not including working dogs!

I also have a dalmation who has split her tail three times now off doors etc. If it was up to me I would have her docked as well.

 

[Midnight]

I also have a dalmation who has split her tail three times now off doors etc. If it was up to me I would have her docked as well.

I can not understand how with the advancement in medical tech , we can not fix something like a dog cutting it's tail easily . I tried everything with one of mine and nothing worked so his tail was docked.

 

[Mungoscorner]

Working dogs have there tails docked in order to prevent injury,i fail to see how that can be described as cruel.What i consider cruel, is people with no idea about dog welfare calling themselves dog lovers,yet feeding there dogs crap,and giving them little or no excercise.
Rant over.

 

[Captainron]

We had boxers in South Africa and as another poster has said - they look weird with tails.

 

[Mark_G]

When we bought our springer, the breeder had to have a letter of intention from the new owner that his dogs were going to be working so that the vet could dock the tail.

 

[Yerman]

Docking is no more cruel than circumcision in some religions, it is done early and the dog knows no difference. If the breed standard calls for it and it is done properly then I cannot see a problem. I have owned my share of dogs with tails and without, they were all happy and healthy regardless.

Circumcision - or male genital mutilation by another name, like docking dog tail, cruel and abhorent.

 

[Foxholer]

We rescued a Weimaraner that had a docked tail - a tad too long. Don't see an issue - and certainly don't consider it cruel - if there's a tendency to split, or to dock if that does happen. However, happy to see full tailed sporting dogs too.

Lab tails are dangerous weapons - I've seen coffee tables cleared far too often!

Kennel Club is, indirectly by its preferences, responsible for a huge number of problems for dogs, some of which are, imo, cruel. Bulldogs , Pekinese, Alsations and many others are breeds where extreme breeding of desired attributes has created cruel distortions!