Sport0 min ago
tail docking.
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.Even though they are pets, they still retain their working dog traits and are in and out of the bushes and brambles flushing the birds out at every opportunity.
Heavens knows how much damage they'd have if they had tails.
It's a painless excercise which causes the dog no distress at all
Can you tell me what sort of work a Yorkshire Terrier does that necessitates it being docked? And why do English Pointers have full tails, when German Pointers are docked?
Before you get on your high horses, I am NOT against docking for the right reasons, but am fed up to the back teeth of people trying to justify what is pure and simple cosmetic surgery because they think a dog looks better without its tail. All I ask is that you are honest about it.
A warning to all those of you out there without any particular opinion on this, this thread will run and run, like it has on every other dog related site I am on, with arguments for by the pro dockers and against by the anti's. Even those of us who don't care one way or the other like to have our say! Whether they like it or not, docking will be banned, whether it is for the right reasons or not, as so many MP's are against it.
Cheers
Kim
Tail docking should never, ever be done for cosmetic purposes - Yorkies, Boxers and Dobermans should never be docked. IMO working Spaniels and very occasionally working Terriers are the only breeds which should be routinely docked.
The real problem here is that vets are currently on very thin ice in terms of tail docking, and most of them aren't daft enough to risk their career by doing it, because their governing body is quite anti.
If a ban does come into force, tails will continue to be docked, but not by vets. They'll be done in back yards with dirty equipment and pups will suffer and die as a result.
The only way to address it sensibly is to fully legalise docking but only for prophylactic reasons (so that the breeds allowed are specified) and only by qualified personnel.
Personally I like to see full tails on dogs but i have a Weim that nearly had to have his tail amputated because be kept bashing it when he got excited and started wagging his tail he is only a pet and I love the look of him with his tail and really didn't want the op done but if it would have helped him I would have done it but luckily my vet was very good and told me that he would do anything to save the tail as amputation is very painfull for the dog and they normally have to prescribe a strong painkiller post op. not 2 months on he still has his tail and is a very happy chappy!
In pets unless it is very nesessary I can't say that I like it much but in working dogs I really think that it is a very good Idea the last thing any owner wants is an animal in pain and if the dog gets its tail snagged etc. it could get infected and cause more pain than the docking when only a pup.