Tail docking

[Kathy Wilson]

I would like to know what your views on tail docking are. This practice totally confuses me, so I'd like to educate myself.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Even when a poodle's tail is docked, they are only supposed to take off the end curl. There is still plenty of tail there for wagging and reading signals. I don't agree with tail-docking in most cases either, but if somebody is docking doodles' or poodles' tails any shorter than the above photo, they are idiots who shouldn't be breeding anything.

[April Cliber]

WOW, that is a truly stunning poodle!!!

[Tamara & Giada]

I am not necessarily for it, although for a mother whom reluctantly agreed to circumcise her son per father's wish, I can't really call docking a dog's tail abuse.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There are some valid reasons for it, or at least there were, for certain working dogs. That curl on the end of a poodle's tail does catch on things, which is not great for field work. Jack's leash gets caught in his, and he hasn't got thick wooly fur covering it. If you had an attack Doberman, you wouldn't want anyone to be able to grab him by his tail. I have a friend who adopted a Rottweiler mix, and his tail is truly a lethal weapon...it is like a steel cable that wags. When you consider some of the things people do to animals, tail docking is far from the worst thing in the world. Look at all the people who have their cats declawed...which is a bone amputation, is excruciatingly painful, and is absolutely unnecessary.
But if people are going to dock a tail, they ought to at least have some knowledge of how much to take off.
(Tamara...are we talking briss here?)

[Kathy Wilson]

Regarding the 'proper' docking of tails.....when I was 25 I had a toy poodle who gave birth by c-section to three larger puppies. I instructed the vet, per the instructions of my female's breeder as to exactly where to dock. The vet was convinced that he know exactly where to dock and therefore ignored my instructions and docked their tails much shorter than I had indicated. Potential show-quality dogs were no longer show 'quality'. So, sometimes the vet doing the deed is not a guarantee.

Declawing is evil....if the breeder trains them early and the adopting family keeps it up, scratching the furniture is minimal to non-existant. I have two Tonks and neither has ever clawed anything but their own scratching post. I've actually gotten flack for NOT declawing them.......I'm afraid I'm not polite to people who voice that opinion.

[Tamara & Giada]

No briss..................just a circumcision by the Dr. in a hospital, but I really didn't want him to go through that :((

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You see a lot of schnauzers and Dobes in conformation now with natural ears; the AKC is following the UKC's lead with a more natural standard for many breeds. The tails though are still being docked.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

No, mine was jet black. I used that photo because she is such a perfect example of what a poodle should look like, and I haven't got any digital photos of my girl.

[Kathy Wilson]

Ear cropping is, in my humble opinion, is a disgusting practice. If the dog is born with floppy ears, he/she is meant to be floppy-eared. Cropped ears look awful when put up against natural ears.

[Ali]

Dogs use their tail for stability, to cut corners more easily while running and it helps them slow down. It is better for your dog to have a tail especially when you do agility courses, etc.

[Denice Caouette]

I think that it is a horrible practice. We had a boxer growing up and most boxers are automatically docked..I have never seen one who wasn't, other than our Beau... my folks specifically stated that his tail was not to be docked and his ears not to be clipped...he was a gorgeous, sweet,loving and protective family member for MANY years and we still miss him although it has been a very long time. No animal deserves to have a "portion" of its anatomie removed unless their very lives are threatened!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Well, except for one certain portion...or should I say two portions, lol!