Puppies advertised for sale as pets with docked tails?

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FionaM12

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On a local website, there are Patterdale terrier pups advertised for sale. It says they have docked tails. It says "will make super family pets".

Am I right this is illegal? Is it a good idea to report it, and if so, who to?
 
It's not illegal for working dogs and a Patterdale could be considered a working breed, those who don't make workers could no doubt make super family pets.
They can't be registered by or shown under KC rules anyway.

I personally wouldn't report it, but that's just me!
 
I worked with show dogs for a while when I was young. In those days breeders docked puppies themselves, with elastic bands. I hated it, and saw some horrors where the banding went wrong :(. I hated it.

I've not been around dog breeding since the law changed, but thought docking had stopped except for genuine working dogs.
 
CaveCanem said:
It's not illegal for working dogs and a Patterdale could be considered a working breed, those who don't make workers could no doubt make super family pets.
They can't be registered by or shown under KC rules anyway.

I personally wouldn't report it, but that's just me!
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What work do patterdales do?
 
I have just bought a working Lakeland with a docked tail. You don't need a gun license yourself. A letter from a game keeper will suffice, saying you use your dogs to work and therefore they can be legally docked. I have to take his certificate to the vets etc as they sometimes ask to see it.
 
No you can use a soft "baying" terrier legally below ground to flush a fox to a gun. Also it does affect them. I have 2 docked terriers and one undocked. When he goes bushing for rabbits etc his tail gets shredded and bleeds. The others don't get this.
 
They can still flush to a gun or kill rats or rabbits or whatever as lone dogs (not in a pack). You'll have to ask a terrier person but as I understand they are docked to a length where a human hand can grab it.

I might be going off topic but I like to see dogs doing the jobs they were originally designed to do, within reason.
Most of them were bred for a certain purpose and their suitability as pets is a pleasant bonus.
I think it would be a sad day when all dogs are fit to do is lie on a sofa or go for a dander around the block.
 
Copperpot said:
No you can use a soft "baying" terrier legally below ground to flush a fox to a gun. Also it does affect them. I have 2 docked terriers and one undocked. When he goes bushing for rabbits etc his tail gets shredded and bleeds. The others don't get this.
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A soft baying terrier as you said is a Jack Russel, a Patterdale and Lakeland Terrier are dogs to kill foxes in the crags on top of the ground in the Lake District craggs.
 
CaveCanem said:
They can still flush to a gun or kill rats or rabbits or whatever as lone dogs (not in a pack). You'll have to ask a terrier person but as I understand they are docked to a length where a human hand can grab it.

I might be going off topic but I like to see dogs doing the jobs they were originally designed to do, within reason.
Most of them were bred for a certain purpose and their suitability as pets is a pleasant bonus.
I think it would be a sad day when all dogs are fit to do is lie on a sofa or go for a dander around the block.
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I completely agree with you, but unfortunately the previous government has passed a law to make it illegal for terriers to do the job that they were bred to do. All we can hope for is that owners of these highly intellegent dogs find a usefull and active enough life for them. Not many terriers really did the job they were bred for anyway.
 
Hmmm, I didn't think docking itself was illegal. As I understand the law on the subject, it is illegal for anyone other than a vet to perform the docking and they very rarely will, but if you find a vet prepared to do it, it is not illegal. Whereas in years gone by, the breeder often did the docking, that is now illegal.
You can't however show a docked dog anymore.

I'm fairly sure this is the case, but I may be wrong. I will try and research the facts.
 
ribbons said:
Hmmm, I didn't think docking itself was illegal. As I understand the law on the subject, it is illegal for anyone other than a vet to perform the docking and they very rarely will, but if you find a vet prepared to do it, it is not illegal. Whereas in years gone by, the breeder often did the docking, that is now illegal.
You can't however show a docked dog anymore.

I'm fairly sure this is the case, but I may be wrong. I will try and research the facts.
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A vet friend of mine once told me she was only legally allowed to dock working dogs. In fact she heard of another vet who would oblige clients by docking non-working dogs, and she reported them! :eek3:
 
Well of course you would have permission from the land owner. Or if it's your own land, no worries on that front.

I never insinuated it was your every day chap, just that it isn't illegal to do, if it it done following those guidelines.
 
In the case of a breed like a Patterdale or a Springer Spaniel for example, it's hard to forecast the working capability of every single dog in a litter that's a few days old, even if the genetics are good.

Obvs with other breeds where it has been cosmetic in recent years, that's different.
 
Thanks for all the replies guys. :)

I've always been a bit hazy about the docking laws. I'd have asked the vet "friend" mentioned above, but after she scarpered with my husband some years ago the friendship sort of disintegrated...

But that's another story. ;)
 
Copperpot said:
Well of course you would have permission from the land owner. Or if it's your own land, no worries on that front.

I never insinuated it was your every day chap, just that it isn't illegal to do, if it it done following those guidelines.
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I think you need to go and read your post again before you make another comment. *soft terriers only can be entered* Patterdales are not soft.
 
FionaM12 said:
Thanks for all the replies guys. :)

I've always been a bit hazy about the docking laws. I'd have asked the vet "friend" mentioned above, but after she scarpered with my husband some years ago the friendship sort of disintegrated...

But that's another story. ;)
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I am finding that rather funny!!!! Your sense of humour has not scarpered anyway.
 
Some actually can be. I have known one. I was talking about working terriers in general not specifically patts. Also not all jack russells are bayers. The comment was made that it is illegal to send a terrier below ground. I replied to that. Shesh.
 
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