Tail Docking

Anastasia

Anastasia

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This has been in the news all day and with Crufts on just now as well. What are people thoughts on tail docking. Are you for or against?

I see the Animal Act was passed and that from 1st April 2007 tail docking will be illegal unless for working dogs (according to Crufts tonight).
 
Horses tails are still docked over here.

No comment on the dog law as already been discussed in the Dog forum.
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*whispers* there's a wee dog section.

ALso think working dogs should be docks, for pets and a show look no. If I had had the choice my mini schnauzer wouldn't have been docked. It was already illegal in N Ireland so her breeder took her down to Eire
 
Oh Crikey! There was a very long debate on this subject in Dogs a short while ago, got quite heated in places as I recall. Now, where was it? I'm sure if you trundle across to the Dog bit and look for a very long thread you'll spot it.
 
It is done here (US) with a few breeds. I can see no reason to have it done other than appearance. It is just like ear trimming on breeds like the Doberman and min Pin.
Just not needed to do imo. Although they claim it is pain free (etc) I have seen dogs develop very bad infections in the ear trimming and it looks like a slow healing process.

Not something I would do tbh
 
Ooops............you know something, for all the time I come onto this forum, its the first time I noticed a forum for dogs!!

I checked the other areas first to see if it has been discussed but never even noticed the Dog one...............DOH!
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Why do they dock dairy cattle
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Phew..........see what you mean by a lot of posts!!
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???????????????? you tell me?

I can only think It may be for cleanliness reasons, but not too sure tbh

or...so the farmers do not get swat in the face with a dirty tail when putting the milkers on??????
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We have the opposite - no docked dairy cattle but pretty much all the Belgians, Suffolk Punches and Percherons are docked around here. Mind you I sortof understand why, as these horses are still very much in daily work around here.
 
Gina B, quite right, silly me
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I got the link and tried to post a reply and pc promptly threw all its' toys out of the pram and stopped working
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I see someone has posted the link now.
 
And they can't be bothered to plait & tape up as they do for hunting/eventing? My uncle worked heavy horses with long tails and had no problems. It is barbaric that as humans we think we can mess with nature. If the tail was not important to these animals they would by now have evolved without one.
 
In the UK with Shires they shave off all the tail hair apart from a tuft at the top - same affect as docking but a little less painful
 
revolting practice and unless their working dogs purely for asthetics......always used to rant about Great Danes having their ears trimmed (mum used to breed them).
 
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In the UK with Shires they shave off all the tail hair apart from a tuft at the top - same affect as docking but a little less painful

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very good point
 
Good point Magic as I too find tail docking in horses barbaric unless it is done after an injury.
Plaiting, pulling and if your really have to remove the hair then shaving are far more better solutions for working horses imho ( at least the tail is not shortened and the hair can grow back)
I can understand the risk of getting caught in machinery etc. But on the other hand do we tell human factory workers or farmhands that they must shave off their hair as they will be operating machinery. No it is tied back or tucked under a hat/cap.
I know there are not caps for horses tails.
Maybe someone could think of an invention for working heavy horses in which their tails could be tied up in a bag of somesort when working but then when they are resting or at grass etc they can have it removed and be a normal horse again.
Again I agree with magic in that if horses were not meant to have tails, then years of evolution would have have seen them disappear or at the very least shorten.
Tails in most animals are a pivotal point of balance.
Also in the case of horses and cattle they are a natural fly swatter and are used to help keep flies away from sensitive areas that would attract flies and other insects.
I know horses will quite happily swat each others faces with their tails in a bid to drive the persistent flies away.
Why dock tails then?
It is cruel in my opinion.
As for dogs then for working breeds yes if the dog or bitch is to be used as a hunting or gundog.
People may question why I would say no to horses but yes to dogs.
Tail docking in dogs is carried out on very, very young pups.
I am talking about legal docking by a vet not the diy at home docking which I think is extremely cruel.
Working breeds can endure horrific tail injuries ( have read many reports on this issue over the years) through having normal long tails and long hair etc.
It can get tangled in the undergrowth and can cause discomfort to the dog.
It would not be possible to tie up a dogs tail as you could a horse because dogs ( and cats) rely on their tails more for balance than say a horse.
Having said that animals do cope ok with a docked tail as we once had a cat who had it docked through injury though it took her several weeks to counterbalance her back legs through having no long tail, especially when jumping etc.
I do not agree with docking tails though to make a dog look more asthetically pleasing to the owner.
Its the same with ear trimming and pinning etc.
IMO owners that insist on having dogs docked and pinned etc ( if not for the hunting/gundog reason above) are extremely vain and putting their own vanity above the welfare and natural appearance of the dog.
I have a jack russell bitch and they are normally docked ( well most I have seen are). Not many of the docked dogs I have seen have been working dogs so why do it?
My daughter's bitch has a full tail and there is no way I would have had it docked and neither would have she chosen for it to be done either.
Cazx
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