Your thoughts on docking tails please

[s4sugar]

I was told Sprockers cant be docked regardless whether they`re working dogs or not????

Not true - any pup of a recognised working type can be legally docked by a vet. Sounds like an excuse.......

 

[Vizslak]

Back on track ladies!

These pups have been docked and dew claws removed. I doubt they went to the vet!
Am I asking for trouble if I get one of these pups? As in when I take it to the vets for jabs etc, are they going to ask questions I can't answer or get the farmer into trouble.

I know the farmer very well and have done for years. I know his dogs very well which is why I would like one of his pups.

Possibly the vets will ask where they were docked yes, you wont get in trouble though, just say you've got a certificate at home and you havnt looked on it as to who/where they were done. dew claw removal isnt illegal, its only the tail they will ask about if at all. Honestly its not an issue, if you want a pup have a pup.

 

[EAST KENT]

Behind the sofa,and tin hat on....

I cannot stand seeing these AWFUL tails on showdogs meant to be docked,boxers and dobes ..with tightly screwed tails over their backs for goodness sake! Parsons and Smooth FT`s looking like mongrels urgh.

When I USED to dock my terrier puppies ,it was just so stressful(not) for them.Lined up happily suckling on Mum,quick snip,done.Mum not disturbed ..and puppies just carried on suckling.NOW..stress of bundling them into a box,away from Mum,handled by a strange smelling person and an hour or so later put back with Mum to destress,later on another visit to the vet to be chipped and paperwork done.Why? Because some very stupid MP`s AND the RSPCA of course thought they knew more than the actual people involved.

Dew claws are legal for the breeder to remove,and all my bullies are done,for which the new owners are eternally grateful..thank God,these are done at two days and in their whelping area.The working terriers however are not done,if they are working underground sometimes they may need to climb up a vertical shaft.

I must admit to liking Amstaffs with their ears cropped,and this is more of an ethical question in my mind ,as it is done much later,around three to four months old ,I believe,but under anaesthesia.
I just wish the likes of MP`s and the RSPCA would keep well out of what they have no knowledge,and leave those of us who do have that knowledge alone
Oh..and the reason that working dogs are allowed to be docked?Well it was put forward at the time that the Bomb Dogs searching the House may injure their tails on the furnishing in the Houses of Parliament! So that was why the idiots thought it was a Good Idea!!

However..don`t forget that ,in farm animals ,piglets are castrated legally ..with no anaesthesia with a razor blade,chicks are de-beaked with a hot plate in their millions..lambs are castrated and tailed either by knife or rubber ring ..with NO anaesthesia (and BTW ringing bloody well hurts them for at least 20 minutes....THAT is all legal.
Back behind the sofa now with a cuppa!!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Good points EK. My father used to de-beak turkeys, wasn't his favourite job in the world.
And I used to try and put the lamb rings on my little finger to see if it would fall off!!!
As I already said, I love the look of a cropped, docked dobe so I will hide behind the sofa with you, mine's quite strong with just a dash of milk

 

[gable]

Thanks for your replies.

I don't have a problem with docking tails - I don't have a problem with the farmer doing it either.

I just wanted to get a feel of what other people would feel.

Just got the problem of which of the litter to pick now!

 

[Vizslak]

have fun choosing!

 

[4faults]

Both of my JRTs are docked, they were done by the breeders at a few days old. TBH my vets have never even asked about it, nor has anyone else at all. If they do I would just say they were done by the breeder. Both of mine are working ratters

 

[MurphysMinder]

Always used to remove the rear dew claws of shepherd pups at 2 days, in the nest, and they never bothered. In recent years have never had a pup with rear dews, and front ones are left on. When we had a litter of JRTs (well for litter read one pup) she was docked by the owner of the stud dog again a a couple of days, as EK says not stressed at all as she hardly had to stop feeding.
I am sure most vets won't bother asking for proof of docking, they will be more concerned that any pup is fit and healthy. Whereas I do prefer some breeds with full tails, I really can't get used to Dobes and Rotties with them, they somehow don't seem to fit the body.

 

[Brownmare]

I think I'm sitting on the fence on this one. On the one hand I do think docking as a preventitive measure for some working breeds is essential but I can't stomach "it just doesn't look right" as a valid argument for what is essentially a mutilation. I know owners of docked dogs will say they can express themselves fully but how many dog fights are caused by misread body language due to a docked tail? (if you think about it it's the doggy equivalent of us talking to someone wearing a burkha - you lose the nuances of expression) I was also really riled when a Yorkshire terrier breeder told my cousin YTs had to be docked or they would overbalance constantly They put their foot down and their undocked dog was perfectly fine for his entire life.

Also I know plenty of greyhounds with shortened tails due to repetitive injury but never have I heard anyone contemplating docking a litter as a prevention and I have to say it's rather handy having my JRT undocked when I need to drag her out of a rabbit hole / gap between stacked bales

Finally, I am shocked to report that even though I have excessively long dogs with long whippy tails they still come in at £2.50, £3 and £6.60 per inch

 

[MurphysMinder]

Interesting what you say about your JRTs tail being useful for pulling her out of rabbit holes. The terrier man who docked my pups tail said the tail should be long enough to get a good grip to pull them out of a hole. He was very scathing about terriers with their tails docked too short. Not sure how he managed to gauge it when he docked the pup at 2 days old but sure enough her tail was long enough to grab hold of.

 

[Brownmare]

Interesting what you say about your JRTs tail being useful for pulling her out of rabbit holes. The terrier man who docked my pups tail said the tail should be long enough to get a good grip to pull them out of a hole. He was very scathing about terriers with their tails docked too short. Not sure how he managed to gauge it when he docked the pup at 2 days old but sure enough her tail was long enough to grab hold of.

So true and Susie's tail curls beautifully and adds so much to her character - when she is showing off it curls so tightly you could hang her up from a hook by it (not that we have tried or anything )

 

[FestiveSpirit]

Well just to line myself up with those who are going to be shot down I have absolutely no problem with docking (having seen it being done to a litter of boxers when I was younger) and think people who do not remove dew claws are bordering on criminally irresponsible (having had a lurcher who rippped out a dew claw on three seperate occasions )

Just thought you might like to know

 

[WoopsiiD]

Our JRT was docked and it did come in useful for pulling the little bugger out of rabbit holes. I was told that any longer than a mans grip and you risked damaging the dog if you pulled its tail.
Never did Ben any harm.
Millie is an undocked springer, who has earned the name 'The Helicopter' by other walkers as her tail is always spinning round.
However, twice she has damaged the thinner end of her tail.

 

[EAST KENT]

Interesting what you say about your JRTs tail being useful for pulling her out of rabbit holes. The terrier man who docked my pups tail said the tail should be long enough to get a good grip to pull them out of a hole. He was very scathing about terriers with their tails docked too short. Not sure how he managed to gauge it when he docked the pup at 2 days old but sure enough her tail was long enough to grab hold of.

How to gauge the right length,secret..but I`ll tell you anyway!Puppy`s tail should curl `round just enough to cover it`s sexy bits,now some puppies do have longer tails than others..but this guage gets it exactly right.

My bullies and mini bullies aleays have their dew claws removed at two days,because injuries are so common;the borders,working lakies and labs are left as mine have never injured a dew claw yet.

 

[reindeerlover]

My JRTs are docked and one of them still managed to break a leg, should have had that off too

 

[3DE]

I am very anti cosmetic docking and have had my dog docked. He split his tail on a wall and 9 months later it still wouldn't heal As a result he then had to go though this

Much easier at birth... I have 3 more lurcher/long dogs (rescues) who may, one day split their tails and I hope it never happens - it's horrible

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