Why Dogs Tails are Docked!

Babyblue said:
I think people mainly do it for looks.

Show dogs tend to have their ears or tails cropped.. depending on the breed of dog.
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Now it done for looks at first it done a numbers of reason . One was to avoid paying taxes on a working dog. If your dog tail was docked you did not have to pay taxes! Did you read how it done? There are two ways . I think it is cruel and unnecessary!
 
I've been told that poodles were originally swimming dogs and that their tails were cut to better serve as rudders.
 
I agree it's cruel to do that. I think people are best to leave them alone as natural.
 
whatdidyousay! said:
Now it done for looks at first it done a numbers of reason . One was to avoid paying taxes on a working dog. If your dog tail was docked you did not have to pay taxes! Did you read how it done? There are two ways . I think it is cruel and unnecessary!
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They're several reasons why people had their dogs tails docked or ears cropped. Most modern reason is for cosmetics.

And yes, I did read the link.

Some people think piercing ears or circumcision is cruel and unusal also. Just saying...
 
Beowulf said:
I've been told that poodles were originally swimming dogs and that their tails were cut to better serve as rudders.
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No poodles tails where cut to show that they where a working dog and the owners did not have to pay taxes on working dogs. The poodle cuts you see on show dogs was done to keep them from getting tangled up in berries patch and to keep their joints warm when jumping into water. When I had Finlay I was play ball with in the woods and he ran after the ball that when into a
berries patch and poor Finlay got tangled up ! The more he tried to pull out of the berries patch the tighter it wrapped around him! I had to pull all the vines of Finlay and carry him out!
 
There are breeds when tails are left whole the tail tends to break and need surgery- some of the real working dogs (drug, arson, search and rescue. cadaver, mobility, service... - have it done to keep them safer.)

Consider a wheelchair dog with a long tail... Or a rescue dog in and out of unsteady rubble piles - Ouch!
 
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FireTiger said:
There are breeds when tails are left whole the tail tends to break and need surgery- some of the real working dogs (drug, arson, search and rescue. cadaver, mobility, service... - have it done to keep them safer.)

Consider a wheelchair dog with a long tail... Or a rescue dog in and out of unsteady rubble piles - Ouch!
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How about a long-tailed cat in a roomful of rocking chairs?
 
I can understand why some people would want to dock their dog's tails...I do not agree with it & I would never have it done, but I understand where they are coming from.
 
I don't mind docked tails (as most have a purpose) but I am not a fan of cropped ears.

A huge majority of mobility assistance dogs who work with people in wheelchairs are Labs or Golden Retriever or a cross between the two - so they all have long tails. Dogs know where their tails are and know enough not to stick it in the wheelchair. Granted, it may get rolled over rarely, but that's no different than me not looking where I'm walking and stepping on my dog's tail.

Poodles are shaved because if they were left unshaved, they couldn't swim (too heavy because they get "water logged") so the cuts were designed to keep them warm, but not weigh them down too much.

Some dog breeds (or strains within dog breeds) are born without a tail - Australian Shepherd, Welsh Corgi, Boxer, etc.
 
Emmer said:
I don't mind docked tails (as most have a purpose) but I am not a fan of cropped ears.

A huge majority of mobility assistance dogs who work with people in wheelchairs are Labs or Golden Retriever or a cross between the two - so they all have long tails. Dogs know where their tails are and know enough not to stick it in the wheelchair. Granted, it may get rolled over rarely, but that's no different than me not looking where I'm walking and stepping on my dog's tail.

Poodles are shaved because if they were left unshaved, they couldn't swim (too heavy because they get "water logged") so the cuts were designed to keep them warm, but not weigh them down too much.

Some dog breeds (or strains within dog breeds) are born without a tail - Australian Shepherd, Welsh Corgi, Boxer, etc.
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The poodles where also shaved so they would not get stuck in the berries. vines . Marty has his whole tail and I think it is cute !
 
Babyblue said:
They're several reasons why people had their dogs tails docked or ears cropped. Most modern reason is for cosmetics.

And yes, I did read the link.

Some people think piercing ears or circumcision is cruel and unusal also. Just saying...
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Well most of us have a choice in the say in terms of the ears. I think circumcision is cruel as well. To me if a person is old enough to want a lil snip here and there then it's okay. For example if I had a little girl, I wouldn't pierce her ears as a baby. I'd wait until shes old enough to decide if it's for her.
 
KStiletto said:
Well most of us have a choice in the say in terms of the ears. I think circumcision is cruel as well. To me if a person is old enough to want a lil snip here and there then it's okay. For example if I had a little girl, I wouldn't pierce her ears as a baby. I'd wait until shes old enough to decide if it's for her.
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Several people complain about puppies tails or ears being cropped and they are the same people that had their babies circumcized and ears pierced.

That is why I made that statement.

Being realistic, only a few will wait and give their children a choice.

Which is what I find Ironic.
 
Babyblue said:
Several people complain about puppies tails or ears being cropped and they are the same people that had their babies circumcized and ears pierced.

That is why I made that statement.

Being realistic, only a few will wait and give their children a choice.

Which is what I find Ironic.
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I totally agree. Most people usually only know about one or the other. Most people just do something because its so popular without finding out why. Like sheep, just doing things blindly.

Speaking for myself I was against dog cropping and tail docking first because I loved animals and informed myself out of curiousity. I also like piercings, so after getting pierced and learning about infections of the ear that can occur from the gun they use to pierce ears I became more intrigued about piercing period. Then later in life, I became a parent, and found myself in a birth club, where we talk about different topics especially circumcision which seems to be a hot topic on baby forums. Pretty interesting. I soon felt, if you came into the world with longer ears, long tail, a skin covering for your penis, who am I to just say "cut it!" because of either esthetics, or any other reason..
 
Emmer said:
I don't mind docked tails (as most have a purpose) but I am not a fan of cropped ears.

A huge majority of mobility assistance dogs who work with people in wheelchairs are Labs or Golden Retriever or a cross between the two - so they all have long tails. Dogs know where their tails are and know enough not to stick it in the wheelchair. Granted, it may get rolled over rarely, but that's no different than me not looking where I'm walking and stepping on my dog's tail.

Poodles are shaved because if they were left unshaved, they couldn't swim (too heavy because they get "water logged") so the cuts were designed to keep them warm, but not weigh them down too much.

Some dog breeds (or strains within dog breeds) are born without a tail - Australian Shepherd, Welsh Corgi, Boxer, etc.
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True, but Vesula working dogs get docked tails, if they are going for mobility/rescue, or the parents have a history of 'brittle tail' otherwise they can keep those whips... They keep natural ears.
 
After actually seeing a country family father pick up a litter of puppies and cut off their tails with an old polling knife I will never, ever have a dog's tail cut. Nope. No way.
 
A hallmark of the breed, some Aussies are born with naturally bobbed tails (NBT).

I used to have two Aussies, sadly one have died of pancreatic cancer :tears:
one and half year ago.
She had her tail docked, the other -a male- does not, has a full length, long thick fur tail.

But let me tell you, aside from Aussies looking great tailless,
having a dog without a tail is SO convenient.

No more tipped over spilled glasses, stuff thrown off the tables, low shelves etc., no more being painfully hit in the eye by a wagging tail!

I am torn between docking and not docking.

On one hand yeah, done wrong it hurts and may get infected, which brings on more pain later on.
But then, if done correctly it's hardly noticed by a dog - it's like being vaccinated or having ears pierced for a child, really.

Children in general are amazing healers, they heal faster and without so much pain as adults, and so does puppies.

Certainly I don't care for ear cropping. let them be...

Fuzzy
 
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