I personally like to see breeds how they come into this world, and that's intact in every way.

I'm not for tail docking, but, that's my opinion. Not everyone has to agree with that

Wolfie i agree

That photo is from the Council of Docked breeds website, of course they would show you the most gruesome picture they could, they want you to continue docking.......you could also look at the Anti-docking alliance website, they will give you a million reasons why NOT to dock........

My first litters were docked, I don't care what it says on the CDB, the pups do feel it, of course the nerves are mature in their tails, it's part of their spine, they can move their tails from birth so everything is formed! Not only do the pups cry and sometimes for a few hours afterwards, but it also stresses mum out to see her babies crying!

As you can see I strongly disagree with tail docking........but that's just my opinion and that's what this debate is all about

aw i have no experience of this at all but i dont think i could put a puppy through it just for hi to look a certain way. i suppose its different if they are going to definitley be workind dogs but just for the sake of it seems cruel. I cant even have my daughters ears pierced so doubt i could do that to a litter of mine. I cried my eyes out when max was micro chipped and my mum had to take him for his jabs!

Ok if the argument is that working spaniels need to be docked because the hair on the tails is not sufficient to protect the tail, then why arent long haired weims docked, they hunt in the same thorny bushes as a spaniel would, and the hair covering the tail is thinner , strange .....

That picture may be from the CDB, but I can tell you its not the most grusome tail damage I've seen, and of course there are fors and againsts on both sides.

Of the Weims I know that are worked, none of them would go in to the places Springers and Cockers routinely hunt in even if you dragged them in, Springers were bred to go in to dense cover and flush the game out, Weims are generally used to point the game.

im sure weims being hunt point retrieve dogs do go into the places spaniels would go, if a bird was shot and fell into thick bramble im sure they wouldnt think twice about retrieving it

Why were Rotties docked originally?

I find it odd that dogs tails are docked at different lengths, as I said before, Rotts being left with a stump and Neo's only lose the last 1/3 of their tail... does anybody know if there was a legitimate reason for the differences or whether it was purely cosmetic?

i read somewhere that rotties and dobes were docked to stop people grabbing their tails, whilst working with the police, or as guard dogs, i think the is a cosmetic factor in there though, people seem to think the look tougher and more viscous without a tail!

"Tail docking and ear cropping date to the early Romans, who believed that the practices prevented rabies.[xi] During the European Middle Ages, through the end of the 18th century, Lamarck’s theory of acquired characteristics[xii] was widely accepted. As such, people believed that by docking the tails of the parents, “the new born puppies would look like their parents” and also exhibit short tails.[xiii] In addition, long-tailed or floppy-eared dogs used for hunting, fighting, or watching flocks were at a greater risk of injury associated with those activities. As such, tails were docked and ears cropped to reduce the number of places another dog or other animal could grab. The owners of working dogs often believed that tail docking reduced a dog’s maneuverability, thereby discouraging the dog from chasing game,[xiv] while the other dog owners often believed that tail docking resulted in a stronger back and increased speed.[xv]

Finally, various tax schemes may have accounted for the proliferation of tail docking. In some areas, dogs used for work were not taxed, so the owners of such dogs would dock the tails to indicate that the dog was used for work and not subject to tax.[xvi] In other areas, farmers were taxed according to the length of their dogs’ tails, so docking was used to reduce the tax liability.[xvii] Moreover, sport hunting was considered to be reserved for the wealthy nobility, and it was believed that only long-tailed dogs were suitable for hunting. As such, the owners of long-tailed dogs were required to pay a high tax and tail docking became a practice of the commoners.[xviii]"

From : http://www.animallaw.info/articles/a...ughton2003.htm