From: Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture, Michael A. Bellesiles. Alfred A. Knopf, 603 pages, $30.00.

Hi Steve...

I understand your point and the view you are taking, especially since you have had a traditionally docked breed...However...My friend has a huge teddy bear of a Rottie who sports a most wonderful undocked tail and he looks absolutely wonderful...It totally alters the aggressive appearance usually associated with the breed and he has never injured it...Equally another friend who owns a docked Doberman bitch, took in a rescue Dobie a couple of years ago which also has a lovely uncut tail...She too looks absolutely wonderful and my friend much prefers her appearance...She has experienced no problems with the tail and says in future she would always prefer to have an undocked dog...Lastly another friend chose to have an undocked boxer from a litter and it was the only one not to have its tail cut off...He looks wonderful, is now two years old and has never injured it, tho I must confess it is rather painful when he whips my leg with it!...

I still cannot go along with the concept put about by pro dockers, that puppies feel no pain either during or after having their tails are cut off...It stands to reason that it would be just as painful as cutting off a human baby's finger...

Fortunately more and more litters of undocked dogs are now becoming available, so there is now the choice for new owners of being able to purchase an animal with a tail, if they so desire....There is a society for undocked animals where breeders register and purchasers can find undocked litters of pups....

In a recent survey by Dogs Today, the greater majority of the vets who responded were against tail docking than those who favoured it...Unfortunately do not have the percentages to hand at the moment, but if you are interested, I will search for the details and let you have them when I find them....

Regards ...Lynne

Tails are not docked on a "whim". As with dew claws they are cut to prevent future injury - which appears to be a valid medical reason? Do you disagree with the practise of removing dew claws?

As we have such differing view points, we shall have to agree to disagree....

When, as is often the case, dogs tails are docked for cosmetic reasons, it is for a whim...


I have never had dew claws removed from any of my dogs

Bulldogs are not docked they are born without a long tail. And nope they don't as such have any problems although you do have to wipe their bottoms when they do No 2's Probably too much information for some

Many of the following are born tailless:
OES
Stumpy-tail Cattle Dog
Pembroke Corgi
Swedish Vallhund
Belgian Cattle Dog
Schippeke
Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Brittany
Bouvier des Flandres
Boxer

I'm sure there are more that I cannot recall at the moment

I don't think you have actually read this thread, if you had you would not make such an incorrect statement, I have stated on several occasions that this is not the case. I am however totally pro choice and until such times as I am convinced by believable and factual reasons why people should not be allowed to make their own minds up without interference from people who in the most part have no idea what they are talking about I will remain so. If and when someone either proves or convinces me that docking a dog as a new born does more harm than good I may well decide that it is my place to try and convince others that they should not dock but until that happens I will mind my own business. The next thing we know there will be a law passed that we can't feed our dogs raw, or complete, that will depend on which school of thought does the most lobbing.
Yes so am I but we are not talking about that here are we.
Could you tell us what you are basing your opinion on, that would be helpful to me. People are entitled to think as they wish but unless they can back up their comments and thoughts with facts I do not think they have the right to tell or insist that others do as they are told, they simply have to have a sound and proven reason to be saying to other people you do as we say as we know best, because from what has been said they don’t, they have no proof and no personal experience or if they do they are not telling us.

Sorry SB but most Schippeke are docked not sure about the other breeds.


Just re-read your post and think you mean that some individuals from the breeds listed are born tailless, and if you did I agree. Some members of breeds that are not normally docked are also born without a tail too, once knew a GSD that was born without a tail but where as in a docked breed the lack of tail is applauded and that line guarded with care in a GSD it is called a genetic fault. However the fact remains that the dog can function as normal and it's balance or communication skills are unaffected.

That's ok Jackie Yes, I meant that some in litters are tailed, some tailless. When tails occur they are normally docked. Just trying to clear up the statement that implies that no dog are born without tails

Yes I did realise what you intended but had a senior moment and miss-read.

Thought when I mentioned the GSD that was born bob tailed that perhaps the docking of GSD's would avoid the many cases of 'anal furunculosis' although breeding to lift the tail set of reduce the croup would probably be more acceptable way of avoiding this health problem.