They're really nice !

"Back on topic" - not sure if you're pro or anti docking....

I see both sides but...

Who these days ( in the nanny state we live in) doesn't have to deal with risk assesment.

It's a simple case of of:

How likely is the risk ? multiplied by - how bad the outcome will be.

Exactly and the risk for a working dog is bound to be a hell of a lot more than a show dog that is docked for cosmetic reasons!

But no-one has stopped to think about people like me who wish to try and preserve the original breed and do both?

It's clear these people know nothing about the gundog breeds.

I have the perfect solution breed dogs that have velcro tails Keena could do with velcro feet, when one pair of paws get injured I could change them for another

good shout !

light relief from last post - feel a bit sad.

Can you find it ?

Phil

I'm not really either. If I was to have a breed known for 'weak' tails I would rather they didn't repetedly injure themselves.

If the breed's tail was just as any other I would want to leave it.

I don't care about the show world aspect and think that should be the last consideration.

And if I had 'working' gun dogs if clipping the fur well back wasn't good enough and strapping them didn't work and I knew they were prone to repeted injury I guess I would be ok for docking. But aside from a weak tail I still don't see what makes the gun dogs tails anymore vulnerable than my dogs tails when they do their own 'hunting' and go running through all sorts for hours in the forest and heath everyday.

Now because I know nothing about gun dogs don't laugh...but are the long ears of some of these dogs not as much prob as tails? It's probably a stoopid question

Thankfully you are incorrect, its a total ban in Scotland

http://www.journalonline.co.uk/news/1003104.aspx

Most folk don't think about it any more than they do when they decide if they want to put mud guards on their bike.

Get muddy ? yes or no ?

Chance doggy gets hurt ? yes or no ?

That's it

For some (and we must accept) the dog is a tool.

For others (you-me?) perhaps the dog is more of a pet.

The weak tail issue is an interesting one and perhaps one that should have been more fully investigated, looking at a more gradual phasing in of the ban to encourage better breeding??? That is a very interesting point.

In all honesty guys, and you ain't gonna like it, I am thrilled about the ban and as an example (that I've mentioned before because I am genuinely thrilled) I can't wait to see lots of long, waggy tailed rottis out there. I love rottis as a breed and I think they look fantastic in all the pics I've seen of them with full tails, the same goes for boxers and many others. Bring it on!!!!!

There is talk in Scotland of a possible exemption. Litters are still being docked up here. The exemption would probably bring them into line with England.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/5411638.stm

Actually the opposite has happened.

The ancestor of the wolf had the usual mammalian pattern of five ditits on each limb but the wolf has lost the rear ones, as they were presumably a hindrance. The front are ones are retained as they are functional.

Since domestication, the dog has regained the rear ones because of the different selection critieria involved in dog breeding.