what about the rotts the police will be taking on? will they still be docked, also the dogs used in drug searches and so on???
is the legislation for scotland and england or england only??

But the difference there is a working Springer is sent in to thick cover I would say easily 50/60 times during a full shoot (all day). A lot more than your pet Springer who goes into thick cover out of chance/preference (spontaneously finding game etc) over approx a 1 hour period.

The difference is enormous and I think this is what many anti dockers are unaware of.

I've asked this question already but it's been over looked. I'd really like to know how many anti dockers own working dogs, or have attended shoots and seen Springers working?

Isla's breeder's (who work their dogs with their local game keeper) bred one litter of pups with full tails. Every litter after that has been docked and they're now dead against full tails. This to me speaks volumes.

I think the answer to your question, is not many! I agree with you, if they saw it, they would understand much more the necessity.
Dawn.

I tend to wonder if many who are against docking working springers tails are actually anti-shooting, rather than anti-docking per se.

I agree! and they are probably the same folk who want free range food and animals to live a "natural" life!
Dawn.

Under the new English legislation these dogs will be able to be docked.

Scotland I'm not sure, guessing no?

Oh and this ban is for England only, in Scotland it's already banned.

As far as I can gather, they would be allowed to dock any they breed to work, however Rotties are not that common for police work anyway, they tend to be used more by general security firms [ ]
Most if not all sniffers are rescues and are usually kept intact if they arrive that way from rescue. I`m not aware of intact tails on already adult dogs then being docked for sniffer work anyway.

I`m anti docking and anti-shooting in equal measure.

I think that's the problem here to be honest Dawn. :smt001
I hand on heart, don't want to see a dog going to find game. I have absolutely no interest in that. You may all now leap upon me and tell me my opinion is therefore meaningless as I haven't seen these things and therefore do not understand, that's fine. Your opinions and we are all entitled to have them.
I remain an antidocker. :smt002
Dogs are put into those 'dangerous' situations and injure themselves because their natural anatomy is not suited to the job in hand. Our answer...chop the offending piece of anatomy off. Problem solved. I personally think that is wrong, as you all know. Nothing you can say will actually change my mind, just as nothing I can say, will change yours (not you personally Dawn 'yours' here meaning the prodockers).
To be honest though, at least there is a reason behind that, docking for working, cosmetic docking is another matter altogether.
I'm not entirely sure where the concerns are here as working dogs are still going to be allowed to be docked??? Okay, you can't decide which pups will be workers,but if it is from working stock surely you'll have a good idea??? Are people upset because you can't then go on and show the pups once they have been docked? I'm not sure why people are so het up. Me being tired and not thinking straight probably...????

Am I invisible? Read my posts!

The thing is the situation isn't dangerous, it's just potentially harmful with the full tailed Springer being the way it is. To be against docking for your own personal reasons, rather for that of the dog is surely worse than the terrible and evil person I am for wanting to dock?

These dogs have been bred to work for hundreds of years, they absolutely adore it. Yes they could live with out it, but I personally love to see dogs doing what they were bred for and loving it at the same time. I choose to dock to allow them to do this without injury and yet I'm looked down upon by some?

I love my dogs and only want the best for them, I dock for these reasons. I'm not a nasty person who loves "mutilating" my animals. This opinon is what I find most offensive.

If you're anti hunting then fair enough, but don't project this feeling onto the dogs that love the job.

Just wanted to say, I too was totally against hunting of any kind years ago. But you know what - the animals that are shot during a shoot enjure far less pain and suffering than the majority of animals that sit on your dinner plate.

Cows that never see daylight, chickens that live their lives in cages. Give me hunting any day.