docked tails on mixed breeds?

[Soapie&Buddy'sMom]

I'm not sure where else to ask this question so here goes:

Several weeks ago a stray rottie-lab appeared in my backyard. She was a very pretty dog, longish golden brown hair (solid color) with a docked tail, Rottweiler facial features. But to me it was very obvious she was a mix. To make a long story short, I found her owner. Her owner had adopted "Siren" when Siren was 18 months old. Her previous owners gave her up because she didn't turn out to be a "real" rottweiler - I guess the golden brown hair was the indicator. Why it took 18 months for those geniuses to figure it out, who knows.

Anyway, my question is this: CLearly the irresponsible people who bred Siren's parents were clueless (probably didn't know for sure who Daddy was) but when the pups were born, wouldn't it be pretty clear that a dog with solid brown fur was not a purebred Rottweiler? So why did they still dock her tail? Does it sometimes happen that purebred Rott will be born with solid brown fur and develop its markings and that is what these people were hoping?

[mccoy]

S&B Mom,

My female Rottie threw pups-"MY LAST
LITTER" that were bob tailed at birth
their tails are perfect they are just
like my males, whom I know had his tail
docked at three days old...

I'm not saying that's what happened in
this situation just that maybe they were
born that way?

[Joanne in NJ]

I have a rottie/english springer spaniel cross. Her tail is docked. No idea of why. Then again, there's no figuring people sometimes, who'd allow their rottie to be gotten to on her first heat by the sneaky ESS who lives next door. Accidents happen? I suppose

[Judi W]

It is not uncommon to see docked tails on mixes. Some think it appropriate according to what they view the parent as. Rightly or wrongly, it is also often considered that it is easier to place them with a docked tail if they are promoted as a mix of a breed that traditionally has a docked tail.

[frontierrots]

MANY Rottweiler, Boxer, Doberman etc mixes have their tails docked. Pups that are a mix of a raditionally docked breed with docked tails are MUCH mre easily adopted out.

NERR docks the tails of mixes that are Rottweiler colored but no longer docks the tails of non Rott colored pups. Tailed pups are VERY difficult to adopt out. One of the last ones NERR had- a real Rottweiler at that- we had had him since he was a tiny pup and no one wanted him due to his tail. Odd colored tailed mixes came and went, docked rott colored mixes and purebreds came and went but the tail pup took months and months to be adopted.

The general public here (the majority of them anyway) in the US wants a docked tail on a rottweiler or a rott mix

[WorkinDogz]

Hmmm....maybe they were hoping it was going to be one of those "rare red" Rottweilers.....and the original owners paid a small fortune for the right to own one......

and then......

They actually opened a book; looked in the "What a Rottweiler is NOT supposed to look like" chapter.....found a "rare red" said HMMMMM.....this dog doesn't even look like one of THEM!

Shoulda asked if the new owner got "papers" with the dog too!

Oh that's right.......bet the breeder doesn't believe in "them elitists" that register their litters"...

[Soapie&Buddy'sMom]

Wow, these replies are very interesting. I thought for sure that Siren's misguided first owners must have thought she was purebred, or that they could pass her off as purebred, or they wouldn't have bothered to dock her tail. I never dreamed that anyone would purposely dock a mixed breed's tail, or that anyone would prefer a mixed breed with a docked tail over one with its natural tail. Shows you how much I know about these things!

I guess my natural prejudice is showing through here with my assumptions. I simply prefer dogs with their natural tails. In fact, in the 30 or so hours that Siren lived with us, I think her LACK of tail confused the other three dogs. I mean, *I* could see her little stump wagging, and I think she was being friendly, but Soapie, Buddy and Miller could NOT see the stump, and I think they misread Siren's state of mind a couple of times. Again, that might be my "tail" prejudice coming through, I don't know.

Please don't get me wrong, I love Rottweilers, and if their tail is already docked, I think they are beautiful. I just prefer the European standard with the tail. And I just didn't think that there was any reason to dock a tail except to meet a breed standard, and so if a dog was a mix, what would be the point? They're not going to meet the standard in a million years, so why bother. It simply never occured to me that there would be other reasons for docking.

Thanks for the responses.....it will take me a while to digest this one, let me tell you. :)

[TrishB]

It's actually quite a sad occurrence.

Shelters that get Rotties with tails have a hard time adopting them out because of their tails. They don't 'look' like the breed with the tail to the general public.

Shelters that get mixes that are part Rottie part whatever, have a harder time adopting them out if they *don't* have a tail. Then the attitude is that it looks 'too much' like a Rottie. With the stigma around our breed now, it's tough to find our guys homes. So not entirely looking like a Rottie when you're a cross, may find you a home faster! :(

Does it make sense? No. But the public mind is fickle. I’d like to think that the main criteria for a dog to get a home would be their temperament. But the sad reality is, the look of the dog is generally the deciding factor.

I can't see why anyone would dock the tail of a mixed pup. Especially if it didn't necessarily look like the breed that is typically docked.

I can't tell you what I'd do. I'd like to think I wouldn't be responsible for bringing mixed pups on to the planet in the first place! ;)

[rottnvegas]

It sounds to me like someone passed off a mixed Rott pup as a purebred. This is not uncommon as unfortunately a lot of people that buy Rottis know nothing about them, they just know their neighbor got one and it is pretty mean. Stupid people do stupid things thats all there is to it. That would be like someone buying a Kia and putting Lexus emblems all over it, it is just ignorance. (I actually saw a car like that)

[DogLover]

One time I met a guy with a Rott/Bullmastiff mix with a docked tail. I asked him why he had a docked tail... "Oh, because he is a Rottweiler" whatever!

[godfreyc]

I had a rottie X as a teenager that we got from a family friend whose tail was docked and personally I would probably dock if I had to made the decision. My reasoning (and remember I'm intitled to my opinion ;) ) I don't like tails on big dogs. That's one of the reasons I love rotties the lack of a tail.

[k&s]

Saw a rottie mix at a 'fun' dog show recently. It had a docked tail. Looked pretty interesting. The owner said that for some reason the person who had the pups docked the tails of the males and did not dock those of the females. I guess he just could not make up his mind and decided to split the difference by gender.

[WorkinDogz]

Originally posted by godfreyc
My reasoning (and remember I'm intitled to my opinion ;) ) I don't like tails on big dogs.

My Shepherds are deeply offended :D In fact...they said "real dogs HAVE TAILS" :p :p

[TrishB]

If it comes down to personal preference - I like tails. It adds SO much to their expression! It's just as much as a smile or a dimple on a child - their tails tell you everything!

But then again - when I see things flying off of the coffee table and I'm nursing the bruises on my shins from 'happy tails'... hmmmm, maybe a tail isn't 'all that'. ;)

I think Sheppys would be horrible without tails. But I also love my wiggle-butted Rotties and their silly happy dance!

All breeds, great and small, how can you help but to love them all! :D

[ILoveRotts]

I agree with Godfreyc. I personally like my Rottie stubs. With the way they wiggle, I would be severely injured if they had tails.

On the other hand, if there was a beautiful Rottie in need that had a tail, I certainly would turn away.