tail docking

[ref]

someone told me that well bred rottweilers are not born with a tail and that only poorly bred ones need their tail to be docked. Is this true? I was under the impression that all of them were born with a tail and that it was docked a few days after birth.

[Shadow]

I never heard of that before,mine puppy was done at 3 days old.

[ref]

That's what I thought. I'd never heard of Rottweilers being born without a tail. But this person swears that any decently bred one won't have a tail. I think it's wrong though...I was just interested in what all of you thought about it.

[sumo]

correct me if i'm wrong, but i'm pretty sure all rotts (except for occasional the odd one)are born with tails...i have heard of ones that are born with shorter tails though, but not intentionally and not entire litters...these ones still must be cropped to the first vertebrae in the first couple days... :)

[Goose's Guardian]

Originally posted by sumo:
all rotts (except for occasional the odd one)are born with tails...i have heard of ones that are born with shorter tails though, but not intentionally and not entire litters...

I think this is right. I watched a video where they show some pictures of puppies with "short" or "little" tails. It's a birth defect.

[Burns]

unless it is a birth defect rottweilers are born with tails.

their tails were originally docked because rottweilers spent a majority of their time around livestock and the longer tail would become covered with manure/dirt. it would eventually be weighed down and drug between the legs or on the ground. this could be quite painful and unhealthy for the dog, so breeders took to docking the tail.

go illini!!

Originally posted by Goose's Guardian:
I think this is right. I watched a video where they show some pictures of puppies with "short" or "little" tails. It's a birth defect.