Council of Docked Breeds

[2RottieMom]

This site is about protecting the future welfare of docked breeds.
http://www.cdb.org/

[Bud8]

Just took a look. Thanks for sharing!!!

[Monika Malow]

Poor dogs! I don't think newborn pups experience any pain having their tails docked. It's a personal preference whether or not you want your dogs tail docked. These laws are getting carried away, telling breeders what they can and cannot do with their own dogs.

[Tenaj]

Gus' tail is docked also. Not by my choice though. He would still have his tail if I had the choice. I haven't made holes in myself or cut something off just for fashion and don't think my pets should either. But, as I've said before, humans tend to think that they can improve on God's perfection.. But I don't .... That's why I am so glad gsds' don't have to have these things done to be accepted... Love all my dogs, every last bit.

[WillowWin's]

It should be left as personal peference I know I would never not have a docked tail on my Rotties.They been docking as far as I can remember I have pictures of Rotties as far back as 1958 with tails docked.God know why they wanna change now.LOL

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Willow-Wins Rottweilers

[Goose71]

"It should be left as personal preference"


who's preference, yours or the dogs? Tails help w/ balance, they're not just there for decoration. Just because it's been done for years doesn't mean it's the proper way of doing it, heck w/ that attitude slavery would still be around, I'm not talking about a civil rights movement for dogs, just to think about what the real purpose of docking a tail is for. If it's aesthetic then it should not be done, that's not a legit reason. I've always hated the way female dogs nipples hang down after they've had pups, should we start removing the nipples to make her more aesthetically pleasing....I'm sure that wouldn't hurt too bad.

Remember, as I mentioned earlier, I prefer docked, but that's just because it looks better, and if it remains accepted, I'll buy a docked Rott over an undocked one; however, I see no reason to fight the movement against stopping this practice as docking just doesn't serve any real (valid) purpose.

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"Luck happens when preparation meets opportunity"

[This message has been edited by Goose71 (edited September 10, 2000).]

[Monika Malow]

I used to watch the neighbour in dock her poodle puppies tails. There never seemed to be any reaction from the puppies-that's why I said "I'm sure it doesn't hurt them". If they were in pain they would have cried out?? I think some working dogs tails should be docked-just look at those awfull pictures. If the dogs tails were docked in the first place they wouldn't be such a bloody mess!

[Goose71]

Aren't you just favoring your preference by saying that the dogs don't experience any pain. If you like docked you'll make the argument for docked and say it doesn't hurt, those who like undocked will take the other side of the argument.

Personally I like the docked look, but have to admit that undocked is more humane....there's a reason they're born w/ a tail. BTW, my pup is docked.

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"Luck happens when preparation meets opportunity"

[2RottieMom]

Both of my rotties tails are docked.

As my grandfather always said to me "Be happy with what God gave you". He hated when I got my ears pierced when I was younger and he would tell me that if God wanted all those holes in my ears, he would have put them there

[Goose71]

should we then amputate the left arm of every infant. This will avoid any breaks or sprains and really the left arm in most cases is useless. ever seen someone try to throw with their off-hand. Anyway it'll save them from any potential breaks and if done young enough it won't hurt, I think. Besides in todays world a person can get along just fine w/ only one arm. If the arm is too much, how about the pinky on the offhand. That's almost useless.....might prevent an accidental eye poking while drinking tea w/ your buddies. I'm sure I can find pictures of people w/ broken pinkies who would have been spared the pain if they had them amputated while infants.

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"Luck happens when preparation meets opportunity"

[Brandysmom]

Seems to me the argument shouldn't be rather it's been the standard in the past or not, but, does it make since to the breeds usefulness today. Hunting, service, carting, these dogs should have their tails docked to prevent injury. Show dogs, obedience trials, etc., would not usually subject the dog to situations where the tail would be injured in the normal course of events. In-home injuries is a moot point since GSD's, BC's, Lab's, and many more long tailed dogs don't suffer from this injury on a regular basis.
BTW
Brandy is a long-tailed Rott. Her tail curls slightly upward when she is attentive, unlike the GSD or Lab. She is more likely to break something left on a table with an excited wag than to break her tail.

[Tenaj]

I was thinking after looking at those pics and want to know how the heck those dogs hit their tails so hard on door frames to injure them that badly! Hildy, my gsd, frequently slaps her tail against things hard enough to break objects and dosen't hurt her tail! Also when we take our long walks, and she runs through the brush with her tail carried low, she dosen't injure them that way or any way. I think maybe these pics were doctored up a little or were from different injuries.

[2RottieMom]

I really don't think the pictures are doctored up. They explained that these dogs had bad tail docking experiences and from them not being done properly, caused damaged to what is left of their tail, causing it to open up, etc.

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Erika ~ Gypsy & Dakota

[Tenaj]

2RottieMom, From what I read and looked at these dogs tails weren't docked. They said they wished they would have been docked... I still don't see how those dogs' tails got that injured...

[Volunteer]

I have seen this happen to dogs tails...and it is not due to anything other than having a bad case of happy tail.

It usually happens to the dogs that have "whippy" tails (as opposed to the fluffy tails like Collies, Goldens, etc). We have had several pitty mixes, hound mixes, etc that end up with tails looking like this because they wag them so much that they are constantly whacking them against the cement walls of the runs. That constant whacking rubs the end of the tail raw. You can try to wrap it to protect it but they end up wagging it off.

Having a docked tail would have prevented this, sure, but how do you prevent this from happening to those dogs with happy tails who are not normally docked?