Ask The Dog Guide: Tail Docking
First question of the month:
Question: How long do you dock a Weimaraner puppy’s tail so that it is the correct length (6 inches) when full grown?
Answer: First, docking should be done by a vet. I imagine that any good vet with experience in this will know how to accomplish the procedure to meet your desired length. Please do not attempt to dock a puppy’s tail in any other way.
A note on docking: We do not generally support docking. That said, a friend’s pittie has a docked tail, because she is such a forceful and constant wagger that the tip of her tail was constantly broken and bleeding. In those cases, docking is appropriate; and more humane than a lifetime of tail injuries.
Keely with her docked tail, mentioned above. Bart, on the right, with his natural tail. They’re getting treats for being such good models.
Historically, docking was perform in working/hunting dog breeds for practical reasons- tails might be injured or permanently maimed in the course of their activities. Presently, docking is done mainly for aesthetic reasons, and/or to meet breed standards when showing dogs.
This is a hot debate across the world among breeders, owners and governments. That’s right, some countries have passed anti-docking laws, as well as some states in the U.S.- New Zealand, Australia and the UK, as well as some locations in Europe, are weighing in on this issue.
To those pro-dockers: Please consider the reasons behind the choice. If they are primarily aesthetic, ask yourself: Would I mind having my little toes cut off if it was considered more attractive?
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January 21st, 2008 at 8:42 pm
I WAS WANTING TO KNOW IF YOU PUPPY’S ARE 8 DAYS OLD IS IT TO LATE TO DOCK THIER TAILS.
March 26th, 2008 at 9:30 am
[...] with 492 dogs and a robotic pooch that resembled a black lab to see how canines react to dogs with docked tails. The robotic dog could be modified to have a full length tail or one that is complete. Biologist [...]