It’s important to realise that most of the dogs you see with short tails were not born that way. Portions of their tails have been bobbed either to maintain breed standard or for other practical purposes.
This process of removing a dog’s tail either wholly or partially is known as tail docking.
The length of the docked tail varies depending on the breed. Veterinarians carry out the procedure in two ways. One is making use of scalpels or surgical tools to sever a portion of the dog’s tail.
The other way is putting a ligature on the required tail length standard of the breed for several days. This way, the extra length, which doesn’t receive any more blood supply, would rot and fall off.
There are varying standards to which different dog breed tails are docked.
Most dogs with short tails have their tails docked as mentioned earlier. At the moment, 62 breeds recognised by the AKC have docked tails. On the other side, some breeds come naturally with bobbed tails.
Purpose of Tail Docking in Dogs
Tail docking in dogs has been going on for centuries –probably as much as dog breeding itself. Dogs’ tails were docked for different reasons.
The AKC claims that this procedure “helps some dogs better and more safely perform the functions for which they were originally bred.”
Back in the days when people used dogs mostly for work and not as family pets, the docking helped to prevent tail injuries and infections.
Breeders docked working dogs’ tails to prevent traumatic injuries, especially when hunting, fighting, or baiting.
Since its inception, tail docking has thrived in most countries and is still a fundamental part of dog breeding practice these days.
In the modern days, tail docking is considered for its therapeutic, prophylactic, and cosmetic benefits as well as preventing avoidable injuries with active dogs.
Take field dogs, for example. When herding or hunting, their long tails might collect dirt that accumulates and might lead to an infection.
Furthermore, when these dogs work through spiky and dense shrubs, their tails might become injured, leading to spinal injury or trauma.
List of Dog Breeds, Exposed to Tail Docking
The following dog breeds are still exposed to the practice in many countries:
- American Cocker Spaniel
- Airedale Terrier
- Clumber Spaniel
- English Cocker Spaniel
- English Springer Spaniel
- Field Spaniel
- German Shorthaired Pointer
- German Wirehaired Pointer
- Hungarian Vizsla
- Italian Spinone
- Large Munsterlander
- Long Haired Weimaraner
- Lakeland Terrier
- Sussex Spaniel
- Weimaraner
- Schipperke
- Welsh Springer Spaniel
- Working Cocker
- Australian Terrier
- Parson or Jack Russell Terrier
- Sealyham Terrier
- Kerry Blue Terrier
- Boxer (both tail docking and ear cropping)
- Doberman (both tail docking and ear cropping)
- Giant Schnauzer
- Norfolk Terrier
- Norwich Terrier
- Old English Sheepdog
- Polish Lowland Sheepdog
- Sealyham Terrier
- Smooth coated Fox Terrier
- Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier
- Welsh Terrier
- Wired haired Fox Terrier
- Giant Schnauzer
- Miniature Poodle
- Miniature Schnauzer
- Standard Poodle
- Toy Poodle
- Bouvier des Flandres
- Great Dane (Great Dane Tails are not docked but Ear Cropping is in practice)
- Neapolitan Mastiff
- Pinscher (Doberman Pinscher, German Pinscher, Miniature Pinscher, Austrian Pinscher)
- Rottweiler
- Pyrenean Sheepdog
- Yorkshire Terrier
When is Tail Docking in Dogs Done?
In dogs, tail docking is done when the animal is around from 5 days to two weeks old. Besides, it is performed without any form of anaesthesia. Sometimes, due to some pressing reasons, tail docking is performed in adult age as well.
To point out, some organisations are against tail docking in dogs.
Namely, the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) have stood against the procedure in most dog breeds.
The argument is based on the fact that in modern days, most pet dogs’ tails are docked not for necessity but aesthetic reasons.
Studies also showed that some of the traditional work dogs were not initially docked (Foxhounds and English pointers, for instance).
In a 1996 publication, Robert Wansborough outlined the several demerits of docked tails in dogs. On the top of the list was the inability of a docked dog to communicate with people or other dogs – which is mostly done via different tail motions.
By implication, dogs that couldn’t communicate properly due to tail docking tended towards aggressiveness and other anti-social behaviors.
However, breeders and dog owners continue this practice because of the massive influence of the AKC (American Kennel Club) on the dog breed standards, which places sanctions and penalties on undocked dogs.
Countries where Tail Docking is Banned / Legal
Tail docking can be considered legal or illegal, depending on what your residence is.
In Europe, for example, the countries that are members of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals have all banned tail docking in dogs. Under the Convention, it is considered a cruel and painful practice for the animals.
In the UK, for instance, tail docking has been banned. The law is notably stricter in Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and England.
Only a few veterinarian-registered work dogs are docked. Otherwise, this practice is a criminal offense.
In some countries, it is restricted and is only performed by a veterinarian, while in others, there are no regulations whatsoever regarding tail docking in dogs.
Apart from mentioned above, the countries that banned tail docking in dogs include:
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Chile
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Columbia
- Estonia
- Finland
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Latvia
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Sweden
- Scotland
- Slovakia and Slovenia
- Switzerland
- Turkey and
- Virgin islands
Some of the countries that have restrictions on dogs’ tail docking include:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Canada
- Denmark
- England
- Germany
- Russia
- Israel
- Northern Ireland
- Portugal
- South Africa
- Spain and
- Wales
Below is a list of countries where tail docking in dogs is unrestricted:
- United States
- Afghanistan
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Costa Rica
- Egypt
- India
- Iran
- Indonesia
- Lebanon
- Japan
- Kuwait
- Malaysia
- Mauritius
- Nepal
- Mexico
- Peru
- Philippines
- Tunisia
- Taiwan
- Thailand and
- Sri Lanka
Is the Procedure of Tail Docking in Dogs Painful?
The shrieking of a dog during tail docking should tell how much pain it withstands. However, pro-docking breeders claim that puppies have underdeveloped tissues and nervous systems and may not feel so much pain and discomfort. But this is a wrong assertion.
At birth, the central nervous system of a pup is 100% developed, which lays credence to the shreds of evidence that puppies feel as much pain as adult dogs.
To sever a pup’s tail, you would have to cut your way through the ligaments, tendons, muscles, and several interconnected bones and cartilage. You’d have also severed more than six pairs of sensitive nerve tissues in the process.
Worse still, there is no form of pain relief or anesthesia applied during this gruesome process, and these puppies experience excruciating pain, even during the stitching process.
Sometimes, there is inflammation of the wound, which might continually cause the puppy discomfort as the dog matures. Plus, the wound might become infected, opening a portal to several other health issues.
Tail docking is an unnecessary pain-causing procedure; therefore, many anti-docking activists stood against it.
Can Tail Docking in Dogs be Performed at any Age?
Historically, or should we say typically, veterinarians perform tail docking on dogs when they are still puppies.
Most veterinarians that perform this procedure advice it to be done in the early days of the dog’s life say one to two weeks old.
The procedure isn’t recommendable for adult dogs because the docked tails tend not to heal correctly.
It is because, at a certain age, the dog’s tail must have stopped growing; therefore, the healing occurs much slower.
Besides difficulties in healing properly, there are many other issues related to tail docking in dogs. First and foremost, it is an extremely painful procedure to endure for adult dogs.
Research showed that all the dogs docked (around 50 breeds and 500 dogs in a study) all showed visible signs of pain.
However, tail docking can be done where there is a pressing need to do it. Such situations can lead to a permanent tail injury sustained by the adult dog.
Tail Docking in Dogs: Complications
Most prominent organizations and individuals who stood against tail docking in dogs argued that the procedure increased aggressiveness in dogs by limiting their ability to communicate properly.
While this may be true, there are other potential damages caused by tail docking:
Neuroma-tic growth
Neuromas consist of different tissues that tend to grow on the point of severance or amputation. The growth of neuromas can cause severe pain and distress to your dog.
Mental complications
In rare cases, the tail docking can lead to mental complications in dogs such as anxiety, destructive behaviour and aggression. These complications result from shock and emotional strain from the procedure.
Loss of balance
The tail doesn’t only helps understand the dog’s emotional state but also helps the pet with balance. The absence of the tail may affect the dog’s ability to centralise its weight when walking, running, or swimming.
Dogs with naturally docked tails
While in many dogs, the tails were surgically removed, some canines had some gene mutations that led to bobtails.
The naturally bobbed tails of dogs were achieved from selective breeding over the years, thereby naturally eliminating the downsides of having tails in some working dog breeds.
A breed known as the Pembroke Welsh Corgi was, according to British researchers, discovered to have a gene irregularity called T-box mutation.
While some breeds have naturally bobbed tails, some had a non-existent tail. The dog breeds with non-existent or bobtails include:
- English bulldog
- Boston Terrier
- Brazilian Terrier
- Australian shepherd
- Spanish water dog
- Pyrenean Shepherd
- Brittany Spaniel
- Danish–Swedish Farmdog
- Jack Russell Terrier
- Tenterfield Terrier
- Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog
- Polish Lowland Sheepdog
- Schipperke
- Swedish Vallhund
- King Charles spaniel
- Miniature Schnauzer
- Karelian Bear Dog
- Parson Russell terrier
- Rat Terrier
Tail Docking In Dogs & Behavioural Issues
If you love dogs with bobtails, check if it is illegal in your location before proceeding with this practice.
It is unnecessary to dock tails of dogs that are family pets. Besides, docked tail might lead to behavioural issues in dogs.
It is because while you or other members of your family might find it hard to understand the dog’s moods, the dog might find it hard to communicate its feelings.
Therefore, it might lead to an aggressive and anti-social behaviour.
Proper training is required to subject such animals into obedience and social-behavioural pattern.
Other Forms of Mutilations in Dogs
Not only are dogs’ tails cut off in the early days of their lives, but sometimes their ears are also surgically modified to meet a particular breed standard.
The process of surgically modifying a dog’s ear to meet breed standards is called ear cropping in dogs.
Ear cropping involves surgically severing a part of a dog’s ears. Fighting, hunting, and guarding dogs were the subjects to this traditional process, and they include boxers, schnauzers, Doberman pinschers, and Great Danes.
The reasons for ear cropping had the same historical background as for tail docking in dogs. According to breeders, it prevents a dog from having ear injuries or being vulnerable to other animals.
These days, people rarely use dogs for the purpose they they used them several centuries ago. They mostly find their place in the household as family pets; however, the practice of ear cropping hasn’t stopped.
Many breeders argue that cropping formed a part of the breed standard for some dogs.
Moreover, in many countries, docking has been banned, whereas ear cropping continues unrestricted.
In countries like Finland, Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Australia, Denmark, and the United Kingdom, ear cropping in dogs or any other pet has been banned because it is considered cruel.
Conclusion
Tail docking in dogs began in ancient Rome, where people were trying to keep work dogs safe from injuries. This practice had thrived until 2004. However, since then, it was banned in many countries across Europe as it is considered cruel.
However, some countries allow tail docking in exceptional circumstances, for instance, for health reasons . In other countries, the practice is unrestricted.
Some dog breeds have been selectively bred over the years to have bobbed tails – either short or absent.
If you own a dog with a severed tail, it is more difficult to understand its emotions and help it socialise adequately. The lack of tail hampers the dog’s ability to communicate, which might lead to aggressive behavior.
Besides tail severance, some dogs also undergo ear cropping to keep up with breed standards.