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Thread: Tail docking to prevent injuries in working dogs

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
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    Tail docking to prevent injuries in working dogs

    Alberta recently banned docking tails amongst other things.
    Do you agree or disagree and why?

    This should get things fired up.

    Rainer

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
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    EK BC
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    Re: Tail docking to prevent injuries in working dogs

    Tail docking is absolute bullshit. I have a fair bit of experience with working dogs in several countries and I would never do it.

  4. #3
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    Jul 2007
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    823

    Re: Tail docking to prevent injuries in working dogs

    Quote Originally Posted by Everett View Post
    Tail docking is absolute bullshit. I have a fair bit of experience with working dogs in several countries and I would never do it.
    Why do you think it's bs ?
    What working dog breeds do you have experience with?

  5. #4
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    VI
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    Re: Tail docking to prevent injuries in working dogs

    On the surface i dont like the idea of it. But i really dont know anything about it so i dont have an opinion.

    Lorne
    Quote Originally Posted by Bear Brawler View Post
    Just lob a couple loaded mouse traps at em like you're playing horse shoes. More humane than bouncing darts off them.

  6. #5
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    Re: Tail docking to prevent injuries in working dogs

    BC and Alberta did not ban tail docking. Their veterinarian associations voted not to do tail docking. The vote was not 100% of vets against tail docking. It is driven by the same people who are against hunting. There is a lot of misinformation re: tail docking. It is done at 2 to 3 days to neonatal puppies. At that stage the tail is cartilage and the pups do not remember. In my breed (Brittanys) many pups have natural bobbed tails. Most breeders do it themselves. It is a part of animal husbandry. If you grew up on a farm you would know about the many procedures done to animals. We never had a vet on our farm.

  7. #6
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    Jul 2011
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    Re: Tail docking to prevent injuries in working dogs

    Quote Originally Posted by Bragdon View Post
    BC and Alberta did not ban tail docking. Their veterinarian associations voted not to do tail docking.
    This is incorrect. Tail docking is banned in BC by the CVBC. Veterinarians are not allowed to dock tails for any reason, other than to treat an injury or a disease.


    Cosmetic alterations231(1) For the purposes of this section,(a) “ear cropping” means the removal of part or all of the pinnae orauricles of the ear of a dog;(b) “tail docking and alteration” means the removal of all or part of thetail of dogs, horses, cattle, and includes tail blocking and tail nicking;(c) “tail nicking” means cutting any of the tail muscles; and(d) “tail blocking” means injecting the major nerves of the tail with asubstance which affects the animal’s ability to move the tail;(2) A registrant must not perform ear cropping for any reason, other than to treat aninjury or a disease of the pinnae.(3) A registrant must not perform tail docking or alteration for any reason, otherthan to treat an injury or a disease.

  8. #7
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    Apr 2011
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    West Kootenays
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    Re: Tail docking to prevent injuries in working dogs

    That is what I said. Veterinarians can’t dock tails. Breeders or anybody else can and do dock tails. It is the same in Alberta.

  9. #8
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    Re: Tail docking to prevent injuries in working dogs

    I have a Rottweiler, with a tail. (1st one, with a tail)
    *#!$ing thing has wasted about a 40oz of quality booze.
    I have and will dock, if I have anymore rotty pups.
    To each his own, and I don't remember getting my touque cut off, I doubt a one-two day old pup remembers, getting its tail docked.
    Plus the ol'lady says it looks great........
    The dogs tail I mean!

  10. #9
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    Feb 2011
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    Cedar B.C.
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    Re: Tail docking to prevent injuries in working dogs

    I have raised spaniels(English Cockers and Springers) most of my adult life. I would not have a working Spaniel with a full tail. I have seen spaniels with full tails come out if a days hunt in heavy cover with the tips turned to bloody hamburger to a point of needing major surgery. We leave 2/3 of the tail when they are docked at 3 days. FYI most puppies don't even yelp during the process. With working Spaniels it is a necessity rather than cosmetic. Docking does 2 main things. #1 it takes the whip out of the thin tip and #2 adds tough scar tissue to the tip as a sort of protective armor to the vulnerable tip. I personally would much rather dock the tail at 3 days which is a non event to the pups than put an adult dog through unnecessary major surgery due to tail injury. I know at least 5 vets who are spaniel breeders and trainer/trialers and to a person all say docking is a humane necessity with ALL working Spaniels. A pic is worth 1000 words

    Undocked tails, Blood in the flanks are from the tail tip, The tip is a mess of raw meat and hurts if it is touched UT never stops wagging all through the hunt



    Tails docked at 2/3 length both these dogs are hard hunting gundogs and have NEVER had tail damage

    Last edited by Foxton Gundogs; 04-02-2019 at 09:29 AM.
    "BORN TO HUNT"
    Foxton's Cuervo Gold "KEELA" Oct. 2004-June 2017. Always in my blind and my heart.

  11. #10
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    Re: Tail docking to prevent injuries in working dogs

    Quote Originally Posted by Foxton Gundogs View Post
    I have raised spaniels(English Cockers and Springers) most of my adult life. I would not have a working Spaniel with a full tail. I have seen spaniels with full tails come out if a days hunt in heavy cover with the tips turned to bloody hamburger to a point of needing major surgery. We leave 2/3 of the tail when they are docked at 3 days. FYI most puppies don't even yelp during the process. With working Spaniels it is a necessity rather than cosmetic. Docking does 2 main things. #1 it takes the whip out of the thin tip and #2 adds tough scar tissue to the tip as a sort of protective armor to the vulnerable tip. I personally would much rather dock the tail at 3 days which is a non event to the pups than put an adult dog through unnecessary major surgery due to tail injury. I know at least 5 vets who are spaniel breeders and trainer/trialers and to a person all say docking is a humane necessity with ALL working Spaniels. A pic is worth 1000 words

    Undocked tails, Blood in the flanks are from the tail tip, The tip is a mess of raw meat and hurts if it is touched UT never stops wagging all through the hunt



    Tails docked at 2/3 length both these dogs are hard hunting gundogs and have NEVER had tail damage


    I have always been neutral on this subject but these pics do show a valid argument for docking the tail

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