Talking Point: Is Tail Docking of Dogs Cruel?
Published on April 1, 2011 by Ryan O'Meara · 8 CommentsDogs with docked tails are significantly less likely to sustain tail injuries, finds research published in this week’s Veterinary Record. But the overall level of tail injuries is very low, say the authors of the study, which is based on more than 138,000 dogs seen at 52 veterinary practices across Britain between March 2008 and March 2009.
The practice of tail docking to remove most of the tail to prevent this type of injury in dogs was banned in Britain in 2007, although some exemptions apply for specific breeds of working dog.
Among the 138,212 dogs seen by vets at the 52 practices during the study period, 281 were treated for a tail injury – a rate of 0.23%, adjusted for sampling.
The owners of 224 of these injured dogs, as well as a random sample of 799 owners whose dogs had not been treated for tail injury were sent a questionnaire on dog tail injuries and docking.
Only 97 of the owners whose dogs needed treatment and 227 of those whose dogs had not been injured replied.
But their responses indicated that around one in three tail injuries (36%; 35 cases) had occurred at home as a result of the dog knocking its tail against a wall, kennel wall or other household object.
A further 17.5% (17 cases) were sustained outdoors, while 14.4% (14 cases) were caused by the tail being caught in a door. In 15 (15.5%) other causes were cited; and in 16 (16.5%), the cause was unknown. Almost half of the injuries (44%) were recurrent.
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Of course it is, it’s mutilation! You don’t remove a body part in case you might damage it one day! If they hurt their tail then treat it. Dogs are born with tails, they help with communication and balance and conformation. A dog with no tail is deficient in all those areas and will suffer. Working animals have a stronger case statistically but I recently saw a vet dock the tail of a few days old pup and no pain relief was given, (apparently normal procedure as the amount to administer is very much guess work), that is barbaric but supposedly justified by the fact that the pup doesn’t cry for long after the tail is removed! The procedure took at least 10mins and the pup cried the whole way through, 10mins too long IMO, it made me cry too!
I do think that tail docking is barbaric, just as it is barbaric to remove a cat’s claws. If people dock a dog’s tail because it “may” be injured at some future time, then why not remove a leg, just in case in may be broken in the future…heck, while we’re at it, why don’t we remove our children’s appendages too, since they “may” break an arm or leg at some time in the future? See how ridiculous that sounds…it should sound as ridiculous to dock a dog’s tail to everyone!!
I have always loved Australian Shepherds (specifically blue merle) and I got one almost 5 years ago now. I always thought the breed was born without a tail, until I’d gotten my aussie, Gracie, home and one morning I was checking her over, head to toe and saw this huge scar running along her rear where her tail should be…with horror it dawned on me what that scar meant…she’d had her tail cut off!!! I’ll never forget that feeling and I cried my eyes out. For her and for every other dog that had it’s tail docked, simply for looks because that’s what it boils down to!
TAIL DOCKING IS BARBARIC…ITS LIKE CUTTING OFF THE END OF YOUR SPINE… HELLO???
IT MUST BE THE MOST PAINFUL PROCEDURE THE POOR PUPPY WILL EVER HAVE TO ENDURE.
ITS NOW OUTLAWED IN SOUTH AFRICA…….AT LAST……AND PEOPLE CAN BE PROSECUTED IF DONE IN THEIR BACKYARDS.
HAIL HAIL……
I’ve really enjoyed finally getting to see what traditionally docked breeds look like with their tails. I love the Spaniels banner-like tails and feel cheated that I never got to see how beautiful my childhood Springer Spaniel would have been with a full tail. Just today I met a Jack Russell terrier with the happiest spunky tail arching over his back, and thought what a shame it would be to cut such a happy appendage off. The Doberman’s somehow look more athletic with their long tails. Tails are there to be enjoyed and appreciated as part of the breed, let’s not chop them off!
oh please, i have had major surgery, and within a week, i was on the road to recovery
i have seen Dobes, Boxers, Rotts without their tails cut, they look like mutts.
a slight snip snip and it is over.
good grief enough already! i am soo. tired of all the wimpy people all over this world.
what about having the dogs spayed/neutered. that is a lot worse than tail docking.
You can hardly compare tail docking to spaying and neutering. Its for cosmetic purposes only and so how can it be condoned? I think boxers and rotts with their tails look beautiful. You are calling people wimpy???? Would you be so tough if we were cutting one of your limbs off to make you look nicer?
I think tail docking cruel and i’m so glad it’s banned in England.I don’t see why they docked them in the first place? I know it’s not meant to hurt but how would you like it. I have a beautiful boxer dog and he has still got his tail and people are always admiring it.
It’s amazing that someone published this “study”. It seems so logically flawed and statistically irrelevant that I would’ve thought they’d be too embarrassed to make the results public.
That being said, I’ve had dogs with full tails and those with docked tails (docked prior to me adopting them) and am not a fan of tail docking. I’m a little more understanding in the case of working dogs due to the risk of injury by equipment or livestock.