What is the purpose of 'tail docking'?

[Radam87]

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What is the purpose of tail docking and why do people do it?

We had a rescue JRT growing up who had been 'docked' and I've always wondered.

Is it considered cruel and what is the impact on affected dogs?

 

[JoanneF]

It's actually illegal now, unless the dog is to be a actively working. It's to prevent tail injuries from bushes etc. At the time it was banned there was some debate about the whether its benefit outweighed the risks or not.

 

[JudyN]

It also used to be done purely for appearance - show and pet Yorkies were unlikely to pick up any tail injuries while ratting, but they were still docked.

 

[Hemlock]

As well as certain types of working dogs, as JoanneF mentioned, some of the guarding breeds e.g. Dobermanns, were docked so that there was nothing for the human victim to get hold of when attacked. That was the reason for the clipped ears as well. One of my dogs was attacked by a dobermann, and what with the slippery smooth coat and the lack of tail, if it had had clipped ears as well (illegal in UK but some imports still have them) I'd have had nothing to get hold of to get the blighter off. There is no justification for this in the modern dobermann.

Working terriers, pointers and spaniels just have the last third of the tail taken off, which is where the skin is thinnest and serious injury is more likely. Borders and bedlingtons have shorter tails and thicker skin, so even if working, they don't need to be docked.