Jack Russell Puppies - Tail Docking thoughts???

SupaDupaFly · 26-10-2010 9:08pm #1

Hi all,

Just wanted to get some opinions on the subject of tail docking. I have a litter of Jack Russell Pups that are just a week old. I had decided not to get their tails docked as I think its cruel and unnatural for the dogs. However some people who had agreed to buy the dogs are now refusing to do so because they are not docked. I feel like its only right for the pups to keep their tails but people are saying I will have huge problems selling them as a result of this. What do you all think?

I don't really want to go into the pros and cons of docking as I have read huge amounts of material on the subject. I just want some honest opinions from animal lovers out there.
Thanks guys.

SupaDupa

andreac · 26-10-2010 9:12pm

To be honest this has been discussed over and over again in this section so you are going to open a can of worms again by asking peopls opinons again which im sure havent changed from last time it was discussed.

Just make sure you dont dock these puppies now as if they are to be docked it has to be done before they are 4 days old and as they are a week old now its far too late to dock them.

You will get plenty of people looking for pups with tails so you wont have any problem selling them.

portgirl123 · 26-10-2010 9:14pm

good on ya. if the people dont want to buy the pups cos ur not docking the tails their lose. im sure there will be lots of lovely people out there delighted to get a pup with a lovely tail. Its so nice to start seeing lots of dif breeds with tails

SupaDupaFly · 26-10-2010 9:21pm

andreac wrote: »

To be honest this has been discussed over and over again in this section so you are going to open a can of worms again by asking peopls opinons again which im sure havent changed from last time it was discussed.

Just make sure you dont dock these puppies now as if they are to be docked it has to be done before they are 4 days old and as they are a week old now its far too late to dock them.

You will get plenty of people looking for pups with tails so you wont have any problem selling them.

Thanks andreac,
Not trying to open a can of worms, have read enough of the threads on here debating the matter. I more or less just want the opinions of animal lovers out there on the matter of buying pups with tails.

I just want to make sure all the pups go to good homes and to people who won't foolishly tamper with their tails at 8 weeks old.

angelfire9 · 26-10-2010 9:22pm

If I didn't already have a slightly psycho cat and hyper 9 year old a grumpy hubby and a baby due in December I'd LOVE a JRT with a full tail I think they are gorgeous that way!

SupaDupaFly · 26-10-2010 9:25pm

angelfire9 wrote: »

If I didn't already have a slightly psycho cat and hyper 9 year old a grumpy hubby and a baby due in December I'd LOVE a JRT with a full tail I think they are gorgeous that way!

Good luck with the baby :-)

SupaDupaFly · 26-10-2010 9:26pm

portgirl123 wrote: »

good on ya. if the people dont want to buy the pups cos ur not docking the tails their lose. im sure there will be lots of lovely people out there delighted to get a pup with a lovely tail. Its so nice to start seeing lots of dif breeds with tails

Thanks, I hope there's more people out there with your great attitude.

shinikins · 26-10-2010 9:47pm

I love seeing dogs with their full natural tails! IMO, if the people who backed out of taking the pups did so because they wanted their tails docked, then good luck to them, they obviously didn't want the pups for the right reasons! Plenty of people out there will want a pup to love who has been left as nature intended.

Best of luck Supa!!

pokertalk · 26-10-2010 9:56pm

they the way any pup is born is good enough unless its a health reason.theres no actual reasons for docking a healthy dog in this day and age. plus i like them with the full tail:D

suziwalsh · 26-10-2010 10:33pm

Well done for not docking their tails. We need to get society out of the mind frame that dogs have to have their tails chopped off. Its mad why wouldn't you want a wagging tail?!?!?

Id say wait for homes that want them regardless of their tails

You have a big thumbs up from me and you'll probably find a lot of people also asking for them to have tails also!

TooManyDogs · 26-10-2010 10:39pm

Full tails all the way. I have 2 JRTs, one has a docked tail and I hate it, would love if she had a full one. The other one has a full tail because I fostered him since he was 2 days old and there was no way I was cutting off his tail. He has a great slightly curly tail and he's always wagging it.

Zapperzy · 27-10-2010 12:24am

I much prefer to see dogs with full tails. Aside from the whole working issue if these pups were going to pet homes why would they need a docked tail anyways, it would just be for purely cosmetic reasons. And don't worry about finding homes for them, sounds like the person that said you'l have problems homing them with tails was just trying to guilt trip you into docking them.

lrushe · 27-10-2010 9:11am

I have to say it would make no difference to me, a tail, no tail, half an ear, 3 legs, if I made the commitment to give a dog a home then that's what I would do. Look for better homes for these pups, if potenial owners can ditch them over their tails then they obviously wouldn't have been committed to them for the rest of their lives.

Tranceypoo · 27-10-2010 10:04am

To be honest, if you want the pups to go to good homes, I wouldn't consider anyone who wouldn't take a pup because it didn't have a docked tail, a 'good home'

ppink · 27-10-2010 10:16am

Totally agree with the above, if it is classed as mutilation by the Vets then anyone who wants it for those cosmetic purposes would not be the person I would be homing too.
The one thing to remember is that most people will not know this so you will have to inform them of the facts that it is not recommended practice now to dock tails for cosmetic purposes.

Asphyxia · 27-10-2010 10:19am

I think it's horrible I have little Jack Russel mix breed and I could never be able to do it. If they didn't need the tail they wouldn't of been born with it.

wetdogsmell · 27-10-2010 2:12pm

i'm not trying to start an arguement, i understand some people are against tail docking but i find it funny that alot of the same people are so pro neuturing, i understand neuturing a dog for health reasons, but a lot of healthy dogs seem to be neutured just for the convienience of the owner, this is a lot more serious that tail docking, just my opinion, would like to hear your opinions

andreac · 27-10-2010 2:23pm

wetdogsmell wrote: »

i'm not trying to start an arguement, i understand some people are against tail docking but i find it funny that alot of the same people are so pro neuturing, i understand neuturing a dog for health reasons, but a lot of healthy dogs seem to be neutured just for the convienience of the owner, this is a lot more serious that tail docking, just my opinion, would like to hear your opinions

You cannot even compare the 2. Neutering prevents unplanned litters, and prevents certain cancers etc when they get older. Removing a tail is no where near the same and cannot even be compared to it at all.

Its not for the convenience of the owner, its for the health reasons for the dog. Its the dog that has to have the puppies and those puppies then have to be found homes for and so on. Its the dog that gets pyometra or testicular cancer and so on, so how is this relevent to being convenient for the owner??

Tranceypoo · 27-10-2010 2:28pm

wetdogsmell wrote: »

i'm not trying to start an arguement, i understand some people are against tail docking but i find it funny that alot of the same people are so pro neuturing, i understand neuturing a dog for health reasons, but a lot of healthy dogs seem to be neutured just for the convienience of the owner, this is a lot more serious that tail docking, just my opinion, would like to hear your opinions

I don't think that even makes sense - 'healthy dogs seem to be neutered just for the convenience of the owner'?? What so the dog is thinking 'please don't neuter me I'm dying to father/give birth to a litter of pups so I can send them off into the world to make a difference and leave my legacy behind' Huh?!!!
Actually think you ARE trying to start an argument Wetdogsmell.

dahat · 27-10-2010 3:39pm

Jack russells tails were docked originally for hunting purposes,going down burrows,working ditches etc.......
People have grown used to see the jack russell with a short tail.
it will take many years if not a generation to fix the problem of tail docking in all breeds.
I personally breed a type of jack russell and do get the tails docked as i have found that buyers do look for it more than a jr with a long tail.
It is each breeders preference whether to dock or not and in no way should should those who leave the tail take any high ground on those who do dock tails n vice versa.

currently it is still legal to dock tails and while it is i will continue to do so.

username123 · 27-10-2010 3:44pm

Agree wholeheartedly with Irushe - tail, no tail, 3 legs, 1 eye, half an ear etc....none of it matters in my world, its the dog Id love, not the cosmetic appearance of the dog.

I saw a JRT with an undocked tail yesterday and he looked wonderful, very waggy.

If a potential owner made a decision based on a docked tail then shame on them, not a good home to go to imo.

ppink · 27-10-2010 3:55pm

wetdogsmell wrote: »

i'm not trying to start an arguement, i understand some people are against tail docking but i find it funny that alot of the same people are so pro neuturing, i understand neuturing a dog for health reasons, but a lot of healthy dogs seem to be neutured just for the convienience of the owner, this is a lot more serious that tail docking, just my opinion, would like to hear your opinions

I actually think I understand what you are saying. The way I see it is that we (humans) have become involved with dogs on this level in order to strengthen the breeds and preserve the animals. It is the reason for breed standards and for Veterinary care?
Neutering is a way of controlling indiscriminate breeding and various ailments thereby helping the dogs in the long run? Tail docking has no purpose for most dogs, it is just cosmetic.
Neutering can be viewed I suppose as convenient to the owner but in the long run it is better for the various breeds also.
It seems to be that even in wild nature man has intervened at times to preserve or protect a species.

wetdogsmell · 27-10-2010 5:27pm

Tranceypoo wrote: »

I don't think that even makes sense - 'healthy dogs seem to be neutered just for the convenience of the owner'?? What so the dog is thinking 'please don't neuter me I'm dying to father/give birth to a litter of pups so I can send them off into the world to make a difference and leave my legacy behind' Huh?!!!
Actually think you ARE trying to start an argument Wetdogsmell.

no i was not trying to start an aguement, what i meant was people get their dogs to undergo a medical procedure that is just to make their own life easyer, most bitches come in heat twice a year and can be mated for about two weeks each time, its not that hard to keep them separate for that long, so i think my point makes sence, i'm not asking everyone to agree with me, thats why i asked for peoples opinions

i apologise for having a different opinion to you

January · 27-10-2010 5:40pm

My JRT bitch had a litter of pups back in May and we didn't have their tails docked, had no problem finding homes for all of them!

The male and female both have their tails docked, but would prefer if they hadn't. I just fell in love with Star when I seen him and Buffy was a stray we took in.

If you have an ad online stress in the ad that you are not docking the tails that way you can't have people pull out if they realise it after.

Discodog · 27-10-2010 5:59pm

After the previous threads I had a word with my Vet. She was adamant that any Vet would be in serious grief for docking. Your decision has really helped the pups find a good home in that the people who look for docked JR's may be the sort who want them for "sport".

Hopefully the ISPCA will follow the RSPCA's lead & start questioning anyone with a docked pup.

**Vai** · 27-10-2010 6:37pm

Im not even reading all the replies, the answer to the original question is no, dont do it.

liquoriceall · 27-10-2010 7:47pm

My mother has a soft coated wheaten terrier and she has a docked tail, I always feel sorry for her because shes missing it and she often seems to bite the end of it, my mother would next time try to get one with a tail as their tail is so lovely

andreac · 27-10-2010 7:50pm

wetdogsmell wrote: »

no i was not trying to start an aguement, what i meant was people get their dogs to undergo a medical procedure that is just to make their own life easyer, most bitches come in heat twice a year and can be mated for about two weeks each time, its not that hard to keep them separate for that long, so i think my point makes sence, i'm not asking everyone to agree with me, thats why i asked for peoples opinions

i apologise for having a different opinion to you

Sorry, but its not to make their own life easier, its for the health and welfare of the dogs, do you not understand that?

Getting a dog neutered/spayed is far healthier in the long run and reduces cancers and conditions like pyometra which can be fatal in bitches so no, its not for the owners covenience, its for the health of the dog.

Discodog · 28-10-2010 12:01am

dahat wrote: »

I personally breed a type of jack russell and do get the tails docked as i have found that buyers do look for it more than a jr with a long tail.
It is each breeders preference whether to dock or not and in no way should should those who leave the tail take any high ground on those who do dock tails n vice versa.

currently it is still legal to dock tails and while it is i will continue to do so.

Who does the docking ?. It is totally illegal for anyone other than a Vet to do it & if your Vet does it he is in breach of Irish Veterinary regulations.

SupaDupaFly · 28-10-2010 12:53am

Thanks for all the great input guys, I'm glad people are changing their opinions on the whole docking situation. Hopefully the tradition will die out sooner rather than later. I'm so glad I haven't docked their tails. They are so perfect the way they are.

Glad to say I have found a lovely home for one of them today. I didn't want to start a debate on the pros and cons of docking as I stated in my original post. I ea more looking for your thoughts on having a dog with a tail as opposed to a docked stump. Thanks to all of you who have gave me feedback.

I'm in for a fun few weeks :-)
Pics to follow soon.

Supa

dahat · 28-10-2010 4:28am

Discodog wrote: »

Who does the docking ?. It is totally illegal for anyone other than a Vet to do it & if your Vet does it he is in breach of Irish Veterinary regulations.

a vet.........

http://www.veterinaryireland.ie/Links/PDFs/Policies/Tail%20Docking%20in%20Dogs%20and%20other%20Acts%20of%20Mutilation%20in%20Animals%20%20-%2028.2.08.pdf

Jack Russell Puppies - Tail Docking thoughts???

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