tail docking

superfear · 09-06-2009 5:20pm #1

I have been in touch with my vet to book an appointment to dock my pups. he has told me that this for him to do is illegal and a very sore subject at the mo. What do i do?

harryR · 09-06-2009 5:23pm

oh dear :mad: why do you want to dock the pups tails...? :mad:

09-06-2009 5:25pm

Unless the pup had an injured tail in need of surgery, you leave it alone.

Why do you want to dock it?

westwicklow · 09-06-2009 5:29pm

What breed is it?

Gordon Gekko · 09-06-2009 5:36pm

superfear wrote: »

I have been in touch with my vet to book an appointment to dock my pups. he has told me that this for him to do is illegal and a very sore subject at the mo. What do i do?

Eh, how about not breaking the law by abusing helpless animals? :mad:

jen_23 · 09-06-2009 5:55pm

Yip I think that has been illegal for some years now OP.
Why would you want to dock them? It would be harder to sell the pups (if that's what your doing) with docked tails as it's also immoral.
Best to leave them wagging their tails

kazza90210 · 09-06-2009 6:03pm

Its not illegal, but is not encouraged by the veterinary council and vets can face disaplincery action if they perform dockings.

fionav3 · 09-06-2009 6:06pm

Nicely put, Jen23, why would anyone want to dock a dog's lovely wagging tail?

There is no medical requirement for it and it's something done purely to 'improve' the dog asthetically (but who are we to change what nature gave to dogs?).

Look on the bright side Superfear, at least you know you have a good vet. There are some immoral vets out there who will dog a dogs tail, no questions asked, but a vet who genuinely cares about an animal's welfare won't do this.

EastTyrone · 09-06-2009 6:11pm

if it is a working dog the tail should be docked or else it will suffer unneccessary pain, how ever since you have this in the pets section i take it that the pups will not be working so no need 2!

Gordon Gekko · 09-06-2009 7:12pm

EastTyrone wrote: »

if it is a working dog the tail should be docked or else it will suffer unneccessary pain, how ever since you have this in the pets section i take it that the pups will not be working so no need 2!

Please explain.

cloudy day · 09-06-2009 7:19pm

Gordon Gekko wrote: »

Eh, how about not breaking the law by abusing helpless animals? :mad:

It's not illegal in Ireland. Most vets won't do it on grounds of morality, "mutilation for aesthetic reasons" is what they call it.

fatmammycat · 09-06-2009 7:20pm

Ridiculous, hunters work with Labs, setters, fox hounds, various breeds of flushing dogs without having to slice the animal's tail off. Complete outdated nonsense. I've seen labs swim through ice- cutting themselves to ribbons in the process- after duck and no one suggests slicing pieces off their chests. I've seen fox hounds covered in muck and blood and cuts and scrapes and no one offers to take a piece off their ears or any other part of their body. Complete poo. There is no genuine reason to lop pieces off a healthy dog except to gain a certain 'look'.

EastTyrone · 09-06-2009 7:22pm

Gordon Gekko wrote: »

Please explain.

well, take the english springer spaniel for instance, it is a very hard working dog, it will go into thorn bushes etc to flush pheasants, if it has a full tail, the tail gets caught causing the dog pain, the dog then gets it very badly cut causing more pain. As it is in the field it will get dirt into it causing infection YET more pain, then gang green comes into it and MORE pain, if you get me?

cloudy day · 09-06-2009 7:22pm

This discussion has been up before.

I will say this, I was talking to a man recently about his boxer, very hyper, and she is forever bashing it off stuff in the house and busting up her tail.

What breed is your dog.

fatmammycat · 09-06-2009 7:28pm

Lots of dogs are hyper and bash their tails, so what, you don't just cut them off. My father's collies were nuts and used to sweep cups and god knows what else off coffee tables, but he didn't get out the lamb rings to sort it out.
Retrievers are flushing dogs and have full tails, a lot of gun and field dogs have full tails. Docking is completely for look.

EastTyrone · 09-06-2009 7:28pm

cloudy day wrote: »

This discussion has been up before.

I will say this, I was talking to a man recently about his boxer, very hyper, and she is forever bashing it off stuff in the house and busting up her tail.

What breed is your dog.

I do not have a dog, but I have seen this with friends dogs and throught the shooting press, is your friends dog docked?

cloudy day · 09-06-2009 7:36pm

fatmammycat wrote: »

Lots of dogs are hyper and bash their tails, so what, you don't just cut them off. My father's collies were nuts and used to sweep cups and god knows what else off coffee tables, but he didn't get out the lamb rings to sort it out.
Retrievers are flushing dogs and have full tails, a lot of gun and field dogs have full tails. Docking is completely for look.

They are differant breeds of dogs with differant structures.

cloudy day · 09-06-2009 7:37pm

EastTyrone wrote: »

I do not have a dog, but I have seen this with friends dogs and throught the shooting press, is your friends dog docked?

Hi Etyrone

No his dog's tail was not docked and as with some of the field breeds it seems Boxers are suceptible to injury. when you say you have seen this, do you mean injuries also.

fatmammycat · 09-06-2009 7:39pm

They have spines and tails same as any other dog.

cloudy day · 09-06-2009 7:39pm

fatmammycat wrote: »

Lots of dogs are hyper and bash their tails, so what, you don't just cut them off. My father's collies were nuts and used to sweep cups and god knows what else off coffee tables, but he didn't get out the lamb rings to sort it out.
Retrievers are flushing dogs and have full tails, a lot of gun and field dogs have full tails. Docking is completely for look.

I would never advocate cutting off an adult dogs tail for any other reason than surgical necessity. However, I bet he get's out the rings for the lambs tails.

fatmammycat · 09-06-2009 7:47pm

He's dead, and never bred sheep, so no, he wouldn't. Your argument for structure falls apart the moment you compare say a vizla to a weimaramer or a german pointer, their structure is almost exact to a boxer with a tail, but only some of these dogs are docked. Dobermans have excellent tails ( and ears), but usually docked, rottys too and jack russells, no need for any of them to be sans tail but because people are after a breed 'look' they are willing to over look their actual actions. It's a cruel practice and as I've already said outdated. I'm not going to continue saying the same thing, I've said what I had to say on the subject.

EastTyrone · 09-06-2009 7:49pm

It is not cruel when it is done when the pup is a day old, it is not cruel when it ios actually saving the dog from unnecessarry pain.

cloudy day · 09-06-2009 7:50pm

fatmammycat wrote: »

They have spines and tails same as any other dog.

So do lambs and pigs but farmers do it, I don't see anyone getting anti about lambs and pigs having it done. Or batt hens having their beaks chopped and living in crates.

Plus vets don't mind do Caslick's on mares.

cloudy day · 09-06-2009 7:50pm

fatmammycat wrote: »

He's dead, and never bred sheep, so no, he wouldn't. Your argument for structure falls apart the moment you compare say a vizla to a weimaramer or a german pointer, their structure is almost exact to a boxer with a tail, but only some of these dogs are docked. Dobermans have excellent tails ( an ears), but usually docked, rotty's too and jack russells, no need for any of them to be sans tail but because people are after a breed 'look' they are willing to over look their actual actions. It's a cruel practice and as I've already said outdated. I'm not going to continue saying the same thing, I've said what I had to say on the subject.

It's not an argument, it's a discussion.

cloudy day · 09-06-2009 7:52pm

fatmammycat wrote: »

He's dead, and never bred sheep, so no, he wouldn't. Your argument for structure falls apart the moment you compare say a vizla to a weimaramer or a german pointer, their structure is almost exact to a boxer with a tail, but only some of these dogs are docked. Dobermans have excellent tails ( an ears), but usually docked, rotty's too and jack russells, no need for any of them to be sans tail but because people are after a breed 'look' they are willing to over look their actual actions. It's a cruel practice and as I've already said outdated. I'm not going to continue saying the same thing, I've said what I had to say on the subject.

Sorry but they are nothing like boxers and have very diff temperaments as far as I can see.

cloudy day · 09-06-2009 7:52pm

EastTyrone wrote: »

It is not cruel when it is done when the pup is a day old, it is not cruel when it ios actually saving the dog from unnecessarry pain.

Agreed.

fatmammycat · 09-06-2009 7:54pm

EastTyrone wrote: »

It is not cruel when it is done when the pup is a day old, it is not cruel when it ios actually saving the dog from unnecessarry pain.

Oh right, because puppies don't feel pain?? Are you for real? You'll cause actual pain to prevent 'possible' pain? Do you really think flushing dogs don't get other cuts and tears? Have you ever been out on a hunt?

Cloudy Day, no one was discussing other animals. Don't move the goalposts, we were talking about dogs.

fatmammycat · 09-06-2009 7:55pm

cloudy day wrote: »

Sorry but they are nothing like boxers and have very diff temperaments as far as I can see.

If you're talking about bodily structure-as you were, they are very alike. Why chop the Weimaraner but not the visla? They're almost identical. Can you give a good solid reason for a doberman or rotty to be without a tail if not for a look?

westwicklow · 09-06-2009 7:59pm

fatmammycat wrote: »

...father's collies were nuts and used to sweep cups and god knows what else off coffee tables...

Collies and coffee tables..... that's an unusual combination

cloudy day · 09-06-2009 8:00pm

fatmammycat wrote: »

Oh right, because puppies don't feel pain?? Are you for real? You'll cause actual pain to prevent 'possible' pain? Do you really think flushing dogs don't get other cuts and tears? Have you ever been out on a hunt?

Cloudy Day, no one was discussing other animals. Don't move the goalposts, we were talking about dogs.

Don't other animals count then. I wouldn't want to be accuses of having double standards you see.

So have you been out on a hunt then, after the fox with hounds?

I bet if you do a poll on terrier men that have docked prob hundreds of litters in their life they will no doubt say they have not witnessed a reaction from any of the pups that constitutes severe pain and suffering.

However, I have witnessed a pain reaction in pups being vaccinated occasionally, so should I not get him the injection incase I cause him pain.

Some people like certain breeds of dogs docked, it's not illegal. And for every person who argues against it there is a counter argument for it. However I do not feel anybody has the right to harrass or subjucate a person for having differing views and opinions on a subject when they are not breaking the law.

fatmammycat · 09-06-2009 8:01pm

It was, and as bad as that was the labrador and the coffee table was even worse. Tails like rudders those dogs have.

tail docking

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