Hi, Just had this sent to me from petplanet u.k.
what are your thoughts on this?


Renewed Calls to End Tail Docking in Scotland

A Scottish charity, Advocates for Animals, has recently released a report, Why the tail-docking of dogs should be prohibited, and celebrity TV Vet Emma Milne, of Vets in Practice, took a copy of the report to Mark Ruskell, MSP and Vice Convenor of the Environmental and Rural Practice Development Committee. The Advocates’ report has collated evidence against tail docking to support their call to end the practice.

Those in favour of tail docking argue that it is necessary among certain breeds to prevent tail injury. The Advocates for Animals report has collated statistical evidence which maintains that injuries to the tail are actually very rare and that numbers of injuries do not vary among undocked dogs whatever the breed. Vets also say that tail injuries are not difficult to treat nor do they cause more pain than tail docking itself.

This new report claims that docking causes acute pain to puppies and is also thought to cause long-term pain and that the tail provides an important role in balance, agility and the strength of the dog’s back, which may be compromised by docking. It also contains evidence that it weakens the muscles of the pelvic and perineal region, which can result in faecal incontinence, perineal hernia and urinary incontinence in bitches.

Dog’s tails provide a vital method of expression and demonstration of their emotional state, and the Advocates’ report concludes docking could lead to misunderstandings for docked dogs in social interaction with people and other dogs.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, The British Veterinary Association, the British Small Animal Veterinary Association, the DEFRA Animal Welfare Veterinary Team, The Companion Animal Welfare Council and the SSPCA have all spoken strongly against tail docking. There are also many countries in the world where the practice is already banned, including Austria, Germany, Sweden, Australia, South Africa, Israel and lots more.

Advocates’ Director, Ross Minett, said: "There is no justification for allowing the tail-docking of dogs to continue. It is an unnecessary, painful mutilation. We are calling on the Scottish Executive to prohibit all tail-docking of dogs in Scotland except for the therapeutic docking of an injured or diseased tail."

Emma Milne added: "The vast majority of the veterinary profession want this unnecessary mutilation to be banned. I urge the Scottish Executive to heed their advice."

If you wish to read the report in full, or get involved in supporting this cause visit the Advocates for Animals website.

23 December 2005

Sorry if this topic has already been covered on another thread <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I've mixed feelings about it. I used to work at a vets and only ever saw one tail amputation-not very pleasant and the dog looked a bit confused too,(nothing was swinging out when wagging). However this was just a pet that had an unfortunate accident. I'm not sure about working dogs....

Anyone know the original reason for tail and ear docking? I met a rottie that had his tail and ears and i thought he looked good, i'm not saying docking is right or wrong, i simply don't understand the reason behind it, if it's strictly for looks i personally wouldn't do it,
AL

Sometimes it was done so that it wasn't so easy for another dog (in the case of fighting breeds) or person (i.e. poachers) to be able to grab hold of the dog's tail or ears. Sometimes it was because of taxation. For some reason, taxes were sometimes based on the length of the dog's tail. So farmers, etc. would dock the tails to prove that their dog was "working dog." That's what I've read anyway.

Now the primary reason it's done, unless there's an injury involved, is that we are just used to seeing certain breeds with docked tails. Personally, I think breed standards should be changed where necessary to allow either choice with no preference between them. And, governments should stay out of it since the surgery in very minor when it's done on a young puppy.

From what I understand, there is no medical reason whatsoever to crop ears or dock a tail in a healthy pup, it doesn't prevent ear problems and it doesn't save their tail from being broken or anything like that. I know in the case of dobermans they were bred to be a sleek intimidating dog, tails were docked to have less to grab onto and the ears were cropped to make them look meaner because the guy that created the doberman didn't think to breed some pointy eared dogs into the bloodlines <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> As for other dogs that have such things done... well... in the case of the great dane - those tails ain't docked, yet thats the most dangerous thing about a dane, a crotch height whip that's always moving... as for the ears, it figured, they don't do something that can save a guys reproductive organs but they'll perform the useless task of cropping ears to make the dog look like a stereotypical great dane. I like my friends floppy eared dane, she's a beautiful, very feminine dog.

They cropped and docked to leave nothing for adversaries to grab a hold of and put the dog at a disadvantage. Not really necessary unless your hunting in underbrush nowadays for aggressive game. I don't really have anything against it for aesthetics. To each his own.

I like the tail dockings because tails hurt when they wack you. I've gotten wacked in the face, the head, the eye even. My dogs tail is like a whip/bat. My female is docked and I like her that way <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I like the ears left on though because they're soft & cute, and cropped dogs look too intimidating to people who already have preconceived notions about dogs with that type of appearance.

I have no problem with, correctly done, cropping and docking. What I can't figure out is, Why so many of the anti crop/dock folks, who talk about all the stress it puts on a dog, are many of the same folks that promote cutting a dogs jewels off? TALK ABOUT STRESS!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Stress? Only to the human males. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I will never understand why so many men think neutering a male dog is somehow stressful when spaying a female doesn't bother them a bit. After all neutering is minor surgery while the female has to go through major surgery.

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Stress? Only to the human males. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I will never understand why so many men think neutering a male dog is somehow stressful when spaying a female doesn't bother them a bit. After all neutering is minor surgery while the female has to go through major surgery.

One word: testosterone.

Actually I'm female and I get bothered with the idea of cutting a dog's jewels off.

Lisa, docking usually occurs on the second or third day of the puppies life. I used to raise Rots, and I never noticed any sensitivity issues with that area. As far as tails go, I have seen lots of bloody tails from enthusiastic waggers in the kennels. None of these breeds call for docking. Labs, Great Danes, and Daschunds are the all time champs in my experience.
I have never been around a dog with issues with it's ears being cropped either. I don't think that it is in a dogs ability to mourn things like that. I think this is something that these people do to hit on our sympathy.