A Puppy Tail

Those happy, wagging tails are attached to our little Aussies. I have experience with tail docking and I'm telling you, it's sad. I don't know how much or for how long it hurts. How could anyone know. I DO know that the puppies scream and cry. I know the momma worries. I know that things can go wrong and the puppies can be injured, all for cosmetic gratification.

I also know that our dogs are docked and when they are happy, they have little stumps that shake furiously. We find this endearing, of course, but also a little sad. I wonder if there is any psychological harm. Could they be happier, more satisfied pooches if they had tails to hold high and swing around?

Some of the major arguments FOR docking:

• injury to tail while working

• cleanliness during their toilet

• industry standards

To those, there are compelling arguments. For instance, where the practice is banned, like Australia and the UK, there has not been any significant increase in tail injuries within the breeds that would normally be docked. Injuries that do occur are not typically serious and are healed easily.

If you've ever owned a dog with a furry tail - Golden Retriever, Shar Pei, Chow - you know that there are times when a furry tail will collect debris and even waste. However our female Aussie also collects waste on her bottom because her haunches are furry. We have to keep her trimmed and clean even without a tail because she squats low to the ground. We wouldn't physically alter her to prevent that.

Since countries are banning the practice, docking will not be a show standard. In the US, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) advises against docking AND with many veterinarians following that advice (i.e. refusing to do it), docking will hopefully become a thing of yester year.

There are other arguments both for and against, but for us, we couldn't do it to the pups. Besides, we love the flair that a furry tail adds to the daily walk.

If you're interested, here is another link on the subject from WebMD.

#puppies #tails #mom #puppiesfeeding