Tail docking of a Doberman….
Although we usually see Dobermans with a short tail, they are actually born with a tail that is longer than that of many breeds. The short tail is a result of a procedure called: ” Docking”. In this proceedure, the majority of the tail is surgically removed within days of the dog’s birth. These days, docking is illegal in a number of countries. Exceptions are: North America, France, Russia, Japan and some other countries where there is a large population of Dobermans. Docking is normally done soon after the dog’s birth. This means that the breeder nearly always makes the decision before the dogs are even put on the market. Some believe that docking a Doberman’s tail creates a sleek look that the dog is supposed to have. By “supposed to have”, I mean how Louis Dobermann originally envisioned the dog to look. Nature had other ideas it seems, but that does not stop people from docking a Dobie’s tail.
A Dobie with a long tail…as nature intended…
A Dobie with a docked tail….as humans intended…
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The long tail isn’t exactly “nature intended” since Dobermans are a man-made breed.
They were believed to be made from Great Danes & Rottweilers.
I have had Dobermans for 30 years always with tails docked and ears cropped…THAT is how they should be. Ears are okay if you like floppy ears, I do not and I dont like the tail left on the Doberman, it takes away from the sleekness of the Doberman….its no different then a baby boy getting circumcised.
are you serous??? no different then a baby boy getting circumcised? That has to be the wort excuse ever. Scientifically, it makes sense! To a male, it takes the risk of many infections away… hahaha, know a fact or two. Cutting a tail would be like cutting the excess of a vagina off!?!?!? Crazy right? well thats the same! Now doesn’t that sound ridiculously stupid and cruel?
The Doberman was bred for protection. The natural ears and tail are a convenient handle for the bad guys. l
Who cares what the dog looks like as long as it´s happy?
Personally, I think having a tail is much more practical than not having one, since it makes it easier to tell what mood a dog is in. I´m not saying that it´s impossible with a docked tail, just simply more difficult. For example, how do you tell weather the tail is relaxed or rigid if it´s docked? The one would mean that there is no danger in approaching the dog, while a rigid tail means it´s aggressive or dominant (which needs to be corrected). reen
Historically, tail docking was thought to prevent rabies, strengthen the back, increase the animal’s speed, and prevent injuries when ratting, fighting, and baiting. In early Georgian times in the United Kingdom a tax was levied upon working dogs with tails and so many types of dogs were docked to avoid this tax. Tail docking is done in modern times either for prophylactic, therapeutic, or cosmetic purposes. For dogs who worked in the field, such as some hunting and herding dogs, tails could collect burrs and foxtails, causing pain and infection and, due to the tail’s wagging, may be subject to abrasion or other injury while moving through dense brush or thickets. Tails with long fur could collect feces and become a cleanliness problem. In dogs used for guarding property (such as Doberman Pinschers or Boxers), docked ears are thought to make the breed appear more ferocious. Proponents say that the procedures are not significantly painful and can prevent future health problems that cause more pain and risk of infection than the docking. Proponents also believe that docking done almost immediately after birth ensures that the wound heals easily and properly, saying that whatever pain the procedure causes is a worthwhile trade-off.
Docking to puppies fewer than 10 to 14 days old is routinely carried out by both breeders and veterinarians without anesthesia. Opponents of these procedures state that most tail dockings are done for aesthetic reasons rather than health concerns and are unnecessarily painful for the dog. They point out that even non-working show or pet dogs are routinely docked. They say that in breeds whose tails have been traditionally and routinely docked over centuries, such as Australian Shepherds, little attention is paid to selectively breeding for strong and healthy tails. As a result, tail defects that docking proponents claim makes docking necessary in the first place are perpetuated in the breeds. They point to the many breeds of working dogs with long tails that are not traditionally docked, including English Pointers, Setters, Herding dogs, and Foxhounds.
Robert Wansborough argued in a 1996 paper that docking tails puts dogs at a disadvantage in several ways. First, dogs use their tails to communicate with other dogs and with people; a dog without a tail might be significantly handicapped in conveying fear, caution, aggression, playfulness, and so on. Certain breeds use their tails as rudders when swimming, and possibly for balance when running, so active dogs with docked tails might be at a disadvantage compared to their tailed peers.
Wansborough also investigates seven years of records from an urban veterinary practice to demonstrate that undocked tails result in less harm than docked tails.
Critics point out that kennel clubs with breed standards that do not make allowance for uncropped or undocked dogs put pressure on owners and breeders to continue the practice. Although the American Kennel Club says that it has no rules that require docking or that make undocked animals ineligible for the show ring, standards for many breeds puts undocked animals at a disadvantage for the conformation show ring. The American breed standard for boxers, for example, recommends that an undocked tail be “severely penalized.” The AKC position is that ear cropping and tail docking are “acceptable practices integral to defining and preserving breed character and/or enhancing good health.”
afternote: many people also believed that cropping the ears allowed for unrestricted hearing for guard dogs as well as preventing another means of grabbing the dog by the offender. not sure whether this is true but it was a theory.
this is not my opinion on whether i think its right or wrong, just an explanation of the procedure.
wow, are you guys really arguing over a Dobermann getting their tails docked and ears cropped? its not inhumane, and i also prefer that they have docked tails and cropped ears, it doesnt hurt the dog if you know what your doing after the surgery. especially with the ears. Dobermanns are supposed to have docked tails and cropped ears, in some parts of Germany (where they are from) it is a breed standard. get over yourselves already, its all about preference.