Tail docking…
Most people consider it obvious that a Doberman’s tail should be docked… but why? What is this tradition? Is it really useful or only a useless pain for the puppy?
Originally, their tails were docked to prevent injuries of this working dog. Tails can get easily broken or hurt – either by chance or by people on purpose… so the purpose to have it docked was to ‘protect’ the dog from injuries. As the docking itself happen within 48 hours after birth, the pups normally don’t suffer pain or shock.
On the other hand, there are some people who think it is totally useless to dock the tail and that it is not biologically acceptable to “take a part of the dog’s body away”, practically for fashion and tradition. Some people also believe that the tail does have its functions, helping the balance, for example.
All in all, if you wish to have a long-tailed Doberman pup, you should talk with the breeder in advance, before the pups are born. If you have doubts how a Doberman looks like without having the tail docked and ears cropped, here is an example.
