Thread: Cutting off dogs tails should be illegal!

What do they do with the tail ends?

... Uncle Ferd thinks mebbe dey'd be good...

... for makin' whip handles.

Originally Posted by ryanm34

The tails of working dogs are frequently docked here. As I understand long bushy tails are very unhygenic, and the shorter tails are safer and cleaner.

The procedure is not painful. they wrap a kind of rubber band around the tail leave it there and it falls off. It is the same procedure as is used for lambs.

If it was only being done for cosmetic purposes, ie show dogs then I could see an arguement against it.

Why would you ban it?

How about we wrap a kind of rubber band around your arm? And uh.. Wait till it dies. I mean it won't hurt, right?

Originally Posted by RedRepublic

How about we wrap a kind of rubber band around your arm? And uh.. Wait till it dies. I mean it won't hurt, right?

It wouldn't hurt it goes numb. Circulation is cut off it is safer for the animal and more hygienic for the tail to be removed. It is not for cosmetic purposes it is with the best interests of the animal in mind.

The same procedure is routinely performed on lambs. Again because it is more hygienic.

Originally Posted by waltky

What do they do with the tail ends?

My cat came home once carrying the tail end of a dog. I still have it. The tail, that is. And that cat too. Plainly a dog tail, because the fur is coarser than cat fur. Longer fur, so this one could be a paintbrush.

I asked her what she did with the rest of the dog. She didn't answer. Which I suppose is good. She only gains the power of speech if I'm really, really drunk.

Originally Posted by junobet

Loads of them. Dobermann's for example. By nature they have floppy ears, long tails and look quite cute really. But trust me, to maintain a natural look does not stop a Dobermann making it very clear to strangers that they should not enter your yard unless they want trouble.

Here is a pic of a healthy and natural looking Dobermann:


This on the other hand is a cripple, who's been maimed because of weird human beauty ideals:

After they cropped that poor sods' ears he had to run around like that for months to make them stand:

As you've said: beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you cut your own ears off because you deem that to be more beautiful, I'd be fine with that. The problem starts when people make another creature suffer for their beauty-ideals. Personally I'm glad that Dobermanns and other dogs are protected from such madness in my country now.

ummmm people do have cosmetic surgery, all the time.

Originally Posted by toojuicy4u

I think it should be illegal because it blatantly hurts the animal studies will show it causes pain in the animal, Many think that as puppies they do not feel pain, This is untrue, And the tail can stay because there was no reason to remove it in the first place.

She male babies be circumcised!

I have a Golden Retriever who has an issue with ear infections due to his floppy ears. A good ear cropping would have make him a healthier dog.

So I look at the floppy eared doberman in the above pic---and feel a little sorry for him.

Originally Posted by toojuicy4u

I think it should be illegal because it blatantly hurts the animal studies will show it causes pain in the animal, Many think that as puppies they do not feel pain, This is untrue, And the tail can stay because there was no reason to remove it in the first place.

I totally agree. In the same way, factory farming and other ruthlessly brutal means of slaughtering animals should be banned. I'd also say killing animals entirely where not necessary should also be outlawed, but that's for another thread.

Originally Posted by Anders Hoveland

This issue sounds similar to circumcision, but with more of an animal-rights orientation.

Why do doctors seem to like amputating various body parts so much?
To americans: were any of you really stupid enough to let your doctor cut out your tonsils?

I don't understand the tonsil comment.

I had trouble breathing, and sleep apnea because of strangely large tonsils. I'm very glad I had them taken out. Why would it be stupid?

Dogs have no souls

Interesting.