Second Question

[Freyja]

I know that in the United States docking is still allowed however I'm not planing on living here forever. So I wont be able to show a dog with a docked tail in the countries I'm interested in. Can't I show a dog with full tail here?

[yorkiegirl2]

An undocked tail would not meet the standard set by AKC.
http://www.akc.org/breeds/yorkshire_terrier/index.cfm

Personally, I wish they would stop dockings.

[Ellie May]

You cannot show a Yorkie here with a full tail.

[Freyja]

I wish they would too yorkiegirl2. Is there nothing that can be done to stop docking? I mean can't there be a petition to stop docking? I know that some people might think that the dogs look better or prettier with docked tails or their ears cut but its not fair that we do that to a living creature just because we want them to look a certain way. Its cruel and I know that its done when they are just a few days old so there wont be any complications but still its painful for them.

[Susan123]

You could enter shows but winning would be a different story.

[patty58]

I don't have any answers for you but wanted to welcome you to YT. I think undocked tails are cute.

[Freyja]

Originally Posted by Susan123

You could enter shows but winning would be a different story.

So an undocked Yorkshire Terrier can enter shows? I heard that when declaws have not been removed they take points away would they do the same for an undocked tail? What are the chances of winning?

[Freyja]

Originally Posted by patty58

I don't have any answers for you but wanted to welcome you to YT. I think undocked tails are cute.

Thank you Patty and I think so too. Hopefully someday they will stop doing it here in the U.S. your Murfee is adorable how old is he?

[Susan123]

Originally Posted by Freyja

So an undocked Yorkshire Terrier can enter shows? I heard that when declaws have not been removed they take points away would they do the same for an undocked tail? What are the chances of winning?

IMO I think it would take quite a while to Champion one if possible. I think dewclaws and an undocked tail are seen as flaws. But I believe they can be entered. Someone more experienced in showing, hopefully will correct me if I'm wrong.

Here's a link about the standard

http://www.akc.org/breeds/yorkshire_terrier/index.cfm

[Freyja]

Originally Posted by Susan123

IMO I think it would take quite a while to Champion one if possible. I think dewclaws and an undocked tail are seen as flaws. But I believe they can be entered. Someone more experienced in showing, hopefully will correct me if I'm wrong.

Here's a link about the standard

http://www.akc.org/breeds/yorkshire_terrier/index.cfm

I'm not so against removing declaws because I'm scared that they may get caught on something which can damage the declaw. But I'm against docking tails.

[diva pup]

Welcome to YT!!

As much as I am "Pro dog" I am still for docking the tail and dew claws.
Instead of just researching how cruel it is to dock, research too the incidents of damage caused by not docking. I have read both sides of this argument and IMHO the case for docking is indeed there.
By the way which countries are you interested in living in that they do not allow them to be shown?

[Freyja]

Originally Posted by diva pup

Welcome to YT!!

As much as I am "Pro dog" I am still for docking the tail and dew claws.
Instead of just researching how cruel it is to dock, research too the incidents of damage caused by not docking. I have read both sides of this argument and IMHO the case for docking is indeed there.
By the way which countries are you interested in living in that they do not allow them to be shown?

I don't appreciate the fact that you are implying that I have not done my research because I have it seems to me that you are the one that needs to do research on the matter of docking. Here is some light reading for you:

First off a link to Robert Wansborough 1996 paper: http://www.scottvet.co.uk/tailwag/docking1.txt

Pro-docking claims

The few but vocal advocates of tail docking give a range of unconvincing explanations to defend their views. For instance, they say that some heavy coated breeds need to have their tails docked for hygiene reasons (even though many undocked breeds have thick coats and regular care is all that is necessary to maintain good hygiene).

Another 'explanation' is that docking prevents tail damage in hunting dogs. But most docked puppies are kept as family pets and are never used for hunting. And research has shown that docking does not reduce tail injury in the dog population. Furthermore, many breeds of hunting dogs do not have docked tails, and yet the length of the tail in docked breeds varies according to the breed standard.

The excuses put forward to support tail docking are plainly unfounded. There is simply no excuse for continuing this painful tradition.

Today, many countries consider cropping, docking to be cruel, or mutilation and ban it entirely. This is not true in the United States and the breed standards for many breeds registered with the America Kennel Club (AKC) make undocked animals presumably ineligible for the conformation show ring. The AKC states that it has no rules that require docking or that make undocked animals ineligible for the show ring, but it also states that it defers to the individual breed clubs (who define the breed standards) to define the best standards for each breed.

In such an environment, even people who desire undocked dogs often cannot get them. Most people prefer to choose a puppy from a reputable breeder after the puppy is old enough to determine personality and conformation, whereas docking is done immediately after birth. A breeder normally will not withhold docking on an entire litter so that a potential owner can later have one of the puppies with an undocked tail, as docking an older dog is a major surgery-requiring anesthesia.

Show dogs are no longer docked in the United Kingdom. A dog docked before March 28, 2007 in Wales and April 6, 2007 in England may continue to be shown at all shows in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland throughout its natural life. A dog docked on, or after, the above dates, irrespective of where it was docked, may not be shown at shows in England and Wales where the public is charged a fee for admission. However, where a working dog has been docked in England and Wales under the respective regulations, it may be shown where the public are charged a fee, so long as it is shown “only to demonstrate its working ability”. It will thus be necessary to show working dogs in such a way as ONLY to demonstrate their working ability and not conformity to a standard.

VAD (Vets Against Docking) There are 828 Veterinary surgeons listed who support a complete ban on all non- therapeutic docking of dogs' tails in the United Kingdom.

A veterinarian wrote the following:

I have been a qualified veterinary surgeon for six years. I spent five years at university, being taught how to care for animals to the best of my ability. I have had countless teachings on what is humane and what is not. I have been told this by some of the most educated people in the country in this area.

The members of my profession are rightly held to be the authority on the welfare of animals. So I am sick and tired of people telling outright lies about the supposed welfare of animals in this country - a 'nation of animals lovers' - purely because they are obsessed with how their dog looks and how many rosettes he can win for them. How long are we going to ignore the advice of vets and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) for the sake of an outdated, barbaric and totally unnecessary procedure? I am, of course, talking about tail docking. For those of you that don't know, docking is when a puppy's tail is removed between one and three days of age (although I know personally of one vet who docked an eight-day-old puppy because the breeder had been too busy and had forgotten to get it done). The tails are usually either cut off with scissors, or a rubber band is placed round them until the dead bit falls off. Now, you will be told that this is a completely painless procedure when carried out properly. In fact, the Council for Docked Breeds (CDB) maintains that some puppies, docked while they are asleep, will not even wake up. Let me ask you this - can you imagine a human baby peacefully sleeping through someone cutting off their little finger with a pair of scissors? Try putting a rubber band on the end of your finger and see how long you can bear the pain.

The truth is that docking IS painful. It takes away a dog's ability to communicate with other dogs. There is the risk of haemorrhage, spinal infections, and death. There is a link between docking and problems with the nerve supply to the bladder and rectum. There is also an association between docking and the development of perineal hernias. I have seen puppies that chew their stumps because of the discomfort. I have seen ones that knock the end of their stumps every time they sit down. There is NO excuse any more. There is a strongly held opinion among breeders that, if they leave their dogs whole, they will not get looked at in the show ring. If the Kennel Club said that, after such and such a date, no more docked animals could be shown, I guarantee that the procedure would stop overnight. The Kennel Club is quick to protest that it has animal welfare at heart, but it is in a position to stop the practice of docking instantly whether the Government banned it or not.

Our last king said that he didn't like ear cropping, and the Kennel Club stopped it immediately. We find the practice extremely distasteful and are quick to criticize the likes of the USA for continuing to do it, and yet we are just the same when it comes to docking.

Tail docking is a very emotive subject in the dog world. Supporters of docking say that there are several reasons why tails should be docked - these include avoiding tail damage and maintaining breed standards. We say that it done purely for cosmetic reasons. The majority of dogs are now kept as pets, not working animals, and there is very little likelihood of tails getting damaged. As for maintaining breed standards, this is simply the out-dated views of breeders and show judges who have become accustomed to the look of a certain breed and are unwilling to change their views. The Kennel Club plays a large part in perpetrating the custom and undocked dogs are unfairly discriminated against in the show ring. Public pressure is beginning to sway opinion and undocked dogs have just recently been winning major awards but the change will take some time. We have to make our views known and put pressure on those who think that a mutilated animal is more attractive. Animal cruelty, in any shape or form, is not acceptable.

Emma


Legal status by country

This list is incomplete:

• Argentina: Unrestricted
• Australia: Banned in all states and territories as of June 2004. Restricted to veterinarians, for welfare, not cosmetic.[1]
• Austria: Banned as of 1 January 2005 according to the "Bundestierschutzgesetz" §7.1
• Belgium: Banned as pf 1 January 2006
• Brazil: Unrestricted
• Canada: Unrestricted
• Chile: Unrestricted
• Cyprus: Banned as of 1991
• Czech Republic: Banned
• Denmark: Banned as of 1 June 1996, with exceptions for five gun dog breeds
• Estonia: Banned as of 2001
• Finland: Banned as of 1 July 1996
• France: Banned as of 4 August 2003
• Germany: Banned as of 1 June 1998, with exceptions for working gun dogs
• Greece: Unrestricted
• Hungary: Banned
• Iceland: Banned as of 2001
• India: Unrestricted
• Israel: Banned for cosmetic purposes.
• Latvia: Banned
• Luxembourg: Banned as of 1991
• Mauritius: Unrestricted
• Mexico: Unrestricted
• Netherlands: Banned as of 1 September 2001
• New Zealand: Unrestricted
• Nepal: Unrestricted
• Norway: Banned as of 1 January 2000
• Philippines: Unrestricted
• Portugal: Unrestricted
• Russia : Unrestricted
• Republic of Ireland: Unrestricted for dogs, banned for horses unless deemed medically necessary by a vet
• Slovakia: Banned as of 1 January 2003
• South Africa: Banned as of June 2007
• Sweden: Banned as of 1 January 1989
• Switzerland: Banned as of 1 July 1981 for the ears and 1 July 1997 for the tail
• Turin and Rome, Italy: Banned
• United Kingdom: Banned in England and Wales, with some exceptions for working dogs. Banned in Scotland with no exceptions. Unrestricted in Northern Ireland.
• United States: Unrestricted (some states, including New York,[2] and Vermont have considered bills to make the practice illegal)
• Virgin Islands: Banned as of 2005

In Europe, the cropping of ears is prohibited in all countries that have ratified the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals.

[MyFairLacy]

I for one hope docking NEVER becomes illegal in the US. I very much prefer a docked tail on a yorkie. I'm not really a fan of ear cropping as it is done when the puppies are older, and I don't like tails being docked on older puppies/dogs either (more of an amputation at that point), but I have no issues with docking a tail on a newborn puppy. I think that if the US ever tries to make docking illegal, there will be quite a fight against it

[bbrewser]

Originally Posted by diva pup

Welcome to YT!!

As much as I am "Pro dog" I am still for docking the tail and dew claws.
Instead of just researching how cruel it is to dock, research too the incidents of damage caused by not docking. I have read both sides of this argument and IMHO the case for docking is indeed there.
By the way which countries are you interested in living in that they do not allow them to be shown?

What kind of damage do you get from not docking? I'm interested because I prefer the tail, am I wrong???

[jencar98]

Just as the OP has posted information against the practice of tail docking, there are numerous articles and references regarding the need for tail docking. Below are links to several of the many articles I found with a quick search. The last link seems to be the most unbiased article, giving reasoning for each position.

Although, I do have friends with yorkies not docked and they are beautiful yorkies with their tails, my preference, given a choice, is for docking.

http://netpets.org/dogs/healthspa/case4dock.html

http://www.britfeld.com/tail-dock/facts.htm

http://www.professorshouse.com/pets/...l-docking.aspx