[JCarlson2004]

Originally Posted by Lee B

If I leave for work at just the right time, I see an elderly gentleman walking his Yorkie. The dog has a long tail, which he proudly holds up, flying like a flag in the breeze. Long tails, like nubs, are an indicator of happieness ... it's just that long tails show it more!

I beg to disagree about docked tails "being the way they're supposed to be"; if that was the case, they'd be born with short tails. Docking is something done by humans to conform to some rigid sense of beauty. It's the same for dogs whose ears are cut ... they were born with long ears, but it's MAN who feels they should be cut like that.

Many European countries are banning docking tails and cutting ears as being inhumane. In fact, if an American dog wanted entry into a European show, they would not be allowed to if they had been "altered".

Remember: at one time, the Chinese thought bound feet were the height of beauty, but it (thankfully!) fell out of favor. One day, people will accept our dogs as God created them, without alteration to fit our standards of "beauty".

Now, for what it's worth, I truly appreciate the dew claws being removed. They're hard to keep trimmed and can get caught so easily. To me, they're a safety hazard!

I agree with you about the dew claws! My Chi still has hers and they get snagged on stuff all the time and it really hurts her.