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Originally Posted by shawnzeppi  My old yorkie had once dew claw that was not removed and it was a pain in the butt his whole life. This dew claw always curled inward and would stick him in the leg if I did not remember to cut it back every once in a while. The good thing was it did not seem to have a quick (or if it did, it was very far back towards his paw), so it did not bother him when I cut it like his other claws, and I could cut a lot off with no pain or bleeding.
ALmost all of the yorkies I see have docked tails, the VAST majority in the US. When I see one that is not docked, it is has almost always been an import. I think they look better with a docked tail and are easier to handle (I like to carry mine on my forearms a lot), however, I would not mind if they were not docked. As far as the pain goes, we humans do lots of snipping that is painful when we are babies, and the mental scars dont seem to effect us (at least I can't seem to recall when I was snipped). |
I compared the practice to our habit of circumsizing male babies in a previous thread on this subject. You are right. None of my sons has ever mentioned a mental scar from the procedure. I was on the verge of not doing it with my boys but hubby insisted.
For my pups -- since I do want them to be in AKC standard, I had their tails docked. They did not cry or yelp any more for that than they did for a shot. They were ready to nurse immediately and seemed to have no ill effects from it at all. I took mine to the vet so they could do it as painless and safely as possible. I know it sounds cruel, but it really does not seem to affect the puppies for more than a couple seconds. It seemed less pain than piercing an ear. I gave them all extra loving and checked on the little nubs. They were sealed with a kind of super glue and all healed easily.
I would not mind if the standard did not include the docking but I do like the way it looks and I know it helps with hygiene. The reason poop doesn't get on the docked tail, is that it does not fall down between the legs like a long one will at times. Ben has very long hair that will plume on his docked nub, looking very regal. But even that plume of hair will get messy when he has a loose stool or appears to have sat on it (I know that sounds gross but I can't explain it any other way -- thank God for baby wipes!). Since Ben is one to slip through doors as they are swinging shut, I am sure the docked tail has saved him a slam or two along the way. My dachshund (full tail) has a big kink in her tail from not making it through the door when no one knew she was coming. It looks painful as she is now very old and I am sure the kink is arthritic as it has become gnarly. So the cleanliness and safety factors are real in my mind as I see evidence of it.
Nothing against the ones that keep their full tails though -- they are
beautiful! If our standard in the US changed, I am sure we would all be used to it in no time. It sure would not change how much we love them!
About dew claws -- they are also very prone to getting caught in carpet or blankets. Much safer to have them removed, if they have any. They are remnants of old with no modern purpose.