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Originally Posted by Britster  No offense to you you personally (cuz I know you didn't write it!  ) but I think all these reasons are pretty stupid justifications to cut a dogs tail off.
First off, how many of our Yorkies are actually working ratting terriers? Probably close to .1% - if that. I would also like to know how many non-working dogs suffer from tail injuries. If it was THAT much of an issue -- don't ya think ALL dog breeds would have their tails docked? I've grown up around several dogs, dogsat for several dogs, had my own dog with a tail, and have never once seen a dog injure its tail. And that's from just my personal experiences with dogs. As for the hygiene... I've never had issues with that, either. It's not difficult to trim hair around the bum and a Yorkie with a docked tail will get poop stuck to the hair down there just as much as one with a tail. Most owners who own a dog such a Yorkie get them groomed or groom them themselves.
I'm not saying I think docking is a procedure that will mentally harm the dog for the rest of its life or anything. I realize it's over in a few minutes/seconds and they get on with it. But it just seems unfair to chop a dogs natural tail that he is born with off simply for the human eye. |
I take no offense to your opinion just as I mean no offense by mine.
As far as injuries go, I have seen many. There is nothing pleasant about a dog that has a permanently crooked tail from being slammed in a door, or stepped on, and I have seen many many accidentally stepped on by a horse and more people in the country have small dogs and Yorkies than you might think. No, they are not working dogs, but they are companion animals and where people go, so do the dogs, and accidents do happen all the time. The other reasons, however I also agree are merely personal preference. I am not trying to start a controversial argument either, yet there seems to be a huge contradiction over the issue.....that's all.