[Britster]

Originally Posted by lladyon

I have a yorkie, purchased from a highly reputable and internationally well known breeder.

This breeder recently has decided not to continue docking the tales and it was the first litter from which I have purchased my dog.

I have no problems with cleanliness, injury or anything else. I am very very happy I have a dog without a docked tale. My feeling is it is an archaic practise, the benefits of which are unfounded and is a cruelty to animals.

I always smile at how expressive my yorkie's tale is; it is also reminiscent of a wild flower and never looks the same, always changing shape and waving in the wind. I cannot imagine him without it. He easily displays his emotions with it and holds it proudly upright. The only time it was ever down, was when he was ill. The tail is not difficult to care for; it has never been a hazard, it has never been stepped on nor injured in any way.

I highly support progressive changes in animal welfare and feel docking of tales should only be done when absolutely necessary such as required in certain medical/health situations.
Thank you for posting the article.

lladyon

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

The link that Jim posted says, " It is also recommended to dock the tails in breeds which have long thin, weak and sparsely coated tails, in order to avoid later sickness and damage."

I'm not sure the Biewer has the exact tail type as the Yorkie, they seem to be a little bigger boned, isn't it possible that when Mr. Biewer was breeding, he selectively chose those dogs with a certain tail structure, or length? Concerning Matese, don't their tails curl up and out of the way? I've seen pictures of yorkies, (not show dogs) whose tails were quite long and dragging behind them, just seems like it would be so easy to step on them.

Jackson's full tail has never been close to being stepped on. He carries it high pretty much all the time. You can't see it up close in this pic, but that's how it is all the time...