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Originally Posted by QuickSilver  Because the large majority of dogs have their tails, and they are fine, even if the tails are "ugly", long, or narrow. Plenty of yorkies have tails NOW. It's not like they have never had tails, and suddenly last year all of a sudden we're breaking new ground.
As for tails breaking because they are stepped on - it's a body part, of course if it's not there, it's not going to get injured. Yorkies get hurt jumping off things, does that mean show breeders want them to be bigger? Or does safety only matter when it's about meeting the standard?
FYI, women in the UK were given the vote almost 100 years before they were in the US - we can be pretty slow to pick up on good ideas sometimes.
I understand some people support tail docking, and while I don't agree with it, I have a much easier time when people don't cast around for evidence to support their preferences. We have a lot of responsibility to dogs, and it seems to me that we should really confront and question practices like this because they cannot speak for themselves. What is more important, doing right by dogs, or finding reasons not to change your mind?
Again, I understand that some people like dock tails. The best argument I've heard is that it doesn't hurt the pup and it's personal preference. I personally don't think personal preference is sufficient reason to remove a body part, and maybe other people don't either, which is why other stuff like breaking tails comes up. |
Let's be clear on one thing, I'm not casting around any evidence, there is no evidence, but only isolated cases of injuries and people are looking into it. Statements such as "the majority of dogs have their tails, and they are fine" contributes little evidence. Many breeds were never docked so of course they would be fine with not docking, but once a breed is docked and breed over and over, you will get variation in tail lengths that could be unsafe. Breeders have never had to take the length of the tail into consideration.
As stated before, docking is allowed for working dogs, so vets do know that an undocked tail presents some sort of a safety hazard or there wouldn't be any exceptions. I do not think the standard should be changed just to suit public whims, every change should be considered carefully, and health should be always taken into consideration. Obviously, your mind is made up, and you believe this is a terrible procedure, I don't, but I really don't have a preference in looks, I think both tails are cute. We will have much more knowledge in five years or so years on the safety of this, what's the hurry? People here have a choice, you can support breeders who choose not to dock tails, it's your choice to do this, and I don't mind if YOU choose not to have a yorkie with a docked tail. What I do mind is people who tell others they have no choice in the matter. I do not believe that this is harmful procedure. Of course, the English have lots of great ideas, I just think really great ideas, don't have to be forced, and I'm really not sure this idea was theirs anyway.