[KimInMD]

Two of my babies have full tails and one has a docked tail. I love them both ways. Our old rescue girl, Lucy has a full tail that is broken in two places. They are old injuries, and don't seem to hurt her when I touch it now, but I can't help but wonder what happened to her. Was something dropped on her tail? Was it shut in a door, or stepped on? I believe with all my heart that at the time of the injuries, Lucy had to have suffered terrible pain. You can feel the crushed bone and cartilage just laying in there. Her tail is visibly bent and mangled looking. My poor, sweet, little girl tries to wag her tail, but it just kind-of flops around. I think a dog who holds it's tail erect over it's back is less likely to sustain accidental injury. A dog with a long, lowered tail that hangs down naturally and curls outward from the body is definitely going to be more at risk of tail injury. Is potential injury a reason to dock proactively? In my opinion, no, but the risk of injury is something a responsible pet owner needs to be mindful of if they choose an undocked dog. Owners must understand the fragile nature and additional risk of injury if they choose a Yorkie who will stay extra tiny when full grown. We discuss this here at YT all the time. Some people's lifestyle (like a hectic household with young children) would dictate that they would be better off with a larger and more sturdy dog. I think the considerations are exactly the same with a long, full tailed Yorkie. Your lifestyle should be considered in deciding if a long tailed Yorkie is the best choice for your individual household. I'm not making a judgement here of anyone's individual choice. This is just my personal opinion based on my observation of my Lucy.