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Originally Posted by Nancy1999  I wish they had more research on the subject. Since docking was banned in Europe there are many reports on tails breaking, and the results aren't pretty. Also, docking is outlawed in other countries, EXCEPT if it's a working dog, they can have their tails docked. This tells me that docking can be a safety issue. I understand that most Yorkies aren't working dogs, but I also know there is a lot of variation among tail thickness and I wonder if finer boned Yorkies might be more susceptible to breakage. Joeys tail broke during the birthing process, and he's very fine boned. Ralphie has a much thicker diameter tail and probably never needed to be docked in order to be safe. The breaking of an adult tail is a very painful issue and is very difficult to fix. So I still have mixed feelings on the subject. |
Valid points - however, the overall structure of a Yorkie is fine in comparison to larger breeds, yet it is only their tail that is docked, so I still believe that the docking is an aesthetic issue for this breed over a concern in their welfare.
It is emotive, I know. It is difficult to challenge the norm and confirmation bias comes to play where we feel compelled to not challenge something that is normative because it challenges what we previously believed. That is evolution and there are benefits to making a judgment in this way, as well, but I really hope that society can move past their primal instincts to see reason with this issue.
What I do see here, though, is a passion for the well-being of our dogs and that is a beautiful thing. Tail or no!