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Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom  Anyone interested in this subject should definitely watch the tail docking videos on youtube, to decide whether this is a painful or not painful procedure...and to simply just educate yourself on the process.
As far as any data regarding tail injury increases in countries where tail docking is banned - I have a problem with this data. Let's say we docked the back left leg as standard practice -- well, okay, then we would not see injury reports on the back left leg...however if we then banned the docking of the back left leg - we would then see, of course (!), a huge increase in injuries to the back left leg bc those injuries didn't previously have a way to exist. Just bc there is a "potential" for injury, it does correlate (for me) to amputating that part of the body. No way.
So, that kind of data doesn't do anything to convince me that there is substantial and increased danger in having a tail. They're MEANT to have this tail, for pete's sake. If they weren't, evolution would certainly step in at some point. |
In your argument saying, "lets say we docked the back left leg as standard practice", makes me think you think they originally docked tails for no reason, early breeders were not trying to produce beautiful dogs, but working dogs. Since working dogs are still exempt from the docking rule, doesn't this tell you there might be safety issues involved with docking?
It's my understanding that a tail break is much worse than a regular broken extremity because they can't immobilize the tail, and it not only doesn't heal well, it can cause lots of complications.
Wolves are meant to have a tail, but when we breed, we have taken evolution out of the picture. I doubt if a long haired dog would even survive in nature, too many things for the hair to grab on too. In nature, if the tail a dog is born with makes it vulnerable, such as in dog fights or the way it gathers food, those animals with suitable tails will survive and those whose tails have broken will die. Nature has a tough standard, but if you can survive, you can produce offspring.