TAIL....question
 

:confused::confused: As I'm on my 1st yorkie, my question is....why do some yorkies have short tails, some longer and some even longer?? Is there a certain way it should be or just by breeder preference?

Most yorkies have their tails docked (US dogs anyhow). It's usually the length of maybe one finger length. I love the docked tail. There are some breeders over seas and here in the states as well that are leaning towards not docking tails.

I do suppose it comes down to breeder preference. Most in the U.S. are docked at around 3 days, and either the breeder or a vet does it, so they establish the actual length. However there is an increase in popularity/acceptance now in the U.S. for a full tail, in Yorkies not planned for show. In the UK and some countries it is illegal to dock tails, and many feel it is unnecessary and inhumane.

My Yorkie's tail was docked too short in my opinion, and after acquiring my Morkies with full tails, I sometimes wish Tiki's tail had not been docked.

I say keep the tail natural! I love my Missy's tail! It's her happiness flag! :) Always waving...err I mean wagging :)

The tail is supposed to be docked for showing purposes but breeders generally do it regardless. My oldest girl has her full tail, my other 2 had theirs docked. I was not given an option. If given an option, I would say leave the tail! My babies are with me for love not showing. JMHO

Thanks all...I was wondering because my girls tail is short...like a first knuckle or something, LOL. Really short. I should have named her nubbie.

My yorkies are taken to the vet to have them done, I tell her the size of a penny. Which leave them plenty of tail wagging. The tail gets bigger as they grow. I do not like when people chop off nearly their whole tail. My male has a nub. Can not even wag it, I hate that, dogs have tails. So I guess I like mine a bit longer. Every vet and breeder seems to dock at a different lenght.

Traditionally, the Yorkie’s tail is docked to a medium length. In America, almost all breeders dock the tails of puppies. However, since the s there has been a growing movement to ban the practice of cosmetic docking. The World Small Animal Veterinary Association and the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals oppose tail docking. As of , several nations have enacted prohibitions on docking, including Australia, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Norway, South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland. A docked tail is part of the AKC, ANKC, CKC, NZKC and UKC breed standards for Yorkshire Terriers.Yorkshire Terrier - AnimalAttraction.com - AnimalAttraction.com

As for me, we act as clairvoyants (j/k) and hope we can balance size the yorkie of the yorkie to marry the tail. We take our time & go over it. It's should be taken very serious. The size of the tail is imperative in overall appearance;too short or too long it can interfere w/ the well balanced look we strive for.
Congratulations on your new yorkie. You will never be the same. :aimeeyork:aimeeyork:aimeeyork

Yeah, Zhoie's is a nub too and she will be a year old next month. Do you think that means it won't grow anymore? I was so hoping it would get at least a little longer.....I too like the wag.

My poor Bailey has only a nub too, When I see it wagging it makes me smile, I do wish it were longer.

The AKC standard for the Yorkshire Terrier calls for the tail to be docked at a medium length. Some breeders and vets are not familiar with the yorkie standard and they end up docking the tail too short.

Schipperke's have similar butts. It's not what you want in confirmation But it is cute when they are running in the grass like a bunny rabbit. They do look like a bunny, don't they?

Oh yes, it sure does, especially when she is doing the hopping thing, lol.

Medium may have been better, haha. My little mini-pin, Molly, that I had for 14 yrs before Zhoie was the sameway...just a nub. She also got really round in her senior years....looked like a little torpedo....gosh, I love that little girlie!!!

I love Jackson's full tail and get sooo many compliments on it.
"Wow a Yorkie with a tail?!" They love it. Not that I don't love
the little nubs, too. Of course they're cute either way. :)

In my opinion :rolleyes:, Buster's tail is docked too short. He can hardly wag it. Maggie's tail is docked ok, she can at least wag it. Don't know if I like the docked or the long tail, but sometimes the docked ones are too short.

Meg's tail was docked, and .... as horrible as this may be, I love it. Does it hurt them to have it docked? I read that they do it as puppies and it literally just twists off, so it doesn't really hurt them at all. I think it's so cute to have a docked tail, but it sounds so inhumane. :confused::(

It's not just a twist off. But it's no big deal, that's for sure.

It's a couple of minutes? It's nothing anything like the pain of getting a tail shut in a door or something like that. Tail docking is safe & quick as long as it's done early there's no concern.

So... the tail bones aren't formed yet so it doesn't hurt the bones, right? DO they have to do stitches though?

Mine was done at the vets and him and his two sisters all had one little stitch in the end, they were three days old.

My dad might be totally old school but I remember when he had puppies (I think that they were German Shorthairs, hunting dogs, and their tails were sypolsed to be docked...) I remember that I had to hold the puppies while him and my mom heated up Butter knifes with a lhot torch lighter thing chopped of their tails and burnt the ends of their tails with the side of the butter knife... :( I remember them screaming but like it was said in another post that it only bothered them for a few min and after that their hair grew over the ends and they were perfectly fine... but having that experience I dont like docking... I heard that there are other ways to do that and my dad thought that way was more humane that putting rubberbands on their tails.... I dont know I think that some dogs look good with their tails... and to me (all dogs look good with their tails... they were born that was so I think thats how it should be...) I love Alice's tail its so pretty and she knows it is... Its so funny she treats it like an acessery I think and will curl it under her when she sits (kind of like a cat) and when she is happy or out walking it looks like she shows it of walking all pretty like...

Well that was my experience and my oppinion... everyone has their oppinions... thats mine...:rolleyes:

i prefer natural tails lol. Timmy has his tail docked and Tinks is natural, we have so many people comment on her tail lol. Timmy can still wag his but his whole bottom wags to sometime lol

i love Timmy and his short tail to pieces lol but i still prefer natural tails.

Molly has a full tail,and i love it. She is a rescue but if i'd had her from a puppy, and had been given the choice, i really can't think of any good reason to have it cut off. :doghop:

Some puppies do scream. They are held a little tighter while the procedure is taking place because they wiggle, and their natural instinct is to cry for their momma when away from their litter mates, so we really cannot say they are crying out in pain, always. Really, if you think about it this procedure, being totally cosmetic, is no different than the cosmetic procedures we (in the US) do to little boy human babies within the first day or two of thier lives for cosmetic purposes. Maybe painful or uncomfortable for a little bit, but it has no lasting consequences.

I didn't really think about the consequences to my son's psyche when he was being circumsized, and he screamed plenty. Was over it quick, too. That being said, my girls tails are a tad too short and my Maltipoo's tail is wonderful the way it curls over his hiney and waves madly when he is happy. I love his tail.

I like the look of the docked tail but I wouldnt pass up adopting a yorkie because it had a full tail. Jewels tail looks like its the right length but My Chachi has a tiny nub. We always joke that he got shorted out of a tail

chocolate tail docked
 

I bought a chocolate with her tail docked and mine have also always been docked and she is a tiny beauty ~but I can't wait until it is illegal in the U.S. All docking, ear cropping. Whatever that gets whacked off that doesn't have to do with an emergency health issues Haha.

Snoopy's tail was docked already when we got him. It's pretty short, but I ask the groomer to cut his body short, but leave the tail a little longer. ;)

The vet does our puppies right at the end of the brown strip on the inside if the tail. He docks right where the black starts. It's not a very long tail but it is not a nub either.

My Zoey has a docked tail. Zoey's tail is more than a nub for sure, it is about the length of my pinky maybe a slight bit shorter... I can definitely see her wag! :)

I must admit that all of my research began AFTER I had put a deposit on her. I was horrified to hear her tail had been docked. :eek:

Now that I understand it is a common practice, I understand however, if given a choice in the future - I may opt to not have it docked. I do not plan to show nor breed thus, as humane as possible would be my preference. I must admit however, I have not concluded my research and maybe there is a justification (e.g. health issue) that warrants such a docking.