Thanks for all the inputs guys. I really appreciate it. This is our first litter, so I wanted to get everything taken care of correctly. The 2 pups will be getting their dew claws and tails cropped today. We don't have buyers lined up yet, but I don't anticipate that to be a problem.

Good luck and keep us posted...

tail docking: profession or cosmetic
 

docking: as far as i have read, it's more about appearance than "profession", since huddersfield ben (the founding yorkie) had his full tail, and many prized early yorkies in photos from the late 19th C had their tails, too. they were also longer in body, had longer muzzles, and were larger dogs.

however, when the yorkie was already a show-dog and lap-dog in the 20th C, the breeders bred for shorter backs and started docking to achieve the more "well-rounded" and porportioned look. the back became shorter, the muzzle, too. the yorkie bacame a mini, standards putting him under 7 lbs. tail-docking became common show-practice, and the "look" was established.

so, in my opinion, from what i have read and seen, it seems more cosmetic and for the "look" that docking was imposed on the yorkie than for the purpose of chasing rats. Dachshunds were bred to hunt badgers in holes, they never got docked, even not the miniatures. the Dachshund tail even accentuates it's long body... also cosmetic.

just my opinion. i also prefer tails, they are so expressive!

but i can understand breeders who dock, especially if the market demands docked tails and show-rings reqire them.

good luck with your pups!

mbfleur

ok id be to afraid to dock their tails im sure it hurts:( . but i have question. i heard this from a friend who breeds labs and she said to get their dew claws removed they just grab ahold of them and yank them out. no pain meds no putting to sleep no nothing. is this true? i assume if its true for one breed it is for all breeds?

:animal-pa :aimeeyork My little girl has just a nub, and the groomer always leaves long hair on it so that she has something to wag. It is so cute. Interesting about the dew claws. I didn't know about the thumb thing. Ours has her dew claws, but no matter how much we have them trimmed, they curl. That is not good, I know, and sometimes they have bothered her. One even got snagged, and the vet had to fix it. I would love to have them gone, but now I understand why they are there. I am learning so much on this website.:animal-pa

I think that you should dock their tails while they are young because they won't have to go under anestesia. Whereas if they didn't get them docked, then the new owners might decide to put them under anestesia just to get the tails docked. Why take the risk?:confused: Hope you found this helpful, as I just had a litter of 5 today.:animal-pa:animal-pa:animal-pa:animal-pa:animal-pa

:animal36_Candy and Chuckie's mama:animal36

Here is my question:

Does it hurt the puppy? I mean doesn't the vet have to put them to sleep to cut their tail off?

Here is my comment:

I know that it is standard to crop the tail if showing but I think if a dog is going to be sold as a pet, it should not have to go through docking it's tail. After all, a centuries ago they never did this.

With it being illegal in England, has your AKC equivalent changed it's rules to allow Yorkies to now have tails? I would imagine but you never know.