Jessilyn Ring

AVS 101
Final Project
Dr. Becky Sartini
Tail Docking of Dogs

Dogs have been domestic animals since around 14000 BC, perhaps even longer than that.
As such, humans have been using dogs to perform tasks and for general companionship for many
years, developing breeds that are specifically designed to be proficient at certain things through
artificial selection. Along with this, humans sometimes cosmetically altered a dog’s appearance
so that it was more fit to perform certain tasks. Once of these procedures is called tail docking,
the necessity of which in our modern world has been debated related to the issue of animal
welfare.

Historically, many breeds of dogs were used to work for humans. Tail docking made
some of the jobs safer and easier to do. For example, breeds used in hunting like spaniels and
hounds, had to oftentimes move through forests and underbrush quickly, and their tails could get
caught in things and injured. In the 18th century, a tax was put out on all dogs that were not
working dogs, so tails were docked to distinguish one from the other. Terriers were often pulled
out of holes that they had burrowed into to catch vermin, and the docking made the remaining
part of the tail stronger. But today, many breeds are not used for their original purpose. Although
some dogs may remain hunters and retrievers, it is less likely that a dog is bred for work rather
than companionship. However, the breed standards for purebred dogs recognized by the AKC
still include a docked tail as a requirement for certain breeds. Some people today take issue with
the unnecessary medical procedure, saying that it serves no purpose and caused the dogs undue
pain and stress.

On one hand, purebred puppies tails are docked within five days of their birth, and some
people think that the nervous system is not fully developed then, so they feel relatively no pain.
It also pays respect to the breed’s original purpose and makes the dog viable for AKC
showmanship. Furthermore, it eliminates the possibility of the dog’s tail being injured in the
future. On the other hand, there are professionals that say that the puppies do feel pain during the
procedure, and they are not under anesthesia, which could be harmful since they are so young. It
is now thought of as unnecessary since the puppies most likely are only companion dogs and not
being bred to perform tasks for which they were originally bred.There are possibilities for
complications during or after the procedures and long-lasting medical effects, such as a weak
pelvic structure. Also, dogs communicate primarily with their bodies, and their tails are a large
part of that communication. Studies have been performed that show a dog with a longer tail can
communicate more effectively with other dogs than dogs with shorter tails.

There are many different perspectives on this topic. People who show dogs or judge by
the AKC Breed Standards have very strong opinions regarding upholding the traditional looks of
breeds. They view tail docking as more than a cosmetic procedure, and with respect and
practicality. Veterinarians can be split on this issue. Medically, they know that there are risks to
docking and consider the undue pain that it may cause puppies, but there are veterinarians that
still perform the procedures. Dog owners, again, can have split perspectives. People who buy
from breeders and are inclined to want a dog to have a specific “look” would be more supportive
about the procedure. At the risk of generalization, these people are most likely not aware of the
medical and scientific end of docking. Other owners, more likely those who rescue dogs from
shelters, are probably going to be less focused on the specific look of the dog and more on its
welfare. Breeders themselves are obviously going to be pro-docking as it adheres to the AKC
standards. Animal rights and welfare activists would probably have something to say regarding
the fact that the procedure is unnecessary and harmful.

The first resource I found was through the American Veterinary Medicine Association
(AVMA). This report discussed the welfare implications of tail docking and argued that it caused
undue pain and was simply for cosmetic purposes. Because the procedure is performed on very
young pups, there are implications that it may permanently alter the central nervous system, not
to mention the fact that it is painful for them. It may also cause weakness in certain muscle areas,
incontinence, and various other post-procedure complications (i.e.- necrosis, excessive bleeding).
The study also discussed the benefits, which they found to be few. The human benefit was
simply cosmetic and the benefit to dogs was that it might prevent tail injury, which is rare to
begin with. The other source I looked at was an article by the American Kennel Club (AKC),
which discussed the benefits of docking and tried to explain why it was a misunderstood
practice. It gave background on the historical reason for docking and how it was beneficial to
working dogs, as well as discussed why the practice is not harmful and is not purely for
cosmetics. They argue that tail docking is not animal cruelty, but a safe procedure and necessary
to uphold breed standards. Overall, this source did little to use scientific explanations, and was
very obviously in favor of tail docking. Science could be used many ways to prove that tail
docking is harmful. Dogs could be observed and monitored during the procedure for pain
through checking cortisol levels and behavioural responses. Dogs could be observed
behaviourally to see if there is impact on social cues between dogs with longer versus docked
tails. Studies could, and have been, done on the frequency of tail injuries and how docking would
or would not be beneficial. Overarchingly, it seems that tail docking can be scientifically proven
to be unnecessary and harmful to dogs, but studies could be done to try and prove what benefit
docking has to modern companion dogs other can for cosmetic reasons.

Sources

● American Veterinary Medical Association. “Literature Review on the Welfare

Implications of Tail Docking-Dogs.” ​Avma.org​, AVMA, 29 Jan. 2013,
www.avma.org/KB/Resources/LiteratureReviews/Documents/dogs_tail_docking_bgnd.p
df​.
● Staff, AKC. “Issue Analysis: Dispelling the Myths of Cropped Ears, Docked Tails,
Dewclaws, and Debarking.” ​American Kennel Club​, American Kennel Club, 7 Mar.
2011, ​www.akc.org/content/news/articles/issue-analysis-dispelling-myths/​.