Haven't had a spaniel before. What are people's views on getting an undocked spaniel pup likely to be working (recreationally, not professionally) im areas with quite a lot of bramble, barbed wire and thorn? Is docking essential, or an old-fashioned prqctice not really needed?
Tail docking a spaniel?
- Thread starter Apthorpe
- Start date
As above yes it is
I have had a good number and the only one that was not docked had to be docked after damaging it very badly
Thank you. That was my feeling. A friend is offering some perfectly good pups which they somehow failed to get docked at birth. They felt their vet was anti. Is docking at a later stage an unreasonable ornnon-permissible plan? I imagine you'd have to wait until it was amputation after a nasty injury?
I wonder if a vet would do it as a preventative measure - im not sure
The one thing i would say is that if they damage it badly the amputation can be traumatic - my little dog now passed had to have 2 amputations as the first got infected - she had a tiny stump in the end
Miss her loads
timbrayford
Well-Known Member
I've worked undocked spaniels for over 40 years with no significant tail issues. Barbed wire damage to the undersides has been an expensive issue that occurs all to often, just had to pay another £500 vet bill but this had nothing whatever to do with the tail
Lloyd90
Well-Known Member
Considering the ban in Scotland had an amendment for working dogs / spaniels after significant evidence was shown with spaniels and working dogs suffering tail injuries I can’t see how anyone can claim it makes no difference.
I wouldn’t own an undocked spaniel and if someone told me they had “working” spaniels and were undocked I would doubt whether they’re genuinely worked as opposed to a pet they’ve taken to a shoot once or twice.
I wouldn’t own an undocked spaniel and if someone told me they had “working” spaniels and were undocked I would doubt whether they’re genuinely worked as opposed to a pet they’ve taken to a shoot once or twice.
Have owned working spaniels since the late 1980s - all have been docked bar one & that one was in the vets regularly with tail damage. Vet wouldn't take it off so each time it got damaged the collar of shame came out & he was off games till it was all healed, happened every season.
Can't recall the exact legalities but to have them docked they have to be done within a few days of birth & you must be able to demonstrate that the litter is a working one with letter from gamekeeper, etc. confirming the breeder works their dogs. Both my current ones have a certificate from the vet that states they've seen this letter & have docked accordingly. Same goes for dew claws too. If not done after birth then it's a surgical procedure when older & only because of damage.
Can't recall the exact legalities but to have them docked they have to be done within a few days of birth & you must be able to demonstrate that the litter is a working one with letter from gamekeeper, etc. confirming the breeder works their dogs. Both my current ones have a certificate from the vet that states they've seen this letter & have docked accordingly. Same goes for dew claws too. If not done after birth then it's a surgical procedure when older & only because of damage.
Just an old fashioned practice not really needed, imo.
If people want shorter tailed dogs then breeders should be breeding them with shorter tails, not cutting them off. It wouldn't be difficult to do.
My daughter's working spaniel (deer tracking) isn't docked, and has no issues. Neither of my terriers are docked, and no issues there either.
Phil fox man
Well-Known Member
Just had my pup's docked, it took a few phone calls to find a vet to do it.
captain jon
Well-Known Member
I’ve had labs,springers and now have a undocked jack russel ,he’s had no problems with his tail or the black lab but the three springers were all docked as there tails on stop wagging when they’re asleep . I would say it’s essential there docked.
What I do find disgusting is the cutting /cropping of ears on fighting dogs , I asked the owner why crop the ears “it’s just for aesthetics”
What I do find disgusting is the cutting /cropping of ears on fighting dogs , I asked the owner why crop the ears “it’s just for aesthetics”
Dunwaters
Well-Known Member
Most vets wont dock after the first few days unless the dog shows evidence of damage.
The operation to remove the tail on an older dog is expensive and will need a full anaesthetic plus recovery time.
Train and run the dog, if recurrent tail damage becomes an issue you’ll need to get it sorted, but in your situation I’d wait and see.
Dunwaters
Well-Known Member
The need for docking varies with the breed and what it does.
My GSP’s need to be docked because they work tight cover and have a lot of tail action, the end of the tail gets damaged and is slow to heal, even when it does heal it doesn’t take a lot to damage it again and eventually you end up with a lot of scar tissue that won’t heal and an amputation.
Spaniels are the same if worked for small game, kept mostly at heel and worked on deer you may get away with not docking.
Breeding short tailed dogs from long tailed dogs isn’t as easy as you suggest either, the gene has to come from somewhere outside the current pool which means an outcross and a few generations of careful line breeding to fix the new conformation.
Then you’ll need a new breed standard.
Your KC frowns on outcrosses and refuses to register x bred pups….which excludes your dog from competition.
The easiest solution I’ve found is to pre sell most of the pups to working homes and have the litter docked at birth.
Bo Diddley
Well-Known Member
Historically speaking it gave less of a hold for the other dog, and ears bleed profusely, that's why they used to be cropped.
Northern_George
Well-Known Member
I had my last litter docked at my local vets and they wanted to have proof that I work them and wanted proof of ownership of the bitch etc,before they would dock. But they done them in the end. It was a lot of hassle but worth it in the long run, and it’s only done with a pair of sharp scissors.
Have you ever tried selectively breeding short tailed animals from long tailed animals? It's not as difficult as you think. Fact is, it's been too easy to simply dock them, but if breeders had really had their eye on the ball they'd have done it by now.
That's just nonsense. We're talking working dogs here
Similar threads
