Working Cocker Spaniel owner

[flashpanther]

Hi,

I have joined this forum primarily for guidance and help in getter my planned litter of working cocker spaniels to have their tails docked (leaving 3/4 though).
Hard one for me as I don't work her, don't own a shotgun and don't know any gamekeepers.
My apply for a shotgun license if it achieves a better wellbeing for the puppies future.

Andrew from S.c.u.n.t.h.o.r.p.e.

 

[tjwaines]

Ring round a few vets, ask if they want proof of them being working dogs, if not happy days.

 

[flashpanther]

Thanks for trying to help... but I am ringing round thank you and they are hard to come by for those that dock. Recommendations are always better.

 

[tjwaines]

My fathers last litter was done by Applegarth in Norton, North Yorks. Bit of a ride out from scunny but could be worth it?

 

[limulus]

Welcome to the site.
You come from a town that has one of only three football teams in the football leagues that has a swear word in its name......do you know the other 2?

Good luck getting your dogs docked

 

[flashpanther]

tjwaines - thanks for that. but yes a little too far away. I will keep trying and researching. hit a stumbling block it seems. btw my dog looks very much like yours in your avatar.

limulus - that would be my team Arsenal and man f****** utd ha ha

 

[JAYB]

Welcome to the site,

John

 

[Bomag]

Welcome.
BASC are supposed to have a list of vets that will dock, you probably need to be a member to get the info though.
My Cocker is docked with 3/4 left and my vet told me she hadnt been docked!!

 

[tjwaines]

We've always had ours 1/3 docked, much prefer them to have a short tail, especially the amount they wag them about on a scent!

 

[flashpanther]

Thanks for the replies everyone.


I've found a vet that will dock the tails if I provide a shotgun license or a letter from a gamekeeper/landowner from where the dogs will be worked.
But only one vet will do it there and depends if he doesn't book a holiday mid september.
I am still stuck big time.
My dog has now just been mated with a stud dog from someone who owns and works them 2.5 hrs drive from me.
But if I apply for a shotgun license I am hearing stories of the process taking months.
And I don't know any gamekeepers, landowners or anyone with a shotgun license that I can ask for help with the docking forms acceptance proof from my area (Scunny/gainsborugh).

Driving me up the wall now. I fear I may be stuck with puppies I can't dock their tails and they'll end up to owners in the city who can't provided them the exercise and freedom of the countryside they need.

But I keep spending all day trying to find a solution.

Andrew

 

[straightbetweentheeyes]

should you not have got all this sorted before you mated her?

 

[flashpanther]

I appreciate your concern and question morals. But I did not think it would be should a hard task or issue. You think you have all bases covered until it comes to actually doing it. It's hard to cover every eventuality and I've spend years contemplating and researching in to carrying out with this litter. But yes I do feel guilty and it's a burden on me at the moment.

 

[straightbetweentheeyes]

just because a dog is not going to a working home does not mean its not going to go to a good home... i had someone come and look at a litter of labs i had that wanted one to 'work'. I decided that i did not want them to have one of my pup as i felt that it would not recieve the care and attention it would require...
regards, Jez.

 

[flashpanther]

Of course it doesn't. I totally agree with you Jez. But it's the potential environment, and we digress.

 

[NickJ]

What has it come to that one has to go to these ends to get a dog's tail docked for it's own benefit: decent, law abiding people having to lie in England and 'smuggle' them over the border from Scotland. I'm off to France I think!

 

[straightbetweentheeyes]

Of course it doesn't. I totally agree with you Jez. But it's the potential environment, and we digress.

Correct , then may I ask why you brought a working gunfight breed if you do not work dogs yourself? And when did S****horpe move to Scotland? Regards, Jez

 

[straightbetweentheeyes]

That should say gun dog not gunfight, silly iPhone....

 

[flashpanther]

Jez, thank you for being condescending.

 

[flashpanther]

What has it come to that one has to go to these ends to get a dog's tail docked for it's own benefit: decent, law abiding people having to lie in England and 'smuggle' them over the border from Scotland. I'm off to France I think!

Nick... I actually agree with the law. Just in my situation I've found it terribly difficult and unfair. Especially when I travelled 3.5 hrs away for my Dam and now 2.5 hrs away for the stud dog that is costing me £370. It's clear I am breeding her not for profit but for improving the lines. Otherwise I'd have mated her locally and not bothered trying to dock the tails as no end of people would be interested.

 

[grumpyoldsod]

I know that the Council of Docked Breeds http://www.cdb.org/ used to have a list of vets that would dock that was available to members only , also a lot of information on thier site