Australian Shepherd dogs are one of only a few breeds that can boast the rare feature of a naturally bobbed tail. While not every Australian Shepherd dog is naturally tailless, about one in five Aussies are born without a tail.
Many have naturally short tails.
In addition to having a genetic predisposition for heterochromia, Aussies have a one-in-five chance of being born with a naturally bobbed tail,. Ranchers purposely bred Aussies that had these naturally short tails because they are safer when it comes to herding.
The Australian Shepherd is one dog breed of many that gets its tail docked. This involves using surgery or tightly constricting the tail to get it to about four inches total. In doing so, your Shepherd could compete in dog shows, as it meets breed standards. Their shorter tail may also be more hygienic.
As dogs assisted man in the field, herding or hunting, their tails could be a magnate for foxtails and a host of other burrs and stickers, which could cause trauma to the tail. Consequently, tail docking was implemented to avoid injury and infection. This is one of the reasons natural bobtails were valued and bred for.
When a dog's tail is docked, they can develop an infection or even a nerve tumor called a neuroma. Either of these will be painful, and could even cause the dog to become overly protective of his tail. Dogs use their tails to communicate with each other and humans to express happiness, fear, anger, and excitement.
Cosmetic tail docking is cruel to puppies, and other species, especially when done without anaesthesia. Veterinary and Animal Welfare Associations in African countries should therefore move a legislative process that could lead to a ban of the procedure.
Most Mini Aussies are born with long tails, later docked or shortened by a veterinarian. However, some breeders are now breeding Mini Aussies with natural or undocked tails. Many believe that Mini Aussies with natural tails are more athletic and agile than their docked counterparts.
So, do Aussies have tails or not? Most Australian Shepherds have their tails surgically removed at an early age. But despite popular belief, the Aussies without tails are not always docked. In fact, 1 in 5 puppies are born without a tail.
On the other hand, he says, “research shows that an intact tail is unlikely to become injured, and if it does, injuries are usually minor and heal easily.” Research shows that at least 80 percent of dogs won't get ear infections, “and the breeds that are most likely to get them, such as cocker spaniels and poodles, don ...
Any non-veterinarian who docks a dog's tail, or any veterinarian who docks for a reason other than the dog's welfare, is liable for prosecution. A maximum penalty of $14,375 applies for individuals and up to 5 times more for corporations. Dog tail docking is banned in all other Australian states and territories.
The simplest and most common method of tail docking is to apply a rubber ring (band) to the tail using an elastrator tool. Banding is a bloodless method of tail docking. The band cuts off the blood supply to the tail, and the tail falls off in 7 to 10 days. Some producers cut the “dead” tail off before it falls off.
Tail docking is painful
Docking a puppy's tail involves cutting through muscles, tendons, up to seven pairs of highly sensitive nerves and severing bone and cartilage connections. Tail docking is usually carried out without any anaesthesia or analgesia (pain relief).
Historically, tail docking was thought to prevent rabies, strengthen the back, increase the animal's speed, and prevent injuries when ratting, fighting, and baiting. Tail docking is done in modern times either for prophylactic, therapeutic, cosmetic purposes, and/or to prevent injury.
University of Victoria scientists found that docking a dog's tail (cutting it short or off entirely) can make it more aggressive, likely because a tail is an important communication tool for dogs and their behavior is negatively affected without it.
There are several breeds where puppies are born without tails. The most familiar dog breeds with docked tails include Australian Shepherd, Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog, Brittany Spaniel, Danish Swedish Farmdog, Jack Russell Terrier, Schipperke, and Pembroke Welsh Corgi.
Tail docking should be performed on newborn puppies between 2 and 5 days old. This window is not arbitrary, rather it allows the pups to get a small foothold in life while taking advantage of an underdeveloped nervous system that tolerates such an invasive procedure in stride.
Tail docking a puppy is an inexpensive procedure. Generally, it runs from $10 to $20 per animal. This procedure is paired with the dog's first check-up, which can cost up to $100. If the dog is older, the cost is greatly increased.
In most cases, tail docking is performed when puppies are between 3 and 5 days old. Local anesthesia (with or without sedation) can be used to numb the area before surgery, but the procedure is sometimes performed without it.
The genes for the shortened tail may be dominant or recessive. Because of legislation restricting or preventing docking, natural bobtails are growing in popularity among the dog fancy for some traditionally docked breeds.
The removal of their tails is one of many abuses that young sheep endure. No matter the method, tail-docking has been shown to cause pain in lambs. Removing (or "docking") lambs' tails is a painful procedure that's performed on very young animals, usually without anesthetic.
If a dog is a spaniel, terrier, or a dog commonly used for hunting, pointing, retrieving or is a crossbreed involving one of these breeds, the dog may have its tail docked in order to work in law enforcement, pest control, or lawful shooting of animals.
Tail docking is typically done when puppies are just a few days old, without anesthetics to numb the pain. It's a standard practice among breeders, who typically subject specific dog breeds to the torturous amputation.
On 1 June 2004 it became an offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 (POCTA) to dock the tail of a dog in NSW. POCTA is enforced by the NSW Police, RSPCA NSW and the Animal Welfare League (AWL) NSW.