CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => General Cocker Spaniel Discussion => Topic started by: henaly on September 23, 2006, 08:42:00 PM
-
a friend of mine took her puppies to be docked today and the vet said that the ban starts on 19th oct this year, i thought it has been put off but he says no they have been told that is it.
-
the vets up here in sutherland are mostly all antidocking even with working dogs and vets who will dock dont want customers turning up just to get tails docked.( if they arent already with the practice)
Its going to mean more long tailed working (not pet) spaniels. Only time will tell how it will work out.
-
Jean - don't working cockers only have the end bit docked anyway? Do you think it will make that much difference? :-\ (Not being funny. Just genuinely wondering. :blink: )
-
Its going to mean more long tailed working (not pet) spaniels. Only time will tell how it will work out.
:-\ I'm really concerned about this. I have seen an undocked springers tail completely skinned on a shoot after flushing through brambles and Blackthorn :'( :'(
-
I have seen an undocked springers tail completely skinned on a shoot after flushing through brambles and Blackthorn :'( :'(
Ouch! :o Perhaps that answers my question then.
-
True working dogs can still be docked under the new law - although I think there are some debates raging at Whitehall about how a working dog is defined - especially in light of the increase in working strain spaniels in pet homes ;)
-
I don't agree with docking....
but
if a tail is causing problems for any dog then of course it needs to be docked
but
not every working dog needs to have it done 'as a matter of course' because of what their 'job' entails
many working dogs - though not enough imo - have undocked tails, and many other gundog breeds don't have/need docked tails
So may dogs are docked and they needn't be >:(
and i for one am pleased at the ban ( exceptions only on vets' advice )
-
yes they just get the last 3rd off a lot of folk think my dogs have whole tails. even tho peppers tail gets really puffy after a hard day out and Im just dreading the day it starts to bleed as when they wag it non stop the blood just sprays everywhere. so far shes been ok fingers crossed. my gamekeeper pal has two undocked springers both who may have to have there tails amputated as they are a mess a lot of the time. It looks shocking. spaniels seen to be harder on their tails than other breeds. I dont think non working dogs should be docked however just for the look of it.
another thing my dogs do is rip their tongues when out. blood everywhere. it will just be a small cut but the blood!
and peppers eyes are always getting irritated with the heather. steroid drops sort that.
-
also just wanted to add true working dogs still have to be docked by a willing vet... up here they are getting scarce.
-
Jean - don't working cockers only have the end bit docked anyway? Do you think it will make that much difference? :-\ (Not being funny. Just genuinely wondering. :blink: )
spoke to my working cocker breeder yesterday - they still intend to long dock (top 3rd of tail). the procedure they have been advised is as follows:
the docking will have to be done by the vet and the pups will have to be microchipped at the same time and registered to the breeder - this is as a measure to ensure the docking is carried out as per regulations. new owners will obviously need to change the chip so it registers to them
the reason they want to dock is that they had a spaniel with a very bad dock who's tail was constantly injured at shoots and ended up having to have her surgically docked at 2 years old which proved really problematic. i don't condone the docking as i think this is a rare situation but i can see why they want to continue docking as they intend their litters to work.
-
also just wanted to add true working dogs still have to be docked by a willing vet... up here they are getting scarce.
as long as they're chipped down here at the same time they'll dock
-
the docking will have to be done by the vet and the pups will have to be microchipped at the same time and registered to the breeder
Can they be micro chipped that young then? Our pups were supposed to be chipped at 7 weeks but the vet refused to do it. :-\
-
the procedure they have been advised is as follows:
the docking will have to be done by the vet and the pups will have to be microchipped at the same time and registered to the breeder - this is as a measure to ensure the docking is carried out as per regulations. new owners will obviously need to change the chip so it registers to them
Will breeders of working dogs have to register their intention to breed workers in some way, so allowing vets to dock, or will it be on an ad-hoc basis?
-
the docking will have to be done by the vet and the pups will have to be microchipped at the same time and registered to the breeder
Can they be micro chipped that young then? Our pups were supposed to be chipped at 7 weeks but the vet refused to do it. :-\
by the looks of it yes...i'm assuming if dogs can be surgically docked by a vet at an early age they can micro-chip too (rhona i'm guessing at this - pups are usually docked within the first day - 3 days of life. if the regulations say they must be chipped i don't know if they will be done then or at 7 weeks. I can't imagine they will be expected to be taken back for a chip unless it's with 1st vacc??? dunno really....)
-
.
a friend of mine took her puppies to be docked today and the vet said that the ban starts on 19th oct this year, i thought it has been put off but he says no they have been told that is it.
The Animal Welfare bill is not law yet - it's still sitting in the Lords so knowing how slowly these things progress, there is unlikely to be a ban on docking in England at least before next year. Not sure how far the proposed legislation has got in Scotland but pretty certain it's not law there yet either.
-
I think its just our vets personal choice and some vets will still dock but not unless you are registered with them. Up here that means a vet who could be 80- 90 miles away not practical really. the last litter of strathfleet cockers havent been docked and at least half are going to trialling homes all over the country so it hasnt stopped people wanting them. also when pups are of docking age you dont always know which ones will be going to working homes so how do you know which ones to dock.?
the local msp up here is a keen shooter and I think he is going to be fighting it. we will have to wait and see.
Its a wonder they havent tried to get us to stop docking lambs tails.
-
the docking will have to be done by the vet and the pups will have to be microchipped at the same time and registered to the breeder
Can they be micro chipped that young then? Our pups were supposed to be chipped at 7 weeks but the vet refused to do it. :-\
Buddy was chipped at 7 weeks.
-
Its a wonder they havent tried to get us to stop docking lambs tails.
There are current campaigns by animal rights organisations to stop this, too :-\
-
the procedure they have been advised is as follows:
the docking will have to be done by the vet and the pups will have to be microchipped at the same time and registered to the breeder - this is as a measure to ensure the docking is carried out as per regulations. new owners will obviously need to change the chip so it registers to them
Will breeders of working dogs have to register their intention to breed workers in some way, so allowing vets to dock, or will it be on an ad-hoc basis?
i'm not sure rachel - from what i was told it would seem registering a working litter will be done in tandem with KC registration and the vet will have to take on some responsibility for the docking, hence the microchip associating the working registration to the breeder.
it's apparently a lot of paperwork (and confusion!) which is deterring a lot of working cocker breeders and vets from docking (and i personally prefer un-docked so i'm just passing on the info here.....)
it will be a lot more problematic to dock part of a litter and not all so my assumption is that it will be easier not to dock at all
-
by the looks of it yes...i'm assuming if dogs can be surgically docked by a vet at an early age they can micro-chip too (rhona i'm guessing at this - pups are usually docked within the first day - 3 days of life. if the regulations say they must be chipped i don't know if they will be done then or at 7 weeks. I can't imagine they will be expected to be taken back for a chip unless it's with 1st vacc??? dunno really....)
I was pondering chipping under anaesthetic then but they don't use one for docking do they? I think the vet said they were too small at 7 weeks, or the needle was too big. :-\ Don't know really and it's a bit off topic any way. Sorry. :embarassed:
yes they just get the last 3rd off a lot of folk think my dogs have whole tails. even tho peppers tail gets really puffy after a hard day out and Im just dreading the day it starts to bleed as when they wag it non stop the blood just sprays everywhere. so far shes been ok fingers crossed. my gamekeeper pal has two undocked springers both who may have to have there tails amputated as they are a mess a lot of the time. It looks shocking. spaniels seen to be harder on their tails than other breeds. I dont think non working dogs should be docked however just for the look of it.
another thing my dogs do is rip their tongues when out. blood everywhere. it will just be a small cut but the blood!
and peppers eyes are always getting irritated with the heather. steroid drops sort that.
Well that is enough to put me off trying mine at working. :o I'd never even thought about them damaging their tongues.
-
I think It depends what kind of ground the dogs are running through up here its heather bracken brambles and whins ( gorse) thick whins. if its parkland they will be fine.
-
I think It depends what kind of ground the dogs are running through up here its heather bracken brambles and whins ( gorse) thick whins. if its parkland they will be fine.
and you can't stop a working cocker when it's doin' what it's bred to do - they will keep on keeping on no matter what happens ;) and loving it!
it's only at the end of the day when they stop that you see what they've done to themselves.....
-
helen you are so right ! my dogs, well pepper mostly, are always injuring themselves ,she once ran for 5 miles with a stab injury and she was so mud covered we couldnt see it until we were almost home. she didnt even slow down. she had packed leaves mud and all sorts of muck into the hole she had poked into herself.. ( forestry) we knew she had done it at least 5 miles back by the stuff the vet pulled out of the pocket shes made under her skin. ie pine stuff... she still doesnt slow down at 8 and a half.
-
we were talking about this with barkley's breeders when we took him back for a visit recently as his tail is a fair bit shorter than his mum's or the pup that the family have kept. we think he ended up losing about half of it if most of the pics of workers with 2/3 of their tail on here are anything to go by. personally i'd love him to have a full tail but the breeders had personally seen what injuries can occur to undocked working dogs in the field. as both parents work they assumed that some, if not all, of the pups would also do so and didn't want to risk the same injuries happening to them. i hate to think that the process caused my pup pain, and there are times when he's trying to get to the end of his tail and i feel sorry for him that he can't, but ultimately i think they made the right decision for this particular litter.
persumably it would be rather harder on a dog to wait and see what type of work it is likely to do before you dock it? i'd always assumed that they are more aware of things as they grow up and would find the experience more stressful, but i'm completely prepared to be proven wrong as i have no experience of new born pups...
-
i can't say about the pain threshold of docking - i have read many conflicting reports...i really don't know :-\
i do know that tail injuries in adult dogs can be really awful, and it is difficult for a tail to mend so often tails need to be docked surgically regardless.
i can't say about the frequency of this and i know a lot of working dog breeds that aren't docked and don't have problems. i really really can't say yes or no to docking....
i'm hoisting myself up onto a very high fence that i shall sit on.......
-
i'm hoisting myself up onto a very high fence that i shall sit on.......
I'm up here with you Helen........... ph34r
-
and you can't stop a working cocker when it's doin' what it's bred to do - they will keep on keeping on no matter what happens ;) and loving it!
Oh I know they would love it just by watching them 'on the scent' of something in the woods or chasing the pigeons in the field. But from a woosie owner's point of view, I wouldn't want them to get hurt. :'( And they are undocked.
Personally, for pet dogs I am against docking. But as I have no experience of working dogs, I'll reserve judgement and join you on your fence. :D
-
that fence seems like a pretty good place to be! :)
i was always completely against docking until we decided to get a working cocker and had the pros and cons from their point of view explained to us. now i don't have a clue. ph34r i'm just very glad that i'm not a breeder and don't have to make the decision myself!
-
and you can't stop a working cocker when it's doin' what it's bred to do - they will keep on keeping on no matter what happens ;) and loving it!
Oh I know they would love it just by watching them 'on the scent' of something in the woods or chasing the pigeons in the field. But from a woosie owner's point of view, I wouldn't want them to get hurt. :'( And they are undocked.
I think they are just as likely to get injured in this way as if they were doing the same thing as a working dog.....aren't they?
Molo has had scratches, thorns, seeds etc - and he's show strain; fortunately, he has never been seriously injured, but I know its a possibility - and unless I prevent him doing what comes naturally, or restrict his walking to manicured parks, then it's one of the risks of being a dog owner of this kind of breed :huh:
-
and you can't stop a working cocker when it's doin' what it's bred to do - they will keep on keeping on no matter what happens ;) and loving it!
Oh I know they would love it just by watching them 'on the scent' of something in the woods or chasing the pigeons in the field. But from a woosie owner's point of view, I wouldn't want them to get hurt. :'( And they are undocked.
I think they are just as likely to get injured in this way as if they were doing the same thing as a working dog.....aren't they?
No I don't think so. They chase birds across an open field and the woods we walk in are not dense. They are certainly not going through the sort of countryside that Jean was describing. The biggest danger on my walks is from the stinging nettles. :D
-
all i can tell you about docking in my experience is the litter that was done yesterday screamed, every puppy not just yelped but sreamed with each dock, they did not settle all day and 2 of them ended up back at the vet as the bled too much s were dressed and given pain killers. :'(
i have seen some of the damage that can be done in some working dogs and i understand y some genuinly worked breeds need it done but as for cosmetics this is not acceptable.
-
My experince of watching Penny's litter being docked and having dewclaws removed is very different. After a quick cry they were all back suckling off Penny and that was it, reminded me of taking my own babies for their immunisations at 4 mths old.
-
Sorry, maybe I am being ridiculously dense here, but why is only the top thrid of a working cockers tail docked?? Surely the whole tail has as much chance of getting injured??
Apologies if this has already been answered - had a quick read through but could not find an explanation....
FWIW - Dill's breeder said the litter all cried when docked (except for Dill whom we asked to be kept undocked :blink:) and she made a decision there and then not to dock any of her future litters :D
I would be on the high fence with Helen, Rachel and others if a workers tail was fully docked, but as it is I don't understand only taken a third and leaving the rest open to sustain a possible injury....
-
This is slightly off topic (again ph34r) but I wondered if anyone could explain to me why a working cocker has a long dock and a show cocker has a short one. :-\
It has always puzzled me as logically it would make more sense for it to be the other way round. :-\
Edited to say: Posted the same time as Petra. I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't understand. ;)
-
Coco is fully docked - I first saw her at 2 weeks and as it had already been done when she was a couple of days old, it was too late. Given the choice I would have kept her tail as she is not destined to be a working dog. I am not pro or anti docking really and can quite understand the practical reasons for docking in working dogs. However, as I have learned more since having Coco, I would not choose to have a pet dog docked. :-\
I am also curious about the logic of partial docking in working dogs - obviously there is less tail to wave about but even Coco's little stump can wag madly so a partial tail would surely be vulnerable to the same risk of injury as a full one :huh:
-
Hope not to offend but I am all in favour of pet dogs not being docked. Blue is un docked and obviously I wouldnt have him any other way.
I confess to knowing nothing at all about working cockers however, we had a labrador in our family who was a gun dog and of course he was un-cocked - what is the difference ?
I hope not to get a back lash for this - I simply dont understand ;)
-
we had a labrador in our family who was a gun dog and of course he was un-cocked - what is the difference ?
I think that is something completely different! :005: :005:
-
Hence the reason, Joules, why I confessed to not knowing anything about working cockers and asked a question that I honestly didnt know the answer to !
You may think I am being dumb - I am just being honest & curious
-
Joules was referring to the fact that you said your lab was un-cocked rather than un-docked ;) :lol: :lol:
-
Joules was referring to the fact that you said your lab was un-cocked rather than un-docked ;) :lol: :lol:
:lol:
-
just though i'd add my experience
Zak is a working cocker and was undocked when we bought him. Although we don't work him his natural instincts are very strong and he loves nothing more than to flush pheasants, chase rabbits etc through any sort of undergrowth.
When he was about two he started to damage the end of his tail quite badly.It really is awful to see your boy with a bleeding tail. He obviously didn't notice the pain until afterwards.
After several visits to the vets we were told that he would have to have part of his tail amputated. It was a very traumatic time for Zak and for us. He was on lead walks for a long time to let the amputation site heal properly and the hair to grow back.His tail is now just a bit shorter than a working dock
Thankfully he made a full recovery and 3 years later he chases to his hearts content and has never had any more damage :blink:
Strider is also a working cocker. He has a working dock, goes in exactly the same undergrowth as Zak, in fact probably even thicker stuff and has never had any tail damage.
sue,zak and strider
-
Sorry, maybe I am being ridiculously dense here, but why is only the top thrid of a working cockers tail docked?? Surely the whole tail has as much chance of getting injured??
Not so. The vertebrae at the end of a dogs tail are much smaller and weaker than at the body end. The end of a tail is much more likely to be damaged by getting caught. Workers tails are only docked to avoid damage not for fashion. A dog needs it's tail for balance, for communication and for swishing flies away. Hence there is no need to completely dock a workers tail. Having said that the length of dock of a workers tail does seem to vary between different parts of the country. Fern has a fairly short dock, as had all our springers.
I wondered if anyone could explain to me why a working cocker has a long dock and a show cocker has a short one. :-\
It has always puzzled me as logically it would make more sense for it to be the other way round. :-\
The former as above, the latter I suspect pure fashion and Kennel club standards (although I stand to be corrected on this as I have never been involved in showing apart from when I was very young.)
I confess to knowing nothing at all about working cockers however, we had a labrador in our family who was a gun dog and of course he was un-cocked - what is the difference ?
I hope not to get a back lash for this - I simply dont understand ;)
I presume you mean un docked :005: A labradors tail is not docked for two main reasons. 1. In the main labradors are used for retrieving shot game in the open, or in light undergrowth. They are generally not used for flushing out game or for retrieving from thick undergrowth, unlike cockers and springers who have a natural instinct for this and were indeed bred for it. 2. A labradors coat is smooth and less likely to sustain damage by being caught on brambles if it was used for flushing. It is also generally much thicker and stronger. The feathers on a cocker or springers tail mean it is far more vulnerable to being caught and torn. The working speed of spaniels is also generally much faster. If you think of the way they twist and turn when the nose flaps are open and transfer that movement into a thicket of blackthorn, brambles, and possibly barbed wire you can see how easily damage could occur to an undocked spaniel tail. working cockers have been selectively bred for, amongst other things, a smoother coat for this very reason.
-
This is slightly off topic (again ph34r) but I wondered if anyone could explain to me why a working cocker has a long dock and a show cocker has a short one. :-\
Whilst some Cockers (show type) are docked way too short, not all are but they look a lot shorter because all the hair is trimmed off. I see a lot of Working Cockers and Springers where we live and it's noticeable that their length of dock varies quite a bit but they always look longer due to the fact that there is often 2-3 inches or more of hair hanging off the end :D One of our show dogs has a longish dock and if I left his tail untrimmed, he would look like most of the working-type Spaniels round here ;) I also think that since it become unlawful for breeders to dock their own puppies, you see many more cases of Cockers being docked too short as not all vets are experienced in appropriate tail lengths for particular breeds ;) Interestingly, I was looking in one of my old books the other day and there are photos of old Field Trial Champions like Rivington Simon and they did not have long docks so maybe this is something which has changed over time.
-
Happydog - that explains it perfectly, so thank you!!!
I naively thought that show cockers were also docked in case they hurt their tails during 'working', but of course, the reason they are docked is for fashion only...
I agree a dog needs it's tail for balance, direction etc, so the reason for only taking the tip off is now clear to me - Thanks!! :blink:
So, will get off the tall fence and say that I can see the reason for docking workers, but am still totally and completely against docking show cockers for fashion!
-
Joules was referring to the fact that you said your lab was un-cocked rather than un-docked ;) :lol: :lol:
Exactly! ;)
-
I naively thought that show cockers were also docked in case they hurt their tails during 'working', but of course, the reason they are docked is for fashion only...
If only it was so black and white! Not wishing to get into the whole debate on docking again (it's been done so many times before ad nauseum!) but show-type Cockers are still capable of working and some do still. There remains a small number of Cocker show breeders who remain very enthusiastic about retaining their dogs' working abilities and in other customarily docked gundog breeds, there are even greater numbers of dual purpose breeders (those who both work and show their dogs). It remains to be seen what affect the forthcoming ban will have on those breeders who will have to effectively choose between showing and working their dogs.
-
and you can't stop a working cocker when it's doin' what it's bred to do - they will keep on keeping on no matter what happens ;) and loving it!
Oh I know they would love it just by watching them 'on the scent' of something in the woods or chasing the pigeons in the field. But from a woosie owner's point of view, I wouldn't want them to get hurt. :'( And they are undocked.
I think they are just as likely to get injured in this way as if they were doing the same thing as a working dog.....aren't they?
Molo has had scratches, thorns, seeds etc - and he's show strain; fortunately, he has never been seriously injured, but I know its a possibility - and unless I prevent him doing what comes naturally, or restrict his walking to manicured parks, then it's one of the risks of being a dog owner of this kind of breed :huh:
working cockers when they work, work all day. not a 1 or 2 hour walk. they are on the go through all terrain and over fields, through fences, over sharp flints, in heather, brambles, gorse, stubble fields. you can tell when a working cocker is working - their body language is completely different and they will not stop if they get hurt. it's almost as if their pain threshold has been turned off.
it really is completely different to a pet gun dog on even it's most energetic walk.
as jean says they will go and go injuries or not. having been sprayed by a gashed wagging springer tail after a shoot i can understand why some breeds of working dog are docked.
on the why aren't all working dogs docked - well labs have a completely different tail, far less likely to be damaged, and they don't move half as quickly and adeptly as working cockers do.
i'm sliding off that fence a bit....
-
Unfortunately its not just tails that get hurt..
barbed wire is a bad thing. pepper once ran headlong into some and then thrashed her way out of it she cut herself around the head but luckily missed her eyes. crofters are the pits at leaving old barb lying hidden in brackens when they put up a new fence.it drives me mad!
another injury pepper had.. she scents head down, never hardly looks up, she ran full on into a stone. I thought she broke her neck. she couldnt stand kept falling over her back legs were gone.
raced her to the vets yet again ( call out on a saturday...luckily the vets a mate. ) she just had concussion but her uncle died doing the same thing he hit a dyke. died instantly.
my dogs are pets mostly but they dont know the difference between an ordinary walk and working. the instinct is so strong in them they quarter away while I walk up behind them. mind you if I lived somewhere a little less wild their hunting instincts might not be so strong. I get asked to do the weirdest things with them.. tracking deer was one and searching for lost hens was another... mr fox had them, pep found the evidence.
-
Whilst some Cockers (show type) are docked way too short,
I would have to agree with this. I have seen some show cockers with tails so short that they didn't even cover their modesty. (If you get my drift! ;) )
Whereas I still like my pets to be undocked, I can understand the reasons for docking working dogs. :-\
I would just like to say that I have found this thread very interesting, informative and thought provoking. And it has been nice to be able to discuss an emotive issue without the thread descending into an argument (to put it politely). :D
-
i agree, it has stayed very civil which is unusual so thankyou everybody for your comments and insight into this subject.
-
we are a friendly lot!!! :D
-
Whereas I still like my pets to be undocked, I can understand the reasons for docking working dogs. :-\
I would just like to say that I have found this thread very interesting, informative and thought provoking. And it has been nice to be able to discuss an emotive issue without the thread descending into an argument (to put it politely). :D
I agree, its been great that a thread about the subject has been left open for discussion, I think we have all learnt something :D I prefer all dogs to keep their tails tbh, but if I had a spaniel that worked, then I may well have a different viewpoint ;)
Interesting you mentioned about the labs tail Helen, as I always wondered that myself, now it makes sense :shades:
Good thread everyone :D
-
I feel I can add my reply now that it's not a 'heated debate'! Ben is a working type but is kept as an active pet. He was docked before I clapped eyes on him at 2 weeks. His tail is fairly long as in the worker tradition and I have to say I'm glad that his tail was shortened.
He may be a pet dog but he does the hunt in the scrub thing with enthusiasm - his tail is like a helicopter blade even in the middle of a bramble bush. If he had a full tail I'm sure he would have injuries.
Having said that - if I had a choice I would have gone for the full tail as I don't like the idea of docking in general - but can see the reasoning behind working dogs tails being docked.
Boy - am I sitting on the fence or what :D
-
I was delighted to find out that our practice hasn't docked for twenty years.
We also have a good few real working dogs on our books, and I have only ever seen one with significant tail damage - I asked the vet recently and he agreed it was rare, in his exprience.
-
paddy is undocked and i love his long very hairy tail :D
ellie is docked and i love the longish twirly bit on the end of hers :005:
so i suppose that because i know very little about docking and have one of each i have to say i don't know if i agree with docking or not.
paddy's tail makes a great coffee table duster and ellies makes a great nose tickler :luv:
-
you can tell when a working cocker is working - their body language is completely different and they will not stop if they get hurt. it's almost as if their pain threshold has been turned off.
it really is completely different to a pet gun dog on even it's most energetic walk.
So true, Bails & Milley are so different on there walks, Milley knows what she is looking for and she is determined to get it !! Bailey just like to have a sniff around :D When we got back from our walk on Sunday Milley started Limping, she had some how gashed her leg. But she didnt start limping till we got home ::)
-
i agree, it has stayed very civil which is unusual so thankyou everybody for your comments and insight into this subject.
Yes, it makes a pleasant change! I think it is how the majority of us would like it to be!! :shades:
-
Our springer Briar who we lost earlier this year, had a third dock, even so she was always ripping the end off her tail, I think once it has ripped it must become weaker. No matter what we had done we could never keep her out of the undergrowth and most of our walks are in the countryside so wouldn't stand a chance. Amber and Jade are just the same, so I personally am extremely glad that my two are docked, although not as long as Briars being show type, they are not as short as some I have seen.
I know I will probably get shot for this, but living in the countryside and knowing lots of people with springers, I am all for docking working breeds. ph34r
I can honestly say that I think lots of vets don't realise the extent of the problem as many farmers/country folk are hardy and don't bother taking the dogs to the vets for every little thing. We were given some powder first time Briar did hers and never took her to the vets after that with it, we just treated her ourselves.
-
Our springer Briar who we lost earlier this year, had a third dock, even so she was always ripping the end off her tail, I think once it has ripped it must become weaker. No matter what we had done we could never keep her out of the undergrowth and most of our walks are in the countryside so wouldn't stand a chance. Amber and Jade are just the same, so I personally am extremely glad that my two are docked, although not as long as Briars being show type, they are not as short as some I have seen.
I know I will probably get shot for this, but living in the countryside and knowing lots of people with springers, I am all for docking working breeds. ph34r
I can honestly say that I think lots of vets don't realise the extent of the problem as many farmers/country folk are hardy and don't bother taking the dogs to the vets for every little thing. We were given some powder first time Briar did hers and never took her to the vets after that with it, we just treated her ourselves.
agree annie - i don't think 1/2 the injuries to working dogs over the season are treated by the vet. Most are cared for by the owner ('hardy' is a good word for it) around here.