Docking

[anita96]

From my understanding the docking of tails will be banned and working dog will have the only exemption.  I was wondering how does this effect show cockers and will we now see show cockers atshows undocked.
Anita

[sarah25]

Hello
My dad works for the police and he found out this on wenesday,show cockers will be shown with tails so will all the other breeds but they are also going to have to change the breed standards but if people show and work there cocker they will beable to have them dockced

[*Jay*]

There are some cockers who are already being shown with a full tail - the breed standard was amended to include the full tail a while back.

[tracey]

M.P'S voted for a ban on docking on Tuesday 14 March in the House Of Commons, with the exception of certain working dogs.
The Animal Welfare Bill will now move on to the House The Lords.

If docking is banned then yes you will see all show cockers undocked eventually.

[*Jay*]

This only applies to Scotland at the moment though, doesn't it? What I can't seem to fathom out is whether I would be able to buy a docked puppy in England And if I could do that, would I be allowed to show him up here

[Dannyt]

Yet again government taking away our right to choose!!!
My local MP is one of the MP's responsible for putting the bill through....Will the exceptions include working cockers if so, then as they are classified as cocker spaniels, what would be the defining points between working and non working.
I gonna move abroad

[Cob-Web]

I gonna move abroad

I think you might be disappointed if you do - US and European laws towards dogs are far more draconian - requiring muzzling in public of many "popular", but apparently aggressive, breeds; limits on where and how many dogs can be kept as pets, and far less tolerance or compassion towards dogs amongst the general population

Gill - I think this is part of the Animal Welfare Bill that, if passed by the Lords, will be law in England and Wales by November? BBC linky I think Scotland is following a similar route with its own law also passing through the government channels for approval Scotsman linky

I suppose its inevitable; laws like this are brought in to reflect the views of wider society - and once all dogs are the same, then there should be no disadvantage in the show ring.....

[anita96]

surely if the breed standard has been amended then there shouldn't be an advantage or disadvantage.

Anita

[ali]

My mum forwarded me an article on this from one of the daily newspapers, as we have just bought a docked worker.

"The move means that 80 per cent of tail-docking will become illegal and within a couple of years dogs with shortened tails will be banned from shows. Dogs used by the police, rescue services, the Armed Forces and for pest control, as well as shooting, will escape the ban."

As someone who grew up with a spaniel complete with long swishy tail, I'm a bit sad that Barkley wont have one- especially as he keeps trying to reach it at the moment but is too small and so just goes round in circles! However I can totally see the validity for working dogs as I remember what our spaniel used to be like when his tail got caught in the undergrowth.

From other news items that I've heard, I understand that there is a big concern for the current show dogs with docked tails as they believe that in a few years time they will not be able to be entered. This seems terribly unfair if it is true.

[Luvly]

 

[tracey]

I cant see how they can stop you from showing a dog which was legaly docked at that point in time . I would have thought that they would  stop docking and graduly as dogs retired from the ring you would see far less.

Exactly Luvly
I have not seen anything that suggests that dogs docked before a ban comes into force will not be allowed to be shown.
Anyone wanting the latest news can visit the Council Of Docked Breeds website.

[Cob-Web]

surely if the breed standard has been amended then there shouldn't be an advantage or disadvantage.

True, in theory - but how many undocked dogs were seen at Crufts in the classes for traditionally docked breeds?   

[silkstocking]

surely if the breed standard has been amended then there shouldn't be an advantage or disadvantage.

True, in theory - but how many undocked dogs were seen at Crufts in the classes for traditionally docked breeds?   

I saw Cockers with full tails at Crufts granted not as many as docked but they were defo there none the less, but then I think I am right in saying the majority of people that show cockers prefer the tails docked and are against docking being banned anyway so therefore you are more likely to see less with full tails, because there just are less in the show world.

That is how its always been explained to me anyway.

[Spangle]

As I understand it a deadline will apply, so it won't affect dogs docked before that date. 

Interestingly there seems to be some talk, as read on another forum, that all dogs docked after the deadline will not be alowed to be shown at shows which charge a public entry fee, which presumably will apply also to obedience and agility etc..

[Cayley]

Interestingly there seems to be some talk, as read on another forum, that all dogs docked after the deadline will not be alowed to be shown at shows which charge a public entry fee, which presumably will apply also to obedience and agility etc..

It only counts for showing, puppies docked before the date can be shown as usual, so you will continue to see docked dogs at crufts for about 12 more years, docked dogs after the decided date can only be shown at shows that don't allow public entry on a fee.