Docking (dog)

Docking is the removal of portions of an animal's tail. While docking and bobbing are more commonly used to refer to removal of the tail, the term cropping is used in reference to the ears. Tail docking occurs in one of two ways. The first involves constricting the blood supply to the tail with a rubber ligature for a few days until the tail falls off. The second involves the severance of the tail with surgical scissors or a scalpel. The length to which tails are docked varies by breed, and is often specified in the breed standard.

At least 170 dog breeds have naturally occurring bob tail lines. These appear similar to docked dogs but are a distinct naturally occurring phenotype.

Historically, tail docking was thought to prevent rabies, strengthen the back, increase the animal's speed, and prevent injuries when ratting, fighting, and baiting. In early Georgian times in the United Kingdom a tax was levied upon working dogs with tails, so many types of dog were docked to avoid this tax. The tax was repealed in 1796 but that did not stop the practice from persisting.

Tail docking is done in modern times either for prophylactic, therapeutic, or cosmetic purposes. For dogs that work in the field, such as some hunting dogs and herding dogs, tails can collect burrs and foxtails, causing pain and infection and, due to the tail's wagging, may be subject to abrasion or other injury while moving through dense brush or thickets.

Docking of puppies younger than 10 to 14 days old is routinely carried out by both breeders and veterinarians without anesthesia. Opponents of these procedures state that most tail dockings are done for aesthetic reasons rather than health concerns and are unnecessarily painful for the dog. They point out that even non-working show or pet dogs are routinely docked. As a result, tail defects that docking proponents claim makes docking necessary in the first place are perpetuated in the breeds. They point to the many breeds of working dogs with long tails that are not traditionally docked, including English Pointers, Setters, Herding dogs, and Foxhounds.

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