Tail Docking In An Adult Dog

Just imagine you are in the UK where it is illegal to dock & you’ll manage ok, we do! Otherwise rehome your dog to someone where his tail isn’t a problem & put a lot more research into your next dog.

At this age tail docking is an amputation. Would you cut off a leg? It is the same thing. Perhaps you should seperate your daughter & your dog.

I have a great dane/boxer mix with the same issues I have contacted many vets and I have been told that if it was an issue of getting rid of the dog or putting the dog to sleep because of the tail they would dock it at any age to save the dogs life.I don’t know if that helps or not but you may want to start calling around I called in Michigan and that was the response I got. As far as the other comments you recieved I would ignore when a dog has a tail like that it can be dangerous not only to the owners and especially children also the dog. The type of tail these mixes have can break glass among many other things that could end up doing worst damage to the dog.Great dane tails are normally hanging down and don’t curl up accept at the very bottom but on a mix that the tail normally is higher they become a whip due to how thin they are. If you do decide to get rid of the dog most people would give it up again or worse put to sleep because damage these tails cause. With a mix breed you may never know which tail your going to get so all your research may not have paid off.

Cropping a tail is never like an amputation and does not stop the dog from functioning in adult dogs they receive Anesthesia. As for the Uk it is still allowed under certain conditions. It is also a well know fact that breeders, dog owners, vets are for docking a dogs tail in many cases it is the difference between the dog having a good home to being put down. There can be no doubt that any experienced vet or breeder is aware of the possible damage caused by a long whip-like tail-wagging or by gundogs working through thick cover. In such cases, the tail tip becomes chronically inflamed and bruised. Conservative treatment may provide temporary relief but amputation is the only practical cure and this is a much larger operation in the adult dog. Docking is carried out in the UK on new born (neonatal) pups of certain
Breeds, such as spaniels, poodles and terriers. These pups are docked ostensibly to
Prevent injury to the tail in later, usually adult, life, or to improve hygiene by
Preventing fecal fouling with subsequent risk of infection or fly-strike. As far as researching a mixed breed you may not know if the tail is going to get bushy or stay thin until the dog is older. If the dog would have ended up with the lab tail it would have been thicker and bushier, Great dane tails are very long and thin like a whip at the bottom. I have seen mixes like this that have left welts on children and people have sued for less. So for your dogs safety I would recommend calling around to find a vet that could help you with this issue and if necessary call out of state vets. The dogs life without a tail will still be more rewarding then if the dog has to be put down or given to a worse home because of the tail issue.

I breed Boxers, though admittedly not often now. I also used to do trials and obedience with them,and I firmly believe they would be at risk, if they were not docked. I will no longer breed them when the ban comes in, because I will not put my dogs through months and years of misery, because of a piece of biased and ill-conceived legislation. Working as I have done in the past, with vunerable breeds that aren’t docked, I was horrified at the amount and severity of tail-damage endured by many. I wish the uninformed do-gooder sentimentalists, such as one I spoke to today, who support this Law, could see the results of their labours. Better yet, they should have to help take care of the unfortunate dogs they helped cause to suffer. Animal Welfare Act? What a joke.

First, let me say that comments one and two are completely inane and totally unhelpful. Docking a tail is NOT like amputating a leg. A dog doesn’t need a tail to walk or live normally. And a suggestion to give the dog away (presumably to a better home, with people who are qualified to own a dog) is preposterous. The bonehead suggestion to do better research next time should have been prefaced by a summary of their own research into adult tail docking.

It’s clear that adult tail docking is not a trivial operation. Neither is spaying or neutering, but we all agree that such procedures are necessary in some circumstances. So, if it has gotten to the point that you need some help with your dog, and docking will provide it, then consult with your DVM and proceed as advised. We are having the tail of a 3-year old cattle dog docked because of a serious defect that is now causing her intense pain. We don’t like that she’s going to be hurt by the procedure, but then it will be done and her tail won’t bother her all day every day.

Good luck.

I have the exact same mix dog, exact same situation. Not only is this tail painfull to the dog, he has split it open so many times (its bald, no hair will grow because of the scaring), blood goes everywhere, ruining all sorts clothing, drappery, and hurts like hell to both him and us. I clean blood from the walls almost daily, because it will never heal. Our vet said that it also may become infected and cause serious problems! We are getting him docked this month, and I think both our dog and us will be much happier!!

My German Shorthaired Pointer mix is have this procedure done today. He is 9 months old and his tail has been bleeding for the last three months. It became infected last time and the vet recommended that it be docked. Sometimes, you do what you have to do to save the life of a loved pet.

I’ve got the same issue. My Boxer/Ridgeback X has a whip and she Is bothered by it. She whacks things and then continues to whack an=d I have blood sprays on the walls all over the house. It cannot be good for her. It’s constantly scabbed & opened up. I’ve been pondering the dock also.

Our dog was rescued literally hours from being put down. One comment above suggested doing better research next time. Listen, we love our dog, and thank God I didn’t take the time to do more research. She is constantly hitting her tail on eveything and cutting it. As I write this, she is very agitated because the wound is itching her severely. I am taking her to the vet AGAIN. I will definitely discuss docking. This continues to happen, and with her agony and the blood all over the walls, we all need some relief. I assure you I was one of those that always thought docking seemed very cruel and unnecessary. Maybe in some cases it is, but I am now changing the way I feel about it after experiencing this….Tom

I have to agree with most of the comments. I do believe that docking is a neccisary precaution to futher harm. It will not affect the dogs ability to do the daily activities we all enjoy seeing, and doing. My situation is a little different though, I have just adopted a Bostin Terrier, and he’s almost a year old. He was extreamly abused, and didn’t even look like a Boston when I picked him up. His tail was not docked, and I’ve been reading up on his breed, and I guess a lot of them have defective tails that go down like a normal tail for about an inch, then it literaly looks like it has been broken to one side. I though that’s what had happened, but my vet reassured me that this was normal. The problem with this breed’s tail, because it is short, and curved, he is alway hurting himself by sitting on it. I wasn’t sure about what the limits are to haveing an adut dog’s tail docked, but some vets won’t do it because it’s too advance, but a good one will. Especially when the dog, and/or owners are getting hurt from it. It’s like a bad tooth that needs to be pulled, it has to be done before it gets any worst.

I have a lab and she has split her tail open and hits evertying, spaying blood over everything, I spoke with my vet and he suggested to dock about an inch off of it and sew the end up so will stop bleeding, bad idea….its now gashed open worse then it was before instead of wrapping the skin and hair up under the end he just streched the skin to the end and stitched it up.. well he obviously wasnt thinking i will now have to take her back in to be redone and hope the gapping gash on the end of her tail doesnt get infected…if you are going to do this please take them to some one who knows what they are doing….and talk with them about how they plan to do it…what suck is in our small town we dont have much option as where to go but I will be taking her out of town now….

ARE YOU SERIOUS?! That’s like saying oh my kid is just always waving his arms around so I think i’m going to cut off his arms or hands. Why would you ever want to cut off a poor dogs tail. It’s not right. You need help and you make me sick

I woke up this morning to a blood soaked garage. My 17 year old lab/collie mix (yes, she is extremely old but in great shape other than some weak hind legs) had been chewing on her tail and it was rather raw Sunday night. We treated and dressed the wound every day. Last night she was able to remove the dressings and chewed away about 2 inces of her tail. I took her to the emergency clinic and they said they needed to amputate her tail rather than chanceing her having to have multiple surgeries by only taking part of the tail. I never really contemplated the docking/not docking until now. If you have a working dog, sure, absolutely dock the tail. Even if you don’t have a working dog, but a dog with a big tail, I recommend docking rather than having to go through what I went through this morning. Fortunately the doctor said the infection was likely caused by nerve damage and that she couldn’t feel most of her tail where she had chewed. Another reason to do this at a young age is because this kind of surgery is dangerous at her age and if left untreated, it would have led to a blood/bone infection. Poor ole girl. She just got out of surgery and is doing great!

Thanks to reading this, I will no longer negatively judge the people who’ve had their dog’s tails docked.

I’ve met a few dogs equipped with the “destruct-o-tail” and tho’ it doesn’t bother me that much I can imagine it could hurt a toddler’s face quite a bit.

I’ve also heard of dogs and cats that had phantom itches and other weird things that made them chew their tails to the point of self-injury. And breaking open the skin of your tail has got to hurt! In some cases it seems research of breeds would be helpful; clearing the coffee table etc. would help; but when the dog hits the wall and splits open his/her tail just from enthusiastic wagging, it might be time for docking.

I have a 3 months old Weimaraner. Her tail was just docked yesterday 9/01/08. When I picked her up it was like nothing happened to her, she was happy and cheerful as she’s been and she still is. Is been 24 hours since her procedure and I dont think she even misses her tail, for that matter she shows absolutely no pain. I dont know if it was because the procedure was done at a young age of 3 months, but everywhere I read it states that it should be done at 3-5 days old.

Go head and do it, it would hurt your dog more if you put him/her up for adoption or find her a new home.

Hello I live in Newfoundland and it is currently not banned in Canada. I have a Boxer/Lab and he is 4 years old. As soon as I told my Vet we have a baby on the way she said we should have his tail done. We are getting the surgery tomorrow. It would be worth it for you. Not only good for the dog but good for the family.

My boxer that I rescued at 5 weeks from a horrible breeder couldn’t have her tail docked until she was well from the terrible conditions she lived in. We had it done at about 4 months old. She did quit well after. She did try and pick out her stitches but with a little bit of help from us she recovered and I don’t regret it one bit.

My neighbor just rescued a puppy and it’s tail has been broken and healed. The puppy cannot feel the tip and my neighbors want to put a rubber band on it. I know that this was done in the past, does anyone know anything about this process? thanx

My neighbor just rescued a puppy and it’s tail has been broken and healed. The puppy has no feeling in the tip. They want to put a rubber band on it till it falls off. I know this was a practice in the past. Does anyone know anything about this process?

DO NOT let them do this, it could cause serious problems for the dog if it does anything besides get infected and cost them a ton in vet bills!!!!

Banding of the tails as a way of docking should only be done during the 3-5 day old suggested docking period. It is used for castrating livestock as well, and is a clean safe way to dock a puppies tail. HOWEVER, I would never use banding in an adult dog. especially by someone with no clue about banding in the first place! I recently got a 7 year old Old English Sheepdog, she still has her tail, being born and raised in germany, and am also worried about her overly happy whip of a tail. Talk to your vet, and make sure this is a vet you feel comfortable with, and one that is confident in the surgery!

This is for the self rightous jerk who thinks he/she is the end all to dog ownership! How about you just imagine you were a human male and your forskin was removed without anesthesia when you were a newborn infant. We treat out animals better than that.
I’m having my adult dog’s tail docked because I’m sick and tired of her chasing it. And she is sick and tired of biting it so hard she yelps.
I feel it will be better for her, just like removing the tonsils of a child after suffered repeat problems. It’s the right thing to do for your dog.

I have a great dane mix and her tail split open from whacking the concrete in the animal shelter we adopted her from. We have tried for the past 3 months to heal it, keeping it bandaged, etc. My vet even suggested amputating it but I declined at first because of the pain it would cause my dog. A few days ago, on Christmas Eve as I was leaving, she whacked it and it looked like a murder scene there was so much blood everywhere! It causes the dog more pain to repeatedly open up the cut on the tail and whack it, then it will for her to get it amputated to a shorter length so that it wont hit anything. I feel bad because my dog cries when we bandage it and when it hits a door, cabinet or person. A good vet will advise you to get the amputation and the proper after care so your dog will no longer live in pain. It hurts the dog just as much as the children/adults when it hits them.

We just adopted a pug/english bulldog mix and are thinking about having her tail docked. It is dry and cracked and she whines when we touch it or get anywhere near it she even got angry at one point. I know most pugs have thier tails but english bullgogs do not. Ant thoughts on having it done?

I have a Great Dane/Boxer, and when reading some of these comments, I swear your talking about my Zues. He just turned a year old and I wake up every morning to a murder scene. He sleeps in a kennel, and the second he hears footsteps in the hall, he’s wagging that tail in the kennel hitting each wall and busting open the scab that just healed over night. It’s the same thing EVERY DAY, and bandages will work while he’s inside under our supervision, but then when we put him outside, it’s gone! I know he’s in pain, and I feel so bad cause there is nothing we can do, so I’m looking at docking research now, which lead me to this page. I’m really hoping that all of your stories turned out for the best of the dog, because I just don’t want to take away his pride and joy, even though it bruises my grandmother’s legs. It’s such a difficult decision. Asking for Help in GA . . .

Davina Walshe,

It is not illegal to crop a dogs tail in the UK. It is illegal to do it yourself, but not illegal for a Vet to perform.

My 7 year old pit (Baby) is in having surgergy to amputate her tail right now. She has had 3 painfull weeks of bandages and “casts” to protect a case of “happy tail”. She hit it so hard that it was bleeding everywhere and would not heal. She has even has a professional cast put on by the vet. Unfortunately, this morning she ripped off the cast and chewed through her tail exposing the bone. We immediately took her to the vet and they said we had no choice but to amputate (unless we chose to let it fester and rot). Under the right cicumstances, docking a tail is a lifesaving device.

I am also guilty about judging those who had their dog’s tails docked. Not anymore. Our lab mix with a killer tail had two inches removed off of her tail about three weeks ago. Unfortunately even with the e-collar on she managed to get to her tail. She tore off the bandages and chewed off her tail until we could see bone. She’s asleep at my feet right now after having her surgery today. That is a scene I will never forget. We became awful affectionate with Mr Clean Magic Erasers. Maybe now we can all have our life back. She can have some peace and enjoy playing without pain and we can begin to go out of the house at the same time again (we have been arranging our schedules so someone is home with her at all times.) To those of you who think we are terrible people remember that you don’t know how it is until you walk a mile in our dogs paws. WOOF!

I just had this same thing happen with my boxer mix. He had a full tail, but ended up pulling off the last inch, he needed surgery, they took out an additional bone in the tail to have skin to close the injury. Needless to say, the dog pulled out his stitches through his oversized e-collar. Actually the dog did this two times. After the second time, the vet decided to dock his tail so it could properly heal. Still in recovery, day two!

I have the same problem with our foster dog. We saved him from being euthanized, but he has bit off close to an inch of his tail off. He does it when we are not around and because he wags his tail all the time, the wound keeps opening and blood splashing all over the house. We are planning on getting his tail docked since it is the only way we are able to keep our sanity any longer.

Hi I got my 3 month old heelers tail docked almost a week ago and it has been a nightmare!! She has torn open the stitches and has been back to the vet twice since the surgery. She keeps trying to drag her butt on the ground. I have put puppy diapers on her and even childrens pull ups but she manages to escape those and drag her butt all over. If I could do it over I again I would NEVER have docked her tail at that age. My other heeler had her tail docked at 2 days old and she did great. If anyone has some advice about how I can prevent her from dragging her butt or what to use to cover her I would greatly appreciate the advice. Please email me at setsygurly@gmail.com. Thanks Oh if you have something rude or nasty to say to me please DON’T email me thanks again.

We have an almost 2 year old male lab who for about the past 6 months has been splitting the end of is tail constantly. He has always been a hard wagger, but it has gotten to the point of looking like a murder scene daily. We have gone through so many bandages, splints, bitter apple spray, none of it works for long. The apple spray on top of bandages works only for a short period. My husband DOES NOT want to dock any of it, but it is looking more like we may have no choice, I have gone through so much, clorox clean-up wipes and now I have discovered magic erasers work well, but really I have other things to do, I can not become a professional blood cleaner. The tip of tail I am afraid is going to have to go!!!!!

My brother’s lab had ‘accidents’ also with his tail (blood all over the kitchen walls). The question I have, is that if certain breeds have more problems with injuries (like the lab) why does the AKC not include them in the ‘docked breeds’?Why? I suppose ‘looks’ rather than ‘practicality’ has driven their standards. Same with dewclaw removal… One breed I have had them removed…another breed I have has not (not in the standard), but had injured his on a number of occasions, but this was easily remedied by keeping that nail short.
Still, a tail has a function…balance, warmth (why does a dog sleep in a ball?), eases defecation, a source of communication (to other canines).
Sad to hear about all these tail injuries and the pain and suffering all of you owners (and your sweet canine companions) are going through. But I don’t believe any are a case for docking newborns. Yes, the procedure is more difficult at a later date, but not all dogs (or owners) have problems with ‘natural’ tails.

It was explained by the vet who did the first surgery that it’s harder to get the tail to heal from the “splitting open” or “happy tail” than to get the tail to heal after tail amputation. Having never been in this situation we were ready to and tried everything. We even got Manuka Honey which is great for healing BUT it didn’t work for us in this situation. We also tried bitter apple on the bandages, etc but to no avail. Bridget is two months post op and we haven’t had any problems even with her “missing” her tail. I guess perhaps it bothered her so much that having it gone is easier to live with. Even if we’d had her as a newborn I don’t know that I’d even considered tail docking but when it’s a medical necessity I’m all for it.

to candie #25: you mentioned that bulldogs never had their tails docked..i just wanted to mention that i have a bulldog and his tail is docked and was that way when we bought him. i’m not sure where you live but here in the US that’s the norm for this breed and is done because of the laundry list of problems listed on this board. just didn’t want you were going to be something harmful to your dog

I have a Great Dane, she is about a year and a half. She has a whip for a tail and I do not mind it, it is part of a Dane. But, she to has “happy tail” and whacks it every day all day on everything, and it is bleeding on everything and my husband and I have to dip it in perioxide and cleanser daily to keep it from getting infected, we took her to the vet today and they suggested docking it a few inches. I really am not sure what to do, If it is better or to dock it a few inches or all together or not at all. Only doing it a few inches I think will still allow her to open it up whacking it on things. Is this a puppy thing that she might out grow? Docking it all together, maybe I am not sure. Any suggestions? Any pictures of totally docked or partially a few inches? Please email to me personally at tiffandkids@comcast.net. Thank you

We hate to do it but our yellow Lab mix is having his tail amputated next week. I would never consider docking a dog’s tail or cropping ears for looks, but his long, thick whip-like tail has already blinded one of our dogs in one of her eyes, and now has damaged the cornea of one of our other dogs.
She just had eye surgery today to help it heal, but we don’t want to risk it happening again. And I have no doubt that it will if we don’t do something. Our Lab is a very happy dog with a very strong tail. We’ve also had the “crime scene” thing happen here with blood all over the walls from him hitting his tail too hard, but it didn’t happen enough to consider amputation. Now, though, it’s his tail or their eyes. The vet said there is a small risk of a fibroma growing on the end of the tail which would cause a dog to have phantom pains, so he leaves enough incase that happens and he has to cut more. He said he’d take about half the tail off. To the person who commented it would be better to “rehome” him. I adore him and wouldn’t consider that. And as to researching the dog before we got him…he was a stray.

I think it is alright to dock a tail when necessary. I have a vizla/lab mix and his tail is vicious. We have a 3 year old daughter and he has given her a black eye and given us numerous brusies on our legs just becuase he was excited and wanting to play. We got his tail docked last week and he was fine the next day. I think he also likes it shorter just for the fact that it doesn’t hit everything like it used to.

I agree with Jermae. Bridget seems a lot happier with the shorter tail because she’s no longer in pain and hitting it on things that would cause her pain. She has changed SO much and is back to her usual happy go lucky goofy self.

I have a Boxer/Mastiff that chews his tail when I’m away. He then wags its and spatters blood all over my house. He is 1.5 years old and I am DEFINITELY having his tail docked. I adopted him as an older dog, thus it wasn’t done as a pup. The first couple of comments are utterly ridiculous. Whoever suggested separating the daughter and dog is a complete moron. It will cost a bit more to dock the tail of an older dog, but I have consulted 3 different vets about my dog. All of them have endured me that docking the tail is the only solution. 2 even said that it would be safer for the dog because dogs with large whip-like tails tend to eventually break or otherwise injure them causing severe pain. Good luck.

Had 3 inches of my 10 year old terrier/poodle rescue dogs tail amputated one week ago due to constant bleeding issues from “happy dog syndrome”. The dog is still in a lot of pain and refuses to walk. How long does it take for the tail to heal and the dog to be comfortable enough that we can remove the cone off his head?

OMG, Amputation sounds awful but after a week + of cleanig walls, cabinets, clothes…changing bnadages & keeping my poor lab sescluded so he doesn’t make the whole house look like a murder scene I am seriously consdireing docking. I am going to call the vet & get more research done. It seems like the happy helicopter tail will never stop hitting everything it comes close to.

The key to recovery was when our vet realized the dog needed special medication normally given to humans after amputations to stop the nerve endings from hurting. After this he left his nail alone and it healed.

Comment #2…If my dog EVER gave my child a black eye it would be a serious problem, the dog would be gone, plain and simple. Yes I love my dog, but my CHILD is number one, always, no matter what. A dog is a canine and the daughter is a human, there is a difference.

I have a pit bull/boxer mix. She has the happy tail problem too. My issue isn’t with the tail whipping my legs because I know she can’t help it, but I hate to see her break open the skin on the tip of it and start bleeding. She is 18 months old and my vet suggested we go ahead and dock her tail. I’m still not sure I want to do this but I hate to think she will have progressively more injuries and issues with her tail. She is a wonderful dog and extremely loving and playful. It hurts me every time she hurts, so I know I need to do something for her.

If I had a child maybe I would feel different but it’s not like the dog punched the child in the eye. It was an accident. Those kinds of things happen with animals and kids. Not fair to punish the dog either by sending him away. My thought is….get a cat.

We had our 6-year old lab/hound mix’s tail docked yesterday and so far, so good. We adopted her from the Humane Society when she was 8 months old. The first winter we had her, she cut open her tail and has continued to do so mostly in the winter with dry winter air. Until recently, it healed itself, but has now become inflamed, infected and painful for her. The bloody walls discussed in the other entries are very familiar for us. We went ahead with the surgery and she is FINE! We will all be better off now. This is not a functional part of the dog, so don’t worry…you’re sparing the dog a lot of pain in the long run. My only regret: why didn’t we do this 5 years ago!

My adult boxer has the dreadful “whip tail” and has caused several injuries to himself and to our family members! Its so bad that I have to put a band aide over the tip of his tail in order to stop the bleeding! We desperately want to have his tail amputated, but we live in Nebraska and all the vets I have contacted are not willing to amputate his tail because it is not considered “injured”. What does the constant spiltting open, scabbing over, then splitting open again count as??? Anyways… Which states will amputate?? We are willing to travel!!!! Also roughly how much will this cost us! At this point we are willing to pay anything but just wondering!!! Thanks!