Why do people cut the tails off certain breeds of dogs--it seems stupid and cruel to me?

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I don't know my cocker spaniel tail was cut :(...Show more

Tails were docked for many reasons back in the days when most of them were working dogs. Fighting dogs or guard breeds had their tails docked to prevent injury. Corgis were often docked (and still are) so that a cow can't step on their tail and hurt them Terrier breeds that go to ground have shortened tails so that you can pull them back out of the hole (again, a long tail would be injured but a short tail makes a handle) As most dogs are pets these days, docking is cosmetic. When done correctly it is painless for the dog (and yes, they can still wag the nub). Some people opt to do it to conform to the breed's standard look. Others don't because its unessecary....Show more

Breed Standard, simple and direct. If you don't like the way it looks, the way its done, either don't look or get involved in another breed whose standard does not require it, easy.
As far as some people's explanations here about working dogs and tight turns and handles for a would be bad guy to grab, those days of the Doberman were over with many decades a go and a dog is NOT a cat, it does not need to maneuver in tight spaces while running at 30MPH.
Comparing a Malinois to a Doberman is like comparing a corpse to an Olympic athlete today as most Malinois have enough intensity to care less or even afford an opportunity for a "bad guy" to grab that tail. Bottom line, when the pussification of society started, all the BS about ears and tails started as well and many pussified countries have banned it in accordance with PETA wishes.
I do find it EXTREMELY humorous, much like Anne, that the removal or VITAL organs from a dog such as a uterus and testicles, organs that can have HUGE impact on the dog's quality of life and health is looked upon as a fine practice...talk about being a hypocrite!! Hope I helped....Show more

If a litter is bred by a kennel that breeds dogs to the type of work the breed was originally created to do & it serves a useful functional purpose to prevent the dog from injury during the course of its work then it is justified.

In the case of my breed, the Dobermann, it could work under the direction of its handler or on its own initiative as a personal protection dog with an undocked tail (good for balance on tight turns) & uncropped ears.

The argument that the tail is a useful handle for suspects to grab is of questionable validity since Belgian Malinois & German Shepherd Dogs do the same type of work & are undocked. The Dobermann tail is very sturdy, is carried slightly over the back & tapers only at the tip.

If the breed standard allows a dog to be shown in conformation undocked & uncropped, but the norm in the country is for a docked & cropped dog, then you find in nigh impossible to find a well bred dog that hasn't been cropped & docked.

I like the appearance of a cropped & docked Dobermann as it has great presence, but do not agree that an uncropped & undocked Dobermann looks like any type of hound.

It goes without saying that a 3-day-old puppy cannot be tested for strong working abilities, but how many working breeds are bred tightly to the standard, from proven working dogs, to have the temperament, characteristics & abilities that were selectively bred into the breed? The answer is VERY few....Show more

It is only illegal in certain countries. It is not in the USA yet Thank God. If the breed standard requires it to be docked.
Such as in Poodles, Don't you think a Poodle would look kind of stupid in show ring with a long tail with a puff on the very end.
These standards for dog were set hundreds of years ago when mostly all dogs had a job to do.
It is not cruel if done at time of birth and done by a vet.
I don't see how you can change rules that have been in place for hundreds of years just because a bunch of PETA people don't like the standards....Show more