By Bob Hamilton
A few years back I wrote a short article on the evils of tail docking complete with graphic photo’s. It’s easy to spout off on what other people should do with their dogs, isn’t it? This summer I had a chance to put my money where my mouth was. One of our former pups had a litter and under our breeding agreement, we were entitled to a pick of the litter. We knew we wanted a female and there was only one in the litter. Although Aaron was reluctant, this was to be my dog so I asked the owner not to dock her tail.
When we went to Calgary to pick up our new pup, we found Tori playing with her brothers. As she dashed by, one brother or another was always handy to pull her up short with a quick chomp on the tail. Just a few inches of skin, fur and extra bone but it really did seem to make a difference in puppy play. We felt sorry for Tori who seemed to get the worst of it. Of course in most parts of Europe, Tori’s brothers would have also all had long tails and the playing field would be a bit more even.
That’s not to say everyone in Europe agrees. The Council on Docked Breeds has a web petition up at the moment to try and bring back tail docking where it is banned and preserve it where it is in danger. Passions certainly run high on the topic. Some people are incensed to fury by the sight of an undocked tail. Others are equally fervent that tail docking is on par with killing baby seals. Fanatics on either side of the issue give me a headache.
Tail docking doesn’t traumatize your dog for life. I don’t think it constitutes animal cruelty. It is clearly painful for the pup but the dewclaws have to come off anyway so what’s one more snip? Well it’s just that – one unnecessary procedure for your animal to endure and one unnecessary expense for you to pay.
What is it like living with an undocked Wheaten on a day to day basis? There have been more than a few times that Tori’s Tail has come in handy. One time Tori was playing on the front lawn and made a quick break for the street. Only a last minute dive and a handful of tail kept her from danger. And of course there’s the time her tail knocked over a glass of milk. But mostly we just don’t notice her tail at all.
What about all the arguments put forth by the Council on Docked Breeds? Isn’t her tail supposed to become fouled with feces and spread germs all around the house killing us all? Surely the tail will become snagged in brush and be flayed to the bone. Aren’t undocked tails a sign that the apocalypse is upon us?
Fortunately the Wheaten tail curls up and over the back so there is little chance it could ever become fouled. As for getting snagged in the brush… well Tori does love to run in the bush and she has been covered in burrs. But no more on her tail than on her nose.
No, there are no health concerns here. Tail docking is utterly unnecessary cosmetic surgery for your pet. Good thing they don’t make breast implants in six packs or I’m sure someone would want to use them on a dog.
So why do people in the 21st century dock tails? Some would argue that we dock because of tradition. A Wheaten should look a “certain way”. Certainly the members of the Council on Docked Breeds are very strong and well-meaning traditionalists. Still, I can’t help but wonder if some of the reason we dock isn’t at least partly financial.
We know a true champion in the show ring can mean much higher stud fees or higher rates for pups. Over a dog’s lifetime this can add up to a fair bit of money. The Canadian Breed Standard states that the tail “is docked so that two-thirds of it’s original length remains”. The American Breed Standard states “Tail is docked and well set on, carried gaily but never over the back”. An undocked tail would be considered a fault. Not a disqualification but certainly one strike against your dog.
I called the CKC but in Canada undocked Wheatens are very rare and nobody had any information. In fact, the representative of the CKC told me that I couldn’t show an undocked Wheaten since it didn’t conform to the breed standard. Of course this is not accurate but it does show how deeply the misinformation about docking runs.
I called the AKC where undocked Wheatens have been shown recently. The representative I spoke with told me that while he was not familiar with the Wheaten he was a breeder of the Cocker Spaniel and had shown Boxers. He told me that undocked Cocker Spaniels and uncropped Boxers can be shown but rarely win and an undocked Wheaten would likely face the same problem. He said it would be “very difficult” for an undocked Wheaten to win in the show ring.
It does seem a bit unfair to fault a dog for sporting the tail God gave her. As the owner of an undocked Wheaten it would be discouraging to enter my pup in the show ring only to have her beaten out by a cosmetically altered dog. I suppose this is something the parents of the Miss Teen Canada pageant contestants come up against too.
Attitudes towards docking are slow to change but they ARE changing. There is hope on the not too distant horizon. I spoke with Alan Fox of the Saskatchewan Wheaten club and one of the people most directly responsible for originally having the breed recognized in Canada. Although he is not directly involved in the process, Alan tells me that the Canadian breed standard is in the process of revision.
In recognition of the fact that tail docking is illegal in some countries, the proposed revised standard states “the tail is usually docked so that 2/3rds of the original length remains, but an undocked tail is allowed”. The revised standard has been voted on and approved by the national Wheaten club but not yet adopted by the Canadian Kennel Club. No word on any revision to the AKC standard. My guess is it may still be many years before we see an undocked Wheaten take best of show but at least this is a very good first step.
Perhaps my little girl will never win the big ribbons in the show ring and her big floppy tail does knock over a glass of milk now and again. Yes it looks like a rat’s tail when it gets wet and it is one more thing to brush. Still, I wouldn’t dream of chopping it off. I love my rare Long Tailed Soft Coated Wheaten – floppy tail and all.