Why Dock Tails?

1. To avoid tail damage - This is the most important reason for docking a tail. Australian Shepherds were raised in the rought Western areas of the United States, which, if you have never visited, have tough weeds, tall grasses, and plenty of other hazards. Working in this condition will easily lead to torn and bleedin tails, which, of course are very painful and hard to treat. If the tail is docked, it eliminates the rist of injury. it also lessens chances of matting.

2. For reasons of hygiene

Dogs with thick hair have a good chance of getting feces on themselves and caught in the tail. Docking can greatly reduce the hygiene problems.

3. To maintain breed standards

Should the docking of tails be eliminated, hundreds of otherwise good breeding animals wouuld be removed from gene pools and this could be a huge downfall for the breed.

There are numerous other minor reasons, but these are the BIG THREE. :)

There are two methods of docking. The majority of breeders used the technique known as "banding", in which a ligature, normally an orthodontic band, was placed over the end of the puppies tail at 24-96 hours old. This effectively cuts off the blood supply to the end of the tail, which comes away within 3 days.

Most vets used to cut the tail with surgical scissors, known as hemostats. There is generally no need for stitches, but on occasions these can be used, especially with the larger breeds.

Docking is carried out when puppies are tiny. Their eyes are not yet open and long experience indicates that carried out correctly, the procedure causes little or no pain or discomfort. Indeed, some puppies which are docked whilst they are asleep, do not even wake up. After docking, puppies will immediately return to their dam to feed, and there is no evidence that development or weight gain is in any way arrested by the docking procedure.

Nor does a dog which has been docked as a puppy have any problems with balance or communication.

If, however, tail damage occurs during adulthood and docking has to be carried out for therapeutic reasons, normally under anaesthetic, a dog can be seriously distressed and the healing process can be painful and protracted.

Back when I was still looking into Aussies (early 90's) there was an ad in Dog World under Australian Shepherd breeders there was an ad for Basque Shepherds. I believe this was a movement of Aussies to be bred with tails. I haven't heard much about them lately, however. I'm going to answer this question with a tenative no. There are occasional Aussies available thorugh Aussie Rescue with tails. However, most breeders dock no matter what. But what if you ask before they are docked? You ask. Well, even if the dog had a mismark making it non-show quality, or some other problem making it ineligible to be exhibited, the breeder still does not know what that dogs' personality will be like. Perhaps he or she will dock the tail, and then as it grows, the owner decides they don't like the temperament of the puppy. Thenthe breeder is stuck. I'm sure there are breeders who will not dock, but you should be prepared to give it a real fight if you want an Aussie with a tail. If you want a dog that looks like an Aussie with a tail, try out American Farm Shepherds or English Shepherds.

Please visit this link: Council of Docked Breeds