We accept them as they are
Today, more and more often you can see purebred dogs in their natural form on the street. The ears of Dobermans and Great Danes no longer stand on their heads, cut according to patterns in the shape of a flame. Being lop-eared, they do not have such a menacing appearance, but, once you get used to it, you can say that they are even cuter this way. Long tails in some breeds also seem like an extra “detail,” but this is easier to perceive.
For many inexperienced owners, this question is very relevant. When do puppies have their tails docked and is it necessary? Today, docking is officially prohibited for most breeds in the European Union. In Russia, for now you can still trim your ears and tails or leave everything as is. In any case, they will be accepted for breeding and will be allowed to compete at the breeding show. But if you decide to follow traditional standards, then you need to find out when puppies have their tails docked.
Why dock your tail and ears?
The weak point of hunting dogs is the tail.
Moving through swamps, forests, thickets, animals clung to plants, thorns and other obstacles, becoming distracted and injured. The long tail slowed down the dog's speed. Until recently, docking this part of the body in hunting dogs was considered mandatory.
Watchdogs and “shepherds” often got into fights with wild animals, which caused damage to the tail and ears.
This could lead to infection and make the dog more vulnerable. That is why representatives of such breeds had not only their tails docked, but also their ears. The same reason is relevant for fighting varieties.
The shape and length of circumcision at first did not have certain standards. Later, rules were established for various breeds, which were calculated so that the animal looked as harmonious and beautiful as possible.
When does this happen
If the mating was registered at the club, then after the puppies are born you must invite a specialist who will carry out an examination. He examines the offspring and, if he recognizes them as purebred, then leaves puppy cards. Now you can call the veterinarian. Usually the curator of the breed informs the owner when the puppies have their tails docked. There is not much time to think. Depending on the breed, this is done on days 2-7 of life, while the vertebrae are still very soft.
Where and how to wear this hairstyle?
A ponytail without an elastic band will be relevant both in the office and at a party. This hairstyle is especially suitable for creating a romantic look; it looks light, relaxed and extremely beautiful. It has glamor and rural appeal at the same time. Tea, when hair comes out of the ponytail, the hairstyle takes on a careless character. If you straighten your hair with an iron in advance, the tail will be quite severe and distinct: no unnecessary lines. You can pre-curl your hair with curlers, then the hairstyle will be truly chic due to its pomp and volume. Choose what you like best. Hollywood actresses choose this hairstyle for everyday life. Among them are Cher, Madonna, Brigitte Bardot. They may appear in public with a loose ponytail tied with a hair braid. A primitive tail looks beautiful and stylish, but does not require a lot of time to create. Wear a ponytail without an elastic band in combination with long, romantic floor-length dresses. So, you will look like a fairy sorceress or a girl from a fairy tale. Often by doing such a hairstyle, you will master its creation perfectly and, perhaps, add a couple of designer details. Rest assured that a hairstyle that you use your personal hair to secure will be a constant source of compliments.
Ear and tail docking in some dog breeds is performed for various purposes. For hunting dogs, say, a shaggy tail is a noticeable hindrance. The same applies to dogs of fighting and guard breeds, which are hampered by ears that are sensitive to pain and a long tail. Boxers belong to the guard breeds and, according to the standard, their tail and ears must be docked.
Is it possible to do this yourself
Highly undesirable unless you are a long-time breeder. The procedure is carried out without anesthesia; at this age it is contraindicated. Moreover, no special equipment is required for this. But you shouldn’t do the operation yourself, unless you are an experienced breeder. But the ears are cropped at the age of two to three months under general anesthesia.
Veterinarian work at home
It is not necessary to have your puppies' tails docked at the clinic. You can call a doctor home and provide him with a comfortable desk for work. The entire operation takes just a few minutes, after which the puppies will be returned to their mother. The doctor will have to lay out sharp scissors, cotton wool, antiseptic, and sterile wipes. Nothing else is needed. There are no stitches on the tail, which significantly speeds up the procedure.
So, usually the puppies are taken away from their mother, and she is sent out for a walk. The owner takes out the first baby and hands it to the doctor. He quickly cuts off the tail and presses the wound with a cotton swab containing a disinfectant solution. After two minutes, the baby goes into the basket, and the veterinarian takes the next one. Puppies with docked tails fall asleep very quickly, as if they were not in pain. Therefore, when the mother returns, she will find her family completely calm.
Doberman breed standard
It is absolutely necessary to crop your Doberman's ears only if you want to participate with your pet in international exhibitions. A dog with a long tail and floppy ears will not be allowed past the first stage of the competition, even if it has perfect parameters. Please note that the Doberman's undocked ears are quite large in size. Dogs with cropped ears are less susceptible to cartilage fractures, ear diseases and require the slightest care. If you do not plan to make your pet a champion of the breed, then cropping is not considered an indispensable element. Moreover, in some countries this procedure is officially prohibited by law. Animal defenders are also energetic opponents of docking, considering it an abuse of pets.
Tail length
There are no clear standards here. Some breeds have 2-3 tail vertebrae left, while others, such as Airedales, only have one third of the tail removed. There are breeds that do not have a single standard, that is, the breeder himself decides what to do with the tail. For example, wolfhounds. But all standards agree on the age at which puppies have their tails docked. While the vertebrae are still soft, this operation will be the least painful. Therefore, there is no need to delay. If you decide to trim the tail, do it before your pet reaches ten days of age.
At what age is the tail docked?
Since some people still can’t get used to the new look of a terrier with a tail, having bought a tailed puppy, they ask the question: is it possible to dock the tail of an older puppy? Not recommended.
You will cause great psychological trauma to the dog. Your puppy is already used to expressing emotions with his tail. And stopping it is akin to removing your tongue. Now you were expressing your thoughts, and now you’re mute... Puppies’ tails are docked at three days of age. Only cupping at such an early age does not cause either physical or psychological trauma. This is done either by a doctor or by the breeder himself. Anesthesia is not required. The whole secret of docking is that the tail is docked according to a certain pattern. During docking, the scissors are held at an angle so that there is more top skin on the tail. And then, after the first cut, they pull back the skin on the stump and cut off part of the spine. That is, the stump remains in a leather bag. Most often, a suture is not applied.
After which the cut site is treated with brilliant green (namely brilliant green!!! and not iodine, potassium permanganate, etc.). And a regular surgical clamp is applied for 3-4 minutes. This way we stop the bleeding. In the following days, we monitor the condition of the tails and treat them with brilliant green. On the same day, when the tail is docked, the dewclaws, if any, are cut off.
Cropping ears
In this case, a lot depends on the breed. For the Caucasian Shepherd, this is the third day of life. The operation is not too complicated. For puppies, the top of the ear is simply cut off while it is very thin. You get ears like those of a bear. Therefore, it is quite possible to crop a puppy’s ears and tail at the same time.
If we are talking about Dobermans or Great Danes, then everything is more complicated. The owner needs to wait until the babies are three months old. During this time, the head and ear will reach the desired size. Before the procedure, the babies are not fed for eight hours, after which they are taken to the veterinary clinic. There, surgeons are already taking up their work:
- First of all, anesthesia is administered. The puppy is placed on a special table, its paws are extended and firmly secured. In addition, the puppy’s jaw and torso are fixed.
- The auricle is treated with an antiseptic, and the area where docking will be done is cleaned of hair.
- Using a special pattern, doctors cut the desired shape. The operation lasts about an hour, so the owner needs to be patient.
- After the operation, the treatment is repeated and the patient is sent home. The stitches usually need to be removed after two weeks.
Life is tailless
Why does a dog need a tail? This organ in such animals serves as a kind of steering wheel, a control lever. He is an active assistant when the pet is in fast motion, he suddenly needs to turn or run along a log or any uneven surface. It is also a way of communication that can tell a lot about the animal’s mood and intentions. Everyone knows about the positive wagging of the tail, which shows friendliness, or the tucking of the tail when fear is manifested. The animal makes sends with its tail, moving it to the left or to the right. Tailless dogs are deprived of this opportunity. So what good is cupping?
It turns out that the procedure comes from ancient times. In the old days they believed that docking saved dogs from such a serious disease as rabies. After some time, the tails began to be cut off for representatives of service or fighting breeds, as the most painful places. Animals intended for hunting were shortened so that they would not injure themselves by clinging to bushes.
Let's go. This has survived to this day, so it is difficult to imagine some breeds of these animals without docking.
But now there are new standards. In some European countries, docking of dogs is prohibited. Everything would be fine. For people who are, the length of the tail is not so important. The main thing is that he should be distinguished by loyalty, devotion, complaisance, and also be cheerful and cheerful. Difficulties arise when dog owners plan to take them to all kinds of exhibitions.
If specific evaluative standards are defined for tailed representatives, then what awaits those who are usually seen as tailless? True, docked animals are not yet deprived of attention in our country. They are usually given preference.
But over time, probably, such an inhumane operation will generally sink into oblivion. A clear indication that many European dog shows no longer consider docked representatives. And considering that there will be more and more such exhibitions, soon tailless dogs will completely step aside.
The conclusion here is quite clear. If you are counting on “career growth” for your pet at the European and world levels, then when choosing a breed, think about tailedness.
Of course, a lot can be said about whether a dog’s tail should be trimmed. There are many supporters of this procedure, as well as opponents. Only one thing is clear: tailless life does not bring much joy to the dogs themselves. So is it worth injuring a pet with this, albeit not so complex, surgical intervention just so that it matches the accepted appearance? Only its owner should decide this. As a result, a tailless dog lives and runs as usual, but it does not have full maneuverability, stability, or sociability. Therefore, you should not cut off this important part of her body unless absolutely necessary.
Puppy age suitable for surgery
We figured out why dogs are docked. Now, let's look at the average age of a pet at which surgery can be performed. Let's start with the fact that almost a third of all known breeds undergo surgery:
- Dobermans, Rottweilers;
- Great Danes;
- Setters, terriers;
- Boxers, poodles.
The list could go on for a long time, but the essence will not change. Cupping is a tradition that has survived to this day from ancient times. During the times of the Roman Empire, this operation was carried out on dogs for their activity - hunters, watchmen, rescuers, shepherds had no need for long dangling tails, which were considered an “extra attribute”.
Today, many consider the operation pointless - dogs living in the city are not involved in work (with the exception of the watchman), it turns out that there is simply no point in getting rid of ears and tails.
Recovery after surgery
Even if we are talking about tail docking, it is still a surgical intervention. Therefore, the doctor must assess the risks and familiarize the breeder with them. If the puppy is weak, then it is recommended to postpone this procedure and, at an older age, perform it under anesthesia or abandon it altogether.
After tail or ear docking, puppies require the most careful care. The place where they sleep should be dry and clean so that there is no risk of infection. The wound must be examined twice a day. The slightest signs of suppuration are the reason for an immediate visit to the doctor. Such intervention in itself is traumatic for the animal. Therefore, a decrease in appetite may occur and drowsiness may occur during the first two days after the procedure. But if the puppy completely refuses to eat, then you need to sound the alarm.
X-ray diagnosis of tail development abnormalities in dogs and cats
1. The tail is in its usual non-standard position. More often, this state of the tail can be seen in a calm, domestic state of the animal. At an exhibition, it is quite difficult to see a cat’s tail thrown over its back like a husky’s. We observed such a case, and in a state of emotional excitement, the cat’s tail became normal. Sphynxes love to curl their tail into a spiral and press it to their warm side or, sitting in a piggy bank, wrap it around their paws and hide the tip inside. Such a tail easily straightens and occupies a standard physiological position, in which no deformations are detected. Thus, this deformation is not anatomical, but physiological, which makes it possible for the expert not to reduce exhibition ratings and titles.
2. “Nervous” tail. In an excited state (“show stress”), the tip of the tail appears rigidly tense and slightly bent. In a calm or distracted state, normal flexibility returns to the tail and it straightens completely. There are no bone knots or other fixed deformities. The exhibition rating is not reduced.
3. Asymmetry of the last, rudimentary vertebra - both in the form of a nail and in the form of a crooked awl does not result in a reduction in show scores. In a lion, by the way, the tip of the tail is covered with keratinized skin, turning into a tail claw, which can cause serious damage when struck.
4. A short, blunt-ended tail without the characteristic reduced end vertebrae raises a reasonable suspicion of cosmetic correction of any defects. Now veterinary specialists have begun to practice cosmetic surgeries to correct tail defects, cryptorchidism, hernial openings and other anomalies. Properly carried out, they do not leave scars: many operations on cats pass without a trace. In the absence of a postoperative scar, a reduction in score is possible only for a shortened tail. Veterinary documents confirming the absence of surgical interventions are not taken into account.
5. Tail with a “pouch”. Excess skin at the end of the tail, the so-called “pouch,” is not related to bone deformities, but raises suspicions about the removal of a defective vertebra without proper correction of the skin residue. At the same time, it can arise on its own. Veterinary cosmetology may be in line with the spirit of the times, but the dishonesty of a certain part of the breeders who use “corrected” animals in breeding does not allow them to take its successes into service and recommend cosmetic operations on the tail to owners of animals with minor deformities of the terminal caudal vertebrae, no matter how positive the cosmetic this did not achieve any effect.
6. Hard tail of Scottish folds. The cat's gene for lop-earedness does not at all correspond to that of dogs. In cats, it not only makes the ear cartilage soft and small, but also affects bone and cartilage tissue. In a homozygous state, this gene leads to disruption of the formation of the skeletal system, the appearance of a loose “square” metacarpus, osteochondrosis and a rigid spine. Folds are therefore bred only in a heterozygous form, using cats with erect ears - straights - as partners, but only from fold breeding. It would seem, what is so bad about British cats as straight cats? However, observations of breeders of this breed confirm that if mating a Fold with a British cat produces excellent British Straights that win rings among purebred British cats, then the Folds from such mating are weak, with semi-erect ears that not only extend beyond the contour of the head, but also rise over her, like a collie. At the same time, true straights do not participate in championships, but are highly valued by specialists. Without good straights you can't get great folds. In this case, with the correct zootechnical and genetic approach to breeding Scottish Folds, the hard tail of the Fold is their “weak link.” If the examination reveals a tail that bends poorly and snaps when bent, this serves as a basis for reducing the score.
7. Angular deformation of the axis of the caudal peduncle (from the penultimate vertebra), detected both by palpation and visually, as well as a knot along any part of the tail, serves as a basis for disqualifying the animal both as an exhibition exhibit and as a breeder. The presence of an x-ray confirming that this is not a congenital deformity, but a callus after an injury, is not taken into account.
8. Habitual dislocation of one of the caudal vertebrae can cause transient angular deformity of the tail. A similar anomaly occurs, although quite rarely. When you pull the tail, it “falls into place” with a slight click.
9. Late appearance of terminal deformation of the tail, which was not determined during adolescence and in the first adult year of the animal’s life. The etiology and pathogenesis of this phenomenon are not fully understood. It is impossible to exclude the intrauterine influence of damaging factors precisely in the fetal, and not the embryonic, period of development of this animal. Probably, unilateral shortening and sclerosis of the ligamentous apparatus of the tail occurs. A joint biochemical and x-ray study of such animals should be carried out. They usually retire from the ring but are actively involved in breeding based on their previous scores and titles. Considering that this pathology is of intrauterine origin, but not genetic (not hereditary), the participation of such animals in breeding is probably justified.
10. The complete absence of a tail in a bobtail is grounds for disqualification, as is deformation of the tail vertebrae, leading to the appearance of a fracture or knot.
Wedge-shaped vertebra (hemivertebra) in dogs and cats
At the same time, it has been shown that a number of tail anomalies can lead to various pathological changes.
Misconceptions and facts
And today, most owners are confident that they are doing this in the interests of their dog. In fact, she is fine the way nature created her. We have already talked about the day on which puppies’ tails are docked. Of course, they will quickly forget the pain, because they are too small. But they won’t get any benefit from a short tail. Let's look at the main misconceptions that justify cupping:
- The procedure reduces the ears' susceptibility to diseases and inflammation. It has already been proven that the shape of the auricle has no effect on this. If you clean your ears on time and consult a doctor if necessary, you will not need to do cupping.
- Many people believe that this procedure is painless. This conclusion is drawn from how quickly puppies calm down. In fact, they are in pain, just like everyone else. And the postoperative period is painful for all living beings. Moreover, anesthesia itself is very harmful to dogs.
- It is believed that the dog will be better off without a tail and ears. A very strange conclusion, because these are the organs that are responsible for communication. Movements of the ears and tail show the mood of the pet, helps to interact with other animals and humans. Therefore, leaving the dog without them and believing that you are doing it better is strange, to say the least.
Methods for tail docking in dogs
When the procedure is planned using general anesthesia, medications are introduced into the animal’s body to ensure that the dog quickly falls asleep. For short-nosed breeds, a medication is additionally used that reduces salivation and normalizes heart rate under the influence of hypnotics. The fur is completely removed from the animal's tail. This allows the doctor to accurately make an incision between the bony vertebrae. After the surgical process is completed, the wound is treated with an antibiotic and the surrounding skin with antiseptic agents. Then apply a sterile bandage to the damaged area.
One of the more humane ways to deprive a pet of a tail is to tighten the excess section with an elastic band. Due to the nature of a small puppy’s body, no blood flows to the area that is tightened. In this regard, after a certain amount of time, the tail will fall off on its own. It would seem that an undeveloped nervous system would protect the dog from pain, but the puppy still experiences discomfort.
The pet owner should decide for himself which method of relief is best in order to protect his dog as much as possible from painful shock.
