# Which breeder should I choose?



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

A 3/4" dock if I am reading you correctly is super super indecently short. Is there something to correct in that length (I hope)?


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

I've been watching the circle of Ohio breeders Perigueux is part of (e.g. Shyre, Element) for some time and actually reached out to one when I was looking to replace Snarky. Galen fell into my lap, so I didn't pursue the matter further.

I'm not familiar with Posh. Tail docking is something I feel very strongly about, so the conversation would stop as soon as I heard docked parti. I can understand why a breeder who wants to show in conformation docks her litters; the AKC standard requires it. Parti cannot be shown in AKC. Therefore, a breeder who docks parti litters is doing it for personal preference, not because she's being forced to work within the breed standard. I happen to have a different preference, and so I personally would choose a breeder more aligned with my philosophy. However, my idiosyncrasies don't have to be yours. It's your nickle and your dog.


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## RhubarbRaptor (Sep 27, 2020)

lily cd re said:


> A 3/4" dock if I am reading you correctly is super super indecently short. Is there something to correct in that length (I hope)?


Sorry, autocorrect added in "inch" for some reason, she keeps 3/4 of the tail, 1/4th is cut off.


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## RhubarbRaptor (Sep 27, 2020)

cowpony said:


> I've been watching the circle of Ohio breeders Perigueux is part of (e.g. Shyre, Element) for some time and actually reached out to one when I was looking to replace Snarky. Galen fell into my lap, so I didn't pursue the matter further.
> 
> I'm not familiar with Posh. Tail docking is something I feel very strongly about, so the conversation would stop as soon as I heard docked parti. I can understand why a breeder who wants to show in conformation docks her litters; the AKC standard requires it. Parti cannot be shown in AKC. Therefore, a breeder who docks parti litters is doing it for personal preference, not because she's being forced to work within the breed standard. I happen to have a different preference, and so I personally would choose a breeder more aligned with my philosophy. However, my idiosyncrasies don't have to be yours. It's your nickle and your dog.


I was actually really surprised that Posh docked her puppies, especially since all her current dogs are completely natural (and have straight tails to boot). That's my biggest hang up with her right now, and why I'm still considering going out of state for a pup from a non-docking breeder. I'm just not sure if it's worth giving up the ease of travel, color preferences, etc.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Well, I just did some looking, and it seems Posh is a fairly new breeding program. She certainly seems to be worth keeping an eye on.


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

I wonder if people who do not dock tails also do not remove dew claws? Removing dew claws properly is more difficult than docking tails. Most reputable and knowledgeable breeders do both of these tasks at 3 days of age - and they do not have them done by a vet since so many vets dock tails much, much too short and do not always know to push the skin back toward the body so when released it will cover the end of the tail and heal quickly. 

I have raised quite a few litters of puppies and can tell you that when you do this at 3 days many puppies do not even whimper. They are typically more upset by being restrained on their backs than they are about the "surgery". It is my understanding that this is because the nervous system, like so many other things, is not fully developed at this time.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Johanna said:


> I wonder if people who do not dock tails also do not remove dew claws? Removing dew claws properly is more difficult than docking tails. Most reputable and knowledgeable breeders do both of these tasks at 3 days of age - and they do not have them done by a vet since so many vets dock tails much, much too short and do not always know to push the skin back toward the body so when released it will cover the end of the tail and heal quickly.


It varies, but I think many of the breeders who leave natural tails also leave natural dewclaws.

Pogo and Snarky's breeder didn't dock but did remove dewclaws. Galen's breeder normally docks but left a few puppies from Galen's litter with both natural tails and dewclaws. 

I'm still on the fence about dewclaw removal. I know some agility folks believe the dewclaw is important for stabilizing the leg and joint during turns. On the other hand, dogs can and do damage their dewclaws. I had to cancel a vacation last summer when Snarky ripped his dewclaw halfway off and needed surgery to get it properly removed. (He always had one dewclaw; I'm not sure if it got missed or if it grew back.)


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

Annie's breeder docks but leaves dew claws. Her latest litter was undocked and with dewclaws. I watch her and she does use the dew claws a lot. She runs too fast for me to watch if she uses them while hiking, but definitely uses them while chewing bones, toys, etc. 

Most of our dogs have had intact dew claws. So far no dew claw injuries.


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