# Cropped tail?



## Koizumiii (Oct 6, 2013)

I was looking at Zuzie's tail and noticed the end of her tail only grows dark, dark gray hairs, so I suddenly had the thought "Oh no, was her tail docked?" which I think now is a yes. Her tail is about 3 inches, and I think it is adorable but the phantom pain idea scares and saddens me. I recently looked up pictures of poodle tails to get ideas for her next haircut and I saw a bunch of long tails. She is a silver toy, but about 12.5 inches tall at the withers. She is 8 pounds, and 8 months old. Could her short tail be just a short tail or was it cropped?

(Sorry for cordy fur, she just came in from the snow and is just dried)


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

In the USA, the vast majority of poodles have docked tails (the term "cropped" is usually used for ears here). Your poodle's tail looks docked in the usual manner.

The fashion these days is for a longer dock, leaving 2/3 of the tail. Maybe someday the docking fashion will go away here, as it has in some other countries. I like the look of a full poodle tail, especially if it's carried properly.

--Q


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## Manxcat (May 6, 2013)

I would say yes, the tail has been docked. Has she still got her dew claws? Think they often do both at the same time.

Tail docking and ear cropping is not done here in Britain now so most of the younger dogs you see have full length tails. It's also nice to see Boxers and Dobermans and such with long tails too


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

Yes, it's docked. As Manxcat said, she probably had her dew claws removed, too. They usually don't have any on the rear legs, but almost all poodle have them on the front. If she has none on the front then the dew claws were removed, too.


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## eusty (Jan 5, 2014)

Manxcat said:


> Tail docking and ear cropping is not done here in Britain now


Is there a reason for this?

Actually one of the things my wife loves about Pebbles compared to her previous tpoo is that he's got a full tail. It wiggles about like a lasso when he's happy (which is most of the time :act-up!!


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## eusty (Jan 5, 2014)

Ah don't worry foundout why!!

http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/tail-docking-dogs

The Welfare of Animals (Docking of Working Dogs? Tails and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012


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## Hicubse (Feb 14, 2014)

It's all about "breed standard" and tradition. Many times tails were docked and and ears were cropped because of the specific job the breed was intended for (long tails tend to get stepped on by cattle for example, so they would dock the tails or breed dogs with naturally shorter tails to get rid of it all together).


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## Manxcat (May 6, 2013)

eusty said:


> Is there a reason for this?
> 
> Actually one of the things my wife loves about Pebbles compared to her previous tpoo is that he's got a full tail. It wiggles about like a lasso when he's happy (which is most of the time :act-up!!


Yep - same here  My girlhood tpoo had a little docked pom, which kind of blurred into a wag, but Pippin's tail goes into helicopter mode!! Very cute!

Glad you found the link re the illegality of docking etc. Can see why it was done for working dogs, but I personally am glad it isn't done here now for pets.


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## Carrie-e (Oct 23, 2012)

Billy and Tia are the first poodles I've owned without docked tails and I love their tails. I could never get a decent round pompom on any of the others tails,they used to flop. You can still cut a pompom into an undocked tail but I love the feathery look.


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## Wild Kitten (Mar 13, 2014)

I was thinking about tail docking for a while when I see so many young dogs (from NA) on the pictures with their tails still docked........then I found this topic...... are there any talks over there about finally stopping this barbaric practice too?

I am glad that UK (and I think europe too) has now outlawed it. They look so much cuter with full tail and they don't have to go through the pain.


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## treehugr55 (Oct 4, 2013)

I had never seen a poodle without a docked tail until I rescued my two! Bonnie's is docked in the usual fashion, but Clyde's isn't (and he has his dew claws intact). His tail is SO adorable! It's fairly long and curled, and looks so adorable when it wiggles back and forth. 

Bonnie's looks cute when hers wags too- we refer to it as Bonnie's fuzzy mace! 

I've heard mixed reviews on pain being involved in docking though, if it's done on newborn pups. Many breeders I've spoken to have explained the process and I was under the impression it did not impart any pain to a newborn. I could be wrong on that though!


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## Wild Kitten (Mar 13, 2014)

oh it does hurt alright, it is done in newborn pups (maybe a couple days old) but WITHOUT anesthesia...... so you are cutting into live flash, they scream of pain while it's being done.... basically you are cutting off part of their spine... and while the nerve endings are being cut it got to hurt even if "just" for a second. 

Of course they heal quick but we have no idea how much they will remember... and some always have their "phantom" pains even into adulthood.

Of course, many breeders will try to tell people that it doesn't hurt because they just want to keep their "breed standard" but if you think about it seriously...... you will know it does hurt them.


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## treehugr55 (Oct 4, 2013)

That makes me so sad  

Bonnie was debarked also, so I tend to get angrier over that modification than tail docking. But they're both just awful procedures to have done.


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