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 bleeding tails. Which, of course are very painful and hard to treat. If the tail is docked, it eliminates the risk of injury. 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 would 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. 🙂 How is Docking done? There are two methods of docking. The majority of breeders used the technique known as “banding”,
