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It really is disgusting that in this day and age that dogs still have their tails docked, especially for cosmetic reasons.
In my opinion we have no right to remove a dog's tail unless it is damaged or diseased.

Animals have tails for a reason, if they didn't need them they wouldn't be there. Dogs use them for communication. Perhaps if dogs were allowed to keep their tails there woud be less attacks on humans/other dogs or animals?

Some people say that If the tail is not docked it may damaged or injured during work such as running through undergrowth/forest. Yes damage dos occur sometimes in working AND companion dogs, but I doubt it is as common as some people make it out to be. I believe it is just an excuse to keep the tradition of docking that particular bred's tail.

If a tail is injured it can be healed, if the damage is too bad to heal then it can be removed. I think this is much less cruel than docking it in the first place

I think 'Docking' breeds such as Rotwilier, boxers etc Look much better with their tails on!

Sheba

I don't agree with docking tails.
Dogs have a tail for a reason, as you said.
I also think that dogs look a lot better with tails.

I suppose that if it is a working dog then I sot of agree with it. Some working dogs in my area have half-docked tails which I don't think is as bad.

Though in another respect, if docking tails is bad then surely so is castration?

I'm not sure. I'd never have my dog's tails docked but none of them are working dogs.

Maugrim said:

No offence meant Maugrim but I have to say Itotally disagree with this. Castrated dogs are generally calmer and happier, healthier and less likely to get into fights or be hit by a car. But mos importantly they don't contribute to the thousands of unwanted puppies. A castrated dog has no desire to mate. Apart from fights this goes for female dogs too.
look up neutering/spaying of dogs on the Internet, there are many good reasons for castration and spaying.

I agree mostly wit everything else you said, thanks for answering my post.

Lunawings said:
I agree 100% Lunawings, declawing is so cruel, most cats will let their claws be clipped. However if they are clipped into the quick, which contains nerves the cat may be reluctant in the future. this is temporarily painful (like when you cut your nails to short) but not really cruel.

Sheba

I think it's absolutley horrible to dock a dog's tail. Dogs just do't look like dogs without their tails. My parents have a friend who wons a rotweiler with a docked tail, and it's just a tiny stump.

I never said that I disagreed with castration - I am very much for it. It stops all of the unwanted litters in the world. But surely, if people are against removing parts of their animals bodies because it seems unnatural then what difference is there between castration and docking? Just looking on two sides of the argument really.

Maugrim does have a point. What is the difference between docking and castration? They both mean taking some part of the animal away from it so whether it's for the better or worse it's still pretty much the same.

I don't agree with it completely, but as has been said, a long tail can get in the way of things for a working dog.
When my friend's Yorkshire Dog has her pups, my friend wants me to come over and dock their tails. My friend's mother says that when the pup are young, they don't have nerves in their tails yet, so that's when you dock them. And we're not even docking the entire tail! My dad says that you pull their tails down and dock below the anus.

Sorry, but i am gonna have to say yes, See, some breeds such as rotties and dobermans are preffered among certian breeds in the show ring, such as a standard. Yes i see it as maybe sometimes unnesasary, but i beileive that if its not harming the dog in any way, shape, or form, there is really nothing wrong. I do personally think that some breeds DO look lots better with docked tails, especially Boxers, even though i would have no problem with adopting one with a tail.

my dogs tail is docked but surprisingly he can still get it when he chases it

I think that dogs like Dobermanns and Rotties look better with tails but yes, breeders will tell you differently.

Personally, I don't want to ever do this. It's cruel to "chop off" a dog's tail for fashion.

I own a put bull and Rottweiler, and neither of their tails are docked (or "bobbed"). And I never will.

Now, the time I do accept it, is when the tail is hazardous to the dog's health. Like, it's been severely broken or something. But otherwise, it's not right.

I mean, think of it this way - would it be "humane" and "fashionable" for us to cut off our own arms just to look "good"? I don't think so.

It isn't cruel to dock dogs tails...it actually helps on the dogs whose tail could get damaged very easily. But I think docking a cats tail is bad because they rely on their tail for balance and stuff like that!