Full poodle tails are as expressive as the poodle eyes and only add to their repertoire of silly antics!
I can guarantee you; there is no hotter topic in the poodle community than full versus docked tail!
The battles go on for days - Is it pretty? Is it necessary? Does it hurt? No one can agree on the answer because traditions in different countries are so differnt.
Most European paintings of poodles depict them with full tails, so how did the tradition to dock tails start and how did it make it into the breed standards?
Docking tails on Poodles started in England, where pet dogs were taxed. Docked tails distinguished working dogs belonging to commoners and sport dogs belonging to royalty who could afford the tax.
The first poodles came to the United States from England, and the docking followed them into the new country’s breed standard.
Is tail docking necessary? The correct poodle tail carriage is at the 12 O'clock position, and the tail is covered with a profuse coat. This makes it virtually impossible for a poodle to get "happy tail" syndrome, knock things off of a coffee table or cause bruising on your legs.
Reading the AKC Poodle breed standard on tail docking, it is clear that the procedure is cosmetic in nature, “ docked of sufficient length to ensure a balanced outline.” Tail docking is traditionally done in the first three days of life when anesthesia is dangerous to newborns, so docking is performed by the breeder or veterinarian without any pain management.
It is a widespread belief that puppies going to sleep right after means they do not feel pain. Through scientific studies on pain in neonates, we know that this response is the puppy's way of shutting down from heightened pain, not relaxing due to lack of pain.
Docking is traditionally done at the age when it is impossible to say anything about the structure or temperament of the puppy. Most breeders make their pick at 7-12 weeks. For the breeder to have a show pick puppy with a docked tail, all puppies must undergo this procedure. I do not believe in removing healthy body parts for cosmetic reasons while causing suffering.
I can guarantee you; there is no hotter topic in the poodle community than full versus docked tail!
The battles go on for days - Is it pretty? Is it necessary? Does it hurt? No one can agree on the answer because traditions in different countries are so differnt.
Most European paintings of poodles depict them with full tails, so how did the tradition to dock tails start and how did it make it into the breed standards?
Docking tails on Poodles started in England, where pet dogs were taxed. Docked tails distinguished working dogs belonging to commoners and sport dogs belonging to royalty who could afford the tax.
The first poodles came to the United States from England, and the docking followed them into the new country’s breed standard.
Is tail docking necessary? The correct poodle tail carriage is at the 12 O'clock position, and the tail is covered with a profuse coat. This makes it virtually impossible for a poodle to get "happy tail" syndrome, knock things off of a coffee table or cause bruising on your legs.
Reading the AKC Poodle breed standard on tail docking, it is clear that the procedure is cosmetic in nature, “ docked of sufficient length to ensure a balanced outline.” Tail docking is traditionally done in the first three days of life when anesthesia is dangerous to newborns, so docking is performed by the breeder or veterinarian without any pain management.
It is a widespread belief that puppies going to sleep right after means they do not feel pain. Through scientific studies on pain in neonates, we know that this response is the puppy's way of shutting down from heightened pain, not relaxing due to lack of pain.
Docking is traditionally done at the age when it is impossible to say anything about the structure or temperament of the puppy. Most breeders make their pick at 7-12 weeks. For the breeder to have a show pick puppy with a docked tail, all puppies must undergo this procedure. I do not believe in removing healthy body parts for cosmetic reasons while causing suffering.
