docking tails

does it effect a dogs balance if done as a pup?
considering the amount of working dogs that get docked i find that hard to believe.

if so was it just superstition that stopped the pit-dogs of old being docked?

I dont know how much a tail would weigh but it would be something,and that weight could of been (however slight) an advantage through fighting a slightly lighter opponent.

thats if performance really is unaffected.

 

wont affect balance

 

you dont dock an APBT's tail. it does help in balance. they docked most terriers tails to be able to pull them out of a fox hole and such. examples would be the paterdale for example and others. they only docked for those reasons. bird dogs they left the tails so that they can be spotted in the brush and wouldnt get shot. dobermans, roties, boxers they only docked them for show and the image of a more agressive look and realy there was no function of doing it except for show reasons. ALL natural is the way to go including the ears IMO

 

The tail and ears are used in communication. Keeping the ears in tact helps the over all health of the dog.

 

not sure how relevant it is but they do dock most working spaniels tails over here.

I think there must be more to it because every pound would of counted back then like it does now in boxing and mma.

 

I agree...seen many dogs tails docked and they are winners!

 

Few of the famous docked tail and earcropped winners

http://www.apbtpedigrees.com/printpedigree/out.php?recordID=53321

http://www.apbt.online-pedigrees.com/modules.php?name=Public&file=printPedigree&dog_id=117753

 

I don't think it matter

 

I dock all my dog's tails. I have reasons to do that but I would not think it is relevant to share them here.

 

well you could have said i know a guy that does so and so for so and so reason LOL just playin

 

Jokes aside, you are 100% correct but it is an after thought now. Thank you, I have learned something.

 

I tend to believe that docking a tail may have to do slightly with ballance. I really do not see any reason to remove a tail, unless it is injured or something. I will note that dogs seem to get rub marks on tail, "stud tip" and this may do away with any of those issues, but I personally like the tails, until I get whacked in the head by one.lol
my jumpin dog, uses his tail before leaping.

 

if it doesnt make a difference to performance,then by docking the tail you would have a p4p better animal, right?
i mean if they could of made a lower weight without any adverse effects to performance,why wouldn't you?

 

because the tail does not make that much of a weight difference to go wacking off an entire litter of pups tails for that reason alone to shave off a few ounces nah not worth it

 

yep I wouldn't say it's worth it to dock for that reason, but I also don't believe it hurts either. Have two docked dogs, neither seem to be bothered at all, although one's only a pup and one's a lazy SOB mutt.

 

docking a apbt tail is ghetto....

 

Why ghetto?

 

for 200 years that the american pitbull terrier has been bred to work... hardly any have their tails docked..very very few and look at all the great dogs past and present.. all have their tails... the ones i have seen were owned by ghetto trash people putting two dogs in a garage with no rules... no matched weights.. just plain ghetto...... this is just my opinion... everyones got one..

 

Yep, everyone's got one, lol.

 

sounds like early UFC to me lol