Tail Docking
AS OF 10/19/09 Tail Docking Procedure.
All our tail docking is done by our vet and I have him glue and stitch it shut to help it heal quickly and the puppies have much less pain when it is stitched.
I personally do not like tail docking even though I do do it for our dogs that require it by their breed standard. I feel why offer AKC registered dogs if they are not AKC standards of their breed... And that is the main reason I dock the tails of our Poodles. Yorkipoos and Cockapoos are a little different. I cut the tail of Yorkipoos because they are a very small breed dog and their tail can be easily slammed in your door without you even noticing it because of their tiny size. Our Yorkipoos are very small and if that were to happen to a dog it may need to be anesthetized to remove the damaged tail and our Yorkipoos not weighing much are at high risk of death if anesthesia is overdosed accidentally during surgery, because of their tiny size... Not only this but many people want the tail short and so will elect to get it done when the puppy is several months old and the same anesthesia risk is there because they are so small. If you want your Yorkipoos tail left long I will gladly do it but you must let me know before your puppy is 3 days old. I can also take a deposit for a future puppy and leave it's tail long for you if you like. Cockapoo breeders are now starting to go through all the breeder steps to make the Cockapoo a breed of it's own and have created a standard for this hybrid that states the tail should be left long. So I keep the tail long on our Cockapoos and if you want a short tail you can have your vet dock it when you get your dog spayed/neutered, or you can let me know before the puppy is a week old and I can have the vet dock it for you at that time. I would like to say that tail docking is not something I endorse but it is a necessary procedure if you are sticking to breed standards and for the other reasons I listed above. The only thing I can do is make sure I do it with the best most painless method and have the vet do it to make sure it is done correctly.
Tails are usually docked on 2-7 day old puppies, without either general or local anesthesia. If the procedure is done by a veterinarian, the tail is clamped a short distance from the body, and the portion of the tail outside the clamp is cut away. Many breeders dock their pups themselves using a method that has been proven to be far more painful - "banding," or tying off the tail. This stops the blood supply, which results in dry gangrene. The dead portion of the tail usually falls off about three days later. This can be likened to slamming your finger in a car door - and leaving it there. I always have my vet cut the tail and he first pinches it with a clamp to stop the blood and cuts it with the scalpel and then glues it and stitches it shut to close it completely up.
Puppies undergoing any method of tail-docking squeal and cry, yet advocates assert that the newborn's nervous system is unable to feel the pain. They point out that puppies immediately crawl to their mothers to nurse. But don't all hurt or frightened children immediately cry for their mommy? Moreover, research indicates that suckling causes the release of endorphins, the body's natural pain relievers, which may be a more realistic way to view the puppies' desire to nurse. Docking advocates ignore the fact that a newborn puppy simply is not capable of a wide range of responses. It is very difficult to accurately assess the degree of pain a newborn is experiencing. In my experience puppies cry for a minute and then whine under their breath for a few hours after that, then they are fine by the end of the day. So they are in some pain for a few hours and I think like a new born baby they forget the pain by the next day...
To stick close to the AKC standard I have to dock the tail of the Poodle and I advice everyone to write to the AKC to ask them to change their standards for this breed so it is no longer necessary. I would however still have to cut the tail of our tiny Poodles because of the same size issues with anesthesia risk that I dock Yorkipoos' tails for. A tiny dog just should not have to go under anesthesia for any reason unless life threatening because of the risk of death and so that is why I would dock their tails. Again if you want the tail undocked you can let me know before the litter is born or up to 3 days old and I will gladly leave it long for you... Cockapoos are our only breed we do not dock tails in and I can get it docked if you let me know before the puppy is a week old. I do not usually dock Cockapoos because they are a little bigger and so can go through anesthesia with less of a risk later in life if needed or wanted for cosmetic purposes...
So in conclusion: Yorkipoos and Poodles get tails docked at 3 days old unless you notify me before that time to leave it long... and Cockapoos do not get their tails docked unless you let me know before the puppy is 7 days old. Call to discuss if 
you like. Thanks, Kristina http://www.jordanfamilykennels.com/ 816-682-0265 or 816-293-5155
(LEFT) Cockapoo with long tail. Not one of ours but shows the long tail well. (RIGHT) Cockapoo with short tail. One of our past puppies when the owner wanted a docked tail.
