Tobi's TAIL!!!!!!!!!! HELP!!!!!!

[suzyqdogsmom]

The last two dogs we had before SuzyQ were large (125lb) very tall german shepherds with very long lethal tails. We didn't crate train them, so there were no small places to put them to calm down. One of the first things we started teaching them was sit/stay until they would calm down a little. Ignoring them when coming home and not greeting them until they calm down is a great way, but it does take time. Whenever they would get around end tables, or people came in the house, we would get them to sit until they were quiet. Usually, especially when people came over, one of us would have the dog sit right next to us, and you could keep repeating the sit command. As the previous poster said it is like toddler proofing the house, even after they have calmed down, accidents will happen, just from them running around the house. Get an eye on the height of that tail and keep valuable things out of range. You'll adjust to it after a while.

 

[krayne]

There really isn't a good reason to dock the tail. If I'm remembering correctly, the original reason that boxer's ears and tails were docked was so an animal that they were hunting (or other animals) could not latch onto them easily. This, of course, being back when they were bred for hunting and fighting.

I think the flippy ears and long, wagging tails are so cute. Our boxer came with a bobbed tail, but I never would have had it done myself.

 

[LILYLARUE]

I experienced a docking in my adopted sharpei mix. He had clipped the tip of his tail in the kennel and broke two vertebrae, and it wouldn't heal. So we decided to dock it. What a huge mistake! Not only did it take 4 surgeries to get it to the point it would heal, he is left with only one vertebrae in his nub. The recovery was horrible for him and me. I couldn't make him feel any better. He couldn't sitdown right cause it always hurt. And it is only til recently that we can even come close to touching it.

In addition to all of this........he is now terrified to go to the vet. Even driving up the entranceway, he has an anxiety attack.

So for cosmetic reasons, just doesn't seem worth it at all. Let alone risking the loss of your baby during surgery.

 

[undercg]

Invest in a pair of shinguards. My second boxer was undocked. I had bruises for years from her happy dances. When she was very happy it sounded like someone was knocking at the door. Her tail was never injured even though it did get caught in a door once. Bad on me, but all was forgiven in short order. She was a reverse brindle and the very tip was white. We called it her tail light.