What is tail docking?

Tail docking is the practice of surgically removing the puppy’s tail approximately 3 to 5 days after birth. As breeders, we were faced with the choice of to dock or not to dock, to which after much research we decided not to dock. These are some of the reasons why Sapphire Eyes Sheepdogs does not dock tails:

1. Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa, Cyprus, the Virgin Islands, and many more countries have made tail docking illegal. Why engage in a process that seems outdated and unethical?

2.Dogs are decedents of wolves and wolves have tails, so why would you remove a dog’s tail? Dogs are born with their tails, so it seems to make no sense to remove it.

3.Why would a breeder want to create a wound on a perfectly healthy puppy that can become infected, put the puppy into shock, or cause permanent disfigurement with scarring or nerve damage? At Sapphire Eyes, it seems counter-productive to remove a healthy appendage and cause injury to a newborn dog who otherwise is in perfect condition.

4.Who doesn’t love to see a dog wagging its tail? Dogs wag their tails when they are happy to see their family and other doggy friends. It is one of the ways they show affection and communicate with us, so it seems silly to remove that. It also works in the reverse for when a dog is frightened or agitated that they will drop their tail as a warning that they are nervous or anxious and to proceed with caution.

Breeders at Sapphire Eyes are not activists about the subject, we just simply have not found a good reason to remove a dog’s tail. We believe there is no need to cause unnecessary injury to a healthy puppy or something for a mother dog to lick excessively causing stress to both mother and baby for cosmetic purposes. It’s a pretty simple decision for us and that is all it is; a choice. We do not condemn other breeders who do chose to dock tails, nor would ever intend to shame or berate any owner who prefers a docked tail. It’s just simply how we choose to run our business and we enjoy the right to do so. We encourage any perspective buyer to do their own research on the subject and come to their own conclusion. Sapphire Eyes Sheepdogs is always happy to answer any questions regarding this subject and would be more than happy to assist you in making the decision that is right for any family who has chosen this amazing breed.

This is a great article about tail docking:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/21861843_Docking_of_dogs_practical_and_ethical_aspects

Morton, David. (1992). Docking of dogs: practical and ethical aspects. The Veterinary record. 131. 301-6. 10.1136/vr.131.14.301. Next month, the Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons will discuss the docking of dogs' tails, with a view to deciding whether docking for non-therapeutic purposes should be considered as prima-facie evidence of disgraceful professional conduct. Here, Professor David Morton considers the arguments for and against tail docking, and the ethical issues involved.