Docking (dog)

This article is about docking of dogs' tails. For other animals, see Docking (animal). For other uses, see Docking (disambiguation).

Boxers with docked tails. The dog in front also has cropped ears.

Docking is the removal of portions of an animal's tail. While docking and bobbing are more commonly used to refer to removal of the tail, the term cropping[1] is used in reference to the ears. Tail docking occurs in one of two ways. The first involves constricting the blood supply to the tail with a rubber ligature for a few days until the tail falls off. The second involves the severance of the tail with surgical scissors or a scalpel.[2] The length to which tails are docked varies by breed, and is often specified in the breed standard.

Docking is illegal, or restricted, in many countries.

Some dog breeds have naturally occurring bobtail lines. These appear similar to docked dogs but are a distinct naturally occurring phenotype.

  1. ^ "Ear Cropping – What You Need To Know About Ear Cropping". Puppy's Place. 20 October 2015.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference defra was invoked but never defined (see the help page).