Dog Trick Academy Forum

I do the same thing....

so, in your country, Aussies ARE allowed to keep their tail? WONDERFUL...in our country, any Aussie born (to a breeder anyway) they cut it off at birth, IF a puppy with a tail is born.

It is banned here. You get fined if you do it without medical reason. Confirmation shows don't allow dogs in, without their tail, unless you can prove they come from a country where it is allowed.

YAY!!! I so so wish USA was like that, it sure seems cruel to cut off a baby dog's tail. Everyone here does that to Aussies. ..it's really sad.

Like most dog "standards" it started as a "fad", with a few ppl who liked a tail-less dog....(rolls eyes)

Well, actually back when these dogs(and other herding and hunting breeds) were still used out in the fields, ears and tails were often the first thing to get injured. So they started to cut them off, to keep the dog healthy. And I can understand this. When you are herding cattle or sheep in the middle of nowhere and your dog gets hurt, you can't treat it the way it should.

But these days there is no need for it anymore, as most working breeds don't work anymore. And if they do work, the transportation is way better than back then.
I do like aussies without tails, but only if they are born that way. I also adore my dogs bushy tails.

hmmm, i "like" there was some reason to start it, but, it makes no sense to me, really, how a TAIL is first thing hurt...? But, i'll take your word on it, but, it's hard to picture...

None of the other herding breeds, German shepherds, Borders, to name a few of the many herding breeds, ever had their tails docked....

Well, I don't know about those dogs, but I guess the aussie is a little different from those, because they were used to herd and drive large lifestock. It is something that I read a long time ago, I can't remember where... It kind of stuck in my mind.

Did some googling on the subject...
Ancient romans thought cutting off the tail would prevent rabies
For guard and fighting dogs ears and tails are easy to grab by an opponent

There were no taxes on working dogs, that had no tail, you could recognize a working dog by the fact he had no tail.
Less dirt(fesces) would stick to a dog with no tail, especially helpfull for the herding dog, because there was no means of grooming the dog out in the fields

oh, it just NOW is dawning on me, that Aussies DO come from another country than most of the other herder breeds. duh! how stupid can i be!? sorry! It probably was some Aussie tax law, like you said.

Btw, other herders are also used for livestock, so that's not it...interesting!! I have learned a lot, thank you!!

most dogs lift their tails when pooping, so that's not it either....even with diarrhea, my dog's tail if stilll clean.