TAILS YOU LOSE
by RICHARD PAQUETTE
I s the title of this article the real- ity for exhibitors who choose to exhibit dogs at shows in the United States and Canada with undocked tails in breeds where they have been traditionally docked? Does ‘Tails You Lose’ need to be the final out- come for a dog that is vastly superior to the competition in every respect other than the fact that it’s tail is undocked? Is it the only interpretation of the stan- dard for a judge when the standard reads “must be docked” to NOT place that dog high in the ribbons solely because it has an undocked tail? Recent events, such as the Eukanuba World Challenge, have resulted in the positive phenomena of dogs from for- eign countries participating with much more frequency in our shows. Many come from countries, especially Euro- pean countries, where in those juris- dictions the docking of tails and crop- ping of ears is strictly forbidden. Many breeders on this side of the ocean have also chosen to no longer have these procedures done. Many of our breed- ers want to travel to foreign countries and exhibit their dogs and choose to leave their exhibits with natural tails and ears or may want to import a dog from a country where docking or crop- ping is not done. Animal rights activists have lobbied well and many Veterinary associations and government agencies have and continue to restrict docking and cropping. Having these procedures done by qualified veterinarians in a humane manner is becoming increas- ing difficult for breeders in some areas of the country. What effect will this whole issue have on the long-term viability of cer- tain breeds, their breeders and exhibi- tors in our sport? Will the outcome be that many will quit breeding altogether or move to breeds that are never docked or cropped? Will we see a decline in
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