Wow! Things around here have been busy, busy, and it has been quite a while since I posted! More puppies have left our German Boxer nest since then. Speaking of puppies, a number of people have asked why our latest pups have been left with tails intact. There are several reasons why we chose to not dock this time around. Because our dogs are of European descent, the ones we have imported in the past 10 years have had tails. Much of Europe bans both tail docking and ear cropping. Although it seemed strange to us at first, we have now become accustomed to our long tailed Boxers, and actually like how expressive the tails are. It is very easy to "read" the dogs' mind set by their tails. And who knew how much a happy Boxer (and they are almost ALWAYS happy) wags his tail!! So when you see a tail on a Boxer, it can denote their European heritage, opposed to American breeding lines. And because some of the people that acquire dogs from us compete internationally, having a tail on their dog will not limit their ability to compete in docked tail "banned" countries.
Another reason the tails were left on is, frankly, because docking them has always been a pain, literally AND figuratively. Regardless of whether we had them stitched, superglued, or stapled, the Momma dogs just never could leave those stump ends alone, and invariably chewed the ends open on one or more pups, meaning more trips to the vet and the threat of infection. Not to mention a few pups ending up with Rottweiler stumps as the Momma dogs chewed the already short tails even shorter!
But there has been a lot of resistance among some potential puppy buyers. In fact, several people have passed on one of these exceptionally talented young Boxers simply because of the long tails! That's too bad, because these are some of the finest puppies we have produced in our 20 plus years of breeding German Boxers. But their loss is someone else's gain.
So will I leave the tails on next time I breed a litter of German Boxers? That remains to be seen.
I love Mukki's tail and sure hope you don't dock them in the future because now after having Boxers with and without tails much prefer them natural, agree that it makes them much easier to "read" both to us and other dogs, and not just by sight but it's nice to hear that thumping noise of her tail hitting the floor or ground when she is, once again, happy about something.
ReplyDeleteNo Question... Tails on!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely keep the tails! I'm very happy to hear that you're starting to transition into the natural look. Not only do we own a German Rottweiler who's tail is natural as well; but for the last several months one of my favorite sounds has been when I come home from work and hear our excited little Hudson's tail going crazy slapping the insides of his crate (Hudson would be our own German working Boxer out of your co-owned stud, Pfeiffer)! To us, their tails are priceless and really tell us so much about their emotions on a regular basis. Keep 'em!
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to add that your dogs are simply incredible and it would be a shame to restrict them from competing abroad!
ReplyDeleteI would have to say i love the tails and wouldn't want it any other way :)
ReplyDeleteYes! I love the tails natural. It's easier to read plus for balance when doing Boxer acrobatics which they do so well! I am so pleased to see you're leaving the tails, finally when I need to search for another companion I know where to look.
ReplyDeleteI admit, I have not been on this web page in a long time... however it was another joy to see It is such an important topic and ignored by so many, even professionals. I thank you to help making people more aware of possible issues. read the full info here about the Mastiff
ReplyDelete