Hi
I have a docked breed and have recently been to view a few litters.  One of the pups I am interested in has a bald quarter of an inch at the end of her dock.  The dock is the correct length for the breed but the last part of it is not covered with hair and to be honest looks quite hideous.  The litter is now 4 weeks old. One other pup is the same in the litter; the other six have hair covering the entire tail.  Does anyone have experience of this?  Will the hair grow back?  Do any ever remain withh a bald stub at the end?  (Breeder says not an issue - am looking for confirmation or otherwise as not something I have come across.)

Thanks.

I have seen this numerous times in my terriers but it always has grown back by about 16 weeks or a bit older.

my schnauzers looked like this but it grew over by 6 weeks

My dobe had this and had to have his tail redocked at about 6 months old, as the hair never grew over the end of his tail. It used to get very sore and bleed quite a bit when he knocked it.

Rachael

My dobe has it - he's 3 1/2 now, it never grew back.  But, it doesn't bother him.  He did have trouble as a pup with bashing it when he sat, but he got the hang of moving it to the side before sitting so no problems now.

If he ever needs to be aneasthetised for anything he'll have it redone, but I won't have him knocked out just for that.  It isn't pretty though!

I've seen quite a few docked dogs with this and really unless you are showing the dogs I don't see any problem with it.  Luckily most of my dogs coat has grown back but they have a long coat any way so it doesn't really show.

My gsp's tail was bald at the end for quite a while but the hair grew over by the time he reached 6 months and hit the show scene.

My gsp has a small bald bit at the end of his dock - never went, but did cover up slightly with growth of the rest of the hair at tail end.

The hair grew over the length of 1 of my GSP's but the end has always been bald and quite often gets sore and scrubbed. The other 1 who was docked using a different method has a perfect tail with spare skin and hair all over.

Have to say most people don't know how to dock properly...one of the reason it should be done by a KNOWLEDGABLE Vet!(obviously no one, other than Vet, is allowed to dock nowadays) lol The skin should be drawn back a way, then docked, then skin released...that way it covers over the snipped end and meets and heals up properly, without any hair loss. There's always a shrinkage of skin, so if there's a little there to go back over the snipped bit, it protects the exposed end and helps to heal quicker. All the best, Dawn

sorry newfiedreams but docking is done with bands now, no snipping involved.

No! Sorry Sara but docking SHOULD be done by snipping at the Vets!! Any one using bands is breaking the Law! It USED to be done by Breeders using bands...in fact I've done it myself whe I bred Dobes,  and the same priciples applied...draw back some of the skin before putting the band on, but as I've already said...it is illegal unless done by a Vet! I'd be interested to know what breed you have, how often you dock and how you get away with it?? And why would they use bands...which are not immediate and cause more pain?? instead of a quick snip?? I've never ever met a Vet who banded...so obviously horses for courses...but I just don't understand why they would use them?? Bizarre...and in answer to JG the font of all knowledge! ANYONE using bands IS breaking the law....obviously whatever method Vets use are not! :P And no I still haven't got a job!

>Any one using bands is breaking the Law!

Not so. Vets often use bands to dock puppies.

That's reassuring JG.  I MUCH prefer banding to cutting. :)

Better go and bury my head again as I'm obviously talkin' out me back end! :D

to newfiedreams--bizarre??? why is banding bizarre? and its NOT breaking the law my schnauzers were docked LEGALLY by a CDB VET who BANDED the tails painlessly, how dare you ask how i have GOT AWAY WITH IT!

My vet snips :)  I had both methods used in the past and both working perfectly well so I would be happy to have whatever method my vet felt most competent using.

Hi
I haven't asked the breeder which method was used but out of interest which method results in the bald end bit - or can both of them give the same end result?  Also, what determines whether there is a bald bit or not?  Obviously the same person docked all eight pups in this litter and six of them are 'perfect' and two of them have these bald stumps.  Just curious.

Cheers

Both methods can leave bald tips if, as newfiedreams rightly said (;) - credit where it's due! :D), the skin isn't pushed towards the base of the tail before the cutting or banding is done.

Well I've had three different vets do mine over the years and all have cut them off, never seen the banded method.  Though I'm luckier than most as I also have natural bobtails.

On the CDB website you can see a film of a litter of Boxer pups being banded and not a murmer from them or their Mum.

Mine have always been banded by the vet that comes to do them and have never made a fuss at all, and so far I havent had any bald ones, (touch wood).

Even when the tails are cut they make a squeek and that's it!  They make more noise having their claws done! 

I'll second that, when my Springer pups dew claws were down they squealed, at least Spanish dont have to have theirs done, unless they are unlucky enough to have back ones. !!!!!!!!