Or maybe some pillock docking a puppy that needn't have been docked?

I took the youngers out to the woods for tonight's walk, and we passed a dog that I still can't identify.  It was about the size of a large ridgeback, docked (bout a typical boxer length dock, proportionately), and a cream colour (like a cream greyhound).  Short, smooth coat, I couldn't see the head properly through a headcollar but it looked to be ridgey-ish - I thought it was an unusually coloured boxer until we got closer and I saw the size of it.  Looked as if the muzzle was slightly shorter but not as extreme as a boxer, maybe a little like a staff.  Body was boxer-like in muscle and build but without the forward stance, quite long in the leg.

Any ideas anyone?  It was a gorgeous dog, and desperately wanted to play but sadly was being held back by the owners.  Sweet though.

Most likely it had injured its tail which had then had to be amputated. It's fairly common.

Oh, you should have been politely nosy and asked what breed it was. :-)  I often see unusually built dogs and strange shapes and sizes and usually get told, oh it's a lab. :-D

I saw a lurcher x English Bull Terrier recently :D :D :D

Daisy

I have seen a Lab with an amputated tail (few years ago now) and it looked weird :D The tail was half the size that it should have been. They had taken off a small bit, then had to go back a couple of times before the amputation started to heal properly :(

I own a Munsterlander bitch with half a tail due to damage and she is often mistaken for a large Spaniel ;)

Hi Nikita
It sounds a bit like a Boerboel.

OMG I've just googled Boerboel and they are **oody enormous!!

I've got a spaniel with an amputated tail and you'd never know it hadn't been docked really until you feel the tip when it becomes clear the skin was sewn closed with the bone underneath.

My vet would only dock working dogs although he's told me many a tale (haha!) of owners asking to have dogs docked, him refusing then a few weeks later they turn up at surgery with docked tails.  A law isn't going to stop that and I am sure we'll still see docked dogs around, even if they never do a days work in their lives.

Blimey, looks like one too!  Not so thick-set and longer in the leg, but it did look to be quite young still so maybe not finished beefing up yet.

If you look here - http://www.ukbc.co.uk/influentialboerboel.html - and scroll down to Piona Vegter it looked very much like the first picture.

Thanks ridgielover, well done!

Now they look like they ought to have tails, and of course any born in the UK sicne April will ahve them.

Noticed from the link looking at the appraisal pictures that quite a few were undocked even before the ban.

I noticed that, and the standard on that site I think states that full tails are admissable.  The one I saw - if indeed it was a boerboel - looked to be around 18 month - 2 years old, so certainly not an illegal dock.

Curious to know
Is it legal or illegal now to advertise in newspaper's etc docked puppies ?

Local paper had Weimaraner puppies  advertised just week with docked tails.

Pam

I meant advertised last week

If they are legally docked (which they could be) then there is nothing illegal about advertising them as such, but if I was the advertiser I would mention these were working bred pups.

It could have been a Cane Corso... there are a fair few of them around these days and they could still have their tails docked. I had one in my classes recently with a docked tail.

This is what they look like

http://www.ukdogs.org/nonreg/CaneCorso/pictures/Freya%2022.JPG

Not any pups born since April though.

He could easily have been one of those too - actually looking at that pic, it seems more likely.  The head is absolutely spot on in that one, right down to the darker shading.  Right build too.