Tail Docking

[Amonty]

What is the oldest anyone suggest docking the tail on a dog? What is the easiest way to do it on your own? Will rubber banding the tail work? Any suggestions will be useful.

[pawsnpads]

If your going to cut it off. Do it as soon as possible!!! I do the tail and dew claws at two days old. If you get a pup at six to eight weeks use a rubber band. The tail should fall off within a week or so. Hope that helps

[fox hunter]

1 to 3 days old is the best time , the blood has not started to flow fully to the outer extremities yet. I use a pair of scissors, pull the skin back towaed the but and cut. I have seen dogs 6 months old docked with a hatchet and 2/4 but I do not recomend this better to have a vet do it if they are past weening age

[sawtooth]

good question. I got a 5 mo old airedale whos tale is docked but not short enough for my taste, so I'd like to cut it shorter. Has anyone used a rubber band at 5-6 mos old?

[Va cat hunter]

I have docked dogs tails that were 4 and 5 years old. I do it with castrating bands. After about 5 days u can cut it off and pull the band off. They wont even know what your doing. Usually i do it when they are around 6 months old. If you cut to much when they are real young they will end up with a 5 in tail.

[ZeluvaRIP69er]

As horrible as it sounds, when they open their eyes we just whip out a knife, cut it where we want, I usually get stuck holding the tail till it stops bleeding... Then you are good to go

I've seen it done with nail clippers for dogs, hoof snips for horse, and a sharp pocket knife

[Coyote]

A couple of hours after they are born is a good time to do it. They don't bleed much and what little blood there is, momma will clean off the pups in short order. I have been told not to dock it after they are a year old.

[Mike Leonard]

The first week is the best time. It takes a little practice to get good on the front dew claws and they hurt the pup more than the tail.

I like to take the last little whip out of my dogs tails to keep them from bleeding when whipping the brush trailing. I think a 3/4 or even 2/3 tail looks good and will not cause any problems.

Some REALLY OLDTIMERS, LOL! would cut it off way short like GSP or even shorter. To me that looks like crap. I like to see a hound's tail; up and and flagging when they are getting on scent. To look over and see one of them little tail wigglers makes me think about grabbing my shotgun and getting ready for a rooster to explode from the corn. And when I am out lion hunting the explosion I want to hear is old Toby and Nash making them rocks shake off the side of the canyon and telling me that something smells like a lion. LOL!