Inquiry launched to examine tail-docking of working dogs

By Jenny Fyall
Published on Tuesday 15 November 2011 11:50

Campaigners calling for a law banning tail-docking in Scotland to be overturned for working dogs have claimed a breakthrough after the Scottish Government agreed to commission research into the issue.

A study is being carried out by the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Glasgow to gather evidence on whether the law should be changed to make it legal for puppies that will be working dogs to have up to a third of their tails removed.

Since 2007, it has been illegal to dock the tail of any dog in Scotland. In contrast, in England and Wales there is an exemption for certain working breeds.

More than 1,000 people have already responded to the survey to spell out their experiences as owners of working dogs, The Scotsman has learned.

The £44,500 research will also examine Scottish vets’ records of tail injuries among working breeds such as springer spaniels, cocker spaniels and German shorthaired pointers.

Groups including the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, Countryside Alliance, and British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) have been campaigning to get the law changed in Scotland for the past five years.

Colin Shedden, director of BASC in Scotland, said there was “strong feeling” about the issue of tail-docking.

“My personal view is that the welfare of the dog is benefited by the early intervention,” he said. “It’s not to do with cosmetics or looks. It’s purely to prevent damage of the tail.”

Mr Shedden said working dogs often cut their tails when they were flushing out game from dense gorse or bramble. In the most serious injury cases, adult dogs had to have their tails amputated.

Scottish Gamekeepers Association chairman Alex Hogg urged as many people as possible to take part in the research.

“It is absolutely essential that everyone responds as it could be our last chance to overturn the ridiculous ban,” he said.

An article in the organisation’s magazine, Scottish Gamekeeper, said: “The Scottish Parliament’s ban on the docking for working dogs’ tails in 2007 came as a major blow to all gamekeepers and gun dog owners who care about the welfare of their animals and who witness at first hand the consequences of undocked tails.

“Our persistence in pursuing government to re-examine the ban has been rewarded with the commissioning of new research which will look again at the impact tail-docking has had on working gun dogs and terriers.”

However, Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn does not support a change in the law, arguing it would be a “backward step for animal welfare in Scotland”.

“We believe that no dog should have its tail docked for any reason other than immediate veterinary need,” he said.

And Libby Anderson, policy director for OneKind, formerly Advocates for Animals, said: “This research is aiming to show there is an increased rate of injury in the non-docked working dogs. But the rate of injury in docked dogs is 100 per cent.”

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Brit-free

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 at 11:55 PM

my Jack would be much trimmer with his tail docked , as a confirmed terrier fancier ...i would prefer to see ALL terriers docked ...my other half would react with horror at the suggestion ...you cant ask the terriers when they are days old if they would rather have a broken tail than a nano seconds pain .in pets ..its probably just a cosmetic thing ...aesthetics ...but working dogs should always be docked

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Kendomacaroonbar

Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at 07:36 PM

Of course there is a difference but that presupposes that every dog will have an accidental tail damage...they don't always.

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Daye Tucker

Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at 06:57 PM

The last para states," the rate of injury in docked dogs is 100%'. It is the rate of persistent and repeated injuries to undocked tails of working dogs that is to be researched. There is a fundamental difference.

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Kendomacaroonbar

Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at 02:01 PM

There is absolutely no reason whatsoever to dock any dogs tail. The last para sums up the silliness of such a proposal.

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