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Docking
Sweetlychee asked:
[quote=They are really cute puppies. My question is (please pardon me for I don't have the knowledge) is how do breeders dock their tails? I thought initially that corgis were born with their short tails. I realized later they have to be docked after they are born within a few days.
To me, "docking" sounds like cutting or seems painful.
Please explain.[/QUOTE]
Some Pembrokes are born with natural bobbed tails - an original breed characteristic/trait and docking the tails goes to the preservation of breed type. Type is what makes a breed a breed.
The two methods of docking are banding and surgical docking.
Banding is usually down by at the latest day three after puppies are born. A special type of rubber band (NOT the kinds picked up at the office supply store) is placed at the base of the tail. This cuts off the blood circulation, the tail withers and falls off. BEFORE they hysterics start - at this age the sensory nervous system is not developed and no they do NOT feel pain. Do you remember your umbilical cord falling off? Or how many men rember being circumcised? Puppies will react to stimuli with squeals and fussing and one gets no more fussing out of a puppy when banding the tail as they do when they take it away from Mom for a weighing. Dew claws are also done at this age. Puppies fuss while this is going on, and then all is right with their world once back in with Mom and siblings. Puppies will also react to being too hot or too cold. A chilled puppy is a dead puppy, as they cannot regulate their body temperature either.
Surgical docking is done by a veterinarian and more towards the week old time frame. Dew claws are done then too. A little bit of local for numbing the tail removed, maybe a stitch IF needed and they are good to go.
Debbie
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