We hope this page will help you to understand our antipathy to the practise of tail docking. 

Our team of staff at The Canine Film Academy (CFA) have an accumulative 86 years of experience, (which includes Field Trials, Working Trials, Showing, Obedience, Agility, Flyball and Coursing; Kennelling, Veterinary Nursing, Dog Training and Dog Wardenship) and we have boarded, trained or met over 17,000 dogs between us. We only know of one dog that damaged his tail which was subsequently amputated.  ...and Luke was an Irish Wolfhound. 

We can provide you with pictures of happy healthy dogs, even some "traditionally docked breeds" which are, curiously, sporting undamaged tails.

Topaz Goldstein Springer Spaniel	Digby Menteith Polish Lowland	Buddy Elkins Jack Russell Terrier

Is Docking even necessary?

Dr Bruce M Cattanach quotes, "Bans on docking will have serious consequences for many traditionally docked breeds. One solution to this problem would be to breed dogs that have inherited short tails. A number of options are possible all of which of necessity include crosses to breeds possessing inherited short tails.

One successful example of how this can be achieved has been demonstrated with Boxers. KC registered Boxers with inherited short tails now compete successfully in the show ring. The image of the docked dog is maintained. The effect was achieved using a bobtail gene derived from a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Other possibly better genes exist in other breeds."

There is further information about his work on this website: http://clubs.akc.org/abc/bobtails/new_page_1.htm

The BBC...

As an agency, The CFA would prefer to invest its time and training expertise in dogs which are more likely to get work on television, in advertising and in films: when contacted, the BBC stated that they would rather not use docked dogs to avoid the controversy surrounding the issue.  In light of this, it does not make sound business sense to advertise or train dogs which are unlikely to produce revenue in the future. 

Dogs Today Magazine...

have stated a preference for using dogs with tails, especially dogs who would have been traditionally docked.  The CFA therefore encourages owners with such dogs to train with them by offering a free private lesson or a 10% discount on their course fees, whichever suits the owner best. 

What is docking?

Docking is the amputation of all or part of a dog's tail.  Whilst adult dogs which have sustained an injury that requires this surgery have the benefit of a general anaesthetic, puppies do not.  The latest research suggests that whilst the myalin sheath is incomplete in neonatal puppies (0 - 5 days old) they still experience the pain of having their tail cut off in exactly the same way as an an adult dog would.

There is a limited list of breeds of dog which are born naturally with very short tails.  These  breeds are said to contain the "bob-tail" gene.  It should be noted that just because a breed contains the gene, not all members of that breed will exhibit it, ie; some of those dogs may still be born with a normal length tail and these puppies will be docked. 

How can you tell a "bob-tail" dog from a docked dog?

The back bone (spine) comprises of small bones called vertebrae.  At the end of a natural tail they taper off and the last vertebrae is markedly smaller than the vertebrae at the top of the tail.  A docked tail terminates abruptly with no tapering. 
 

Which breeds contain the "bob-tail" gene?

The CFA is aware of the following breeds that carry this gene: French Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, Corgies, Polish Lowlands, English Bull Dog and Australian Shepherds.  If you know of any other breeds that should added to this list please let us know.
 

What is the aim of the CFA?

If our policy increases the awareness of the general public on the legal issues surrounding the docking of puppies tails, or reduces the number of puppies which are docked illegally then we will have satisfied our aim. 
 

What is the CFA's policy regarding tail docking?

If you buy a docked dog or puppy the vendor/breeder must (or should have no reason why they can't) be able to provide you with acceptable evidence to prove that your dog or puppy was docked by a qualified veterinary surgeon. If they cannot do this, you must assume (or would be justified in assuming) that the puppy was not legally docked. 

If you rescue a dog (ie: you are not the first owner of that dog) and that dog already has a docked tail, or your dog was born prior to June 1993 and was docked, or your dog sustained a tail injury and was docked as a result, or your dog was legally docked and you can produce evidence to prove this, we will happily train you and your dog. 

If you have bought a docked dog or puppy and would like to train with the CFA but your breeder cannot or will not provide evidence to prove that it was legally docked, the CFA suggests that you contact the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and ask them if, in their opinion, your dog should have been docked. If they agree that on this occasion, docking was a reasonable procedure you should take the name of the person you have spoken to at the RCVS so that we can confirm it.  The CFA will then help you train your dog, provided that you are aware that such a dog is unlikely to get any kind of film work after its course. 

We sympathise with the many owners of docked dogs who were unaware of the controversy and legal issues surrounding the docking procedure when they bought their puppy. However, we do not feel that ignorance of the law is a justifiable defence in this case, and the CFA regrets that docked puppies bought from breeders who will not or cannot produce evidence that their puppies are legally docked will not be advertised in the "Dogs Available For Work" section on the CFA Web Site.

If you have bought a dog with a docked tail because you believe it enhances the dog's looks or you belive that a red ribbon from the show ring is more important than your dog retaining the tail it was born with, the CFA simply will not accept you or your dog for training. 

What is acceptable evidence?

Acceptable evidence must have been issued by the veterinary surgeon who carried out the docking procedure & includes either:
 

A copy of the docking certificate

We realise that vets do not have to supply these to the breeder, and that if the breeder requests a docking certificate that the vet may charge accordingly. Point f) from the RCVS Press Release, 12 November 1992 states: "Whenever a veterinary surgeon docks a dog he should carefully record the event setting out the reasons for docking and a copy of that record should be kept for future reference...."  We will accept a photocopy of this record as a "Docking Certificate".

or 

A letter from the vet on the surgery's headed paper confirming that s/he docked the puppy
(The vet may also charge for this service)

or 

A copy of the invoice from the vet to the breeder for docking your puppy.
(a photocopy generally costs about 5p and a 1st class stamp about 26p)
 

If you own a docked dog or puppy and would like to train with the CFA, please have the correct documentation to hand when you register:

Your first step should be to contact your breeder and ask them if they would be kind enough to supply the relevant information.  If they can't or won't do this, please ask them why.  Remember, a photocopy of the invoice from the vet should only cost them 5p and a first class stamp about 26p.  You're not asking for the earth...

 

You may then try to contact the vets who docked your puppy directly, but finding out who this is may prove difficult if the breeder won't supply you with their name.  The breeder's regular vet is unlikely to be the vet who docked your puppy.

 

Finally, if your breeder assures you that your puppy was legally docked but won't supply you with the evidence you require; contact the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and ask them if, in their opinion, your puppy should have been docked.  If they say its OK and you can provide us with the name of the person you spoke to (so that we can confirm it) then its OK with us.

The Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, ... resolved: 
 

a	The RCVS considers docking of dogs' tails to be an unjustified mutilation and unethical unless done for therapeutic or acceptable prophylactic reasons.
b	Therapeutic docking to treat tail injury or disease is acceptable in the interests of the animal.
c	Prophylactic docking to prevent injury at some unspecified time in the future is not acceptable unless the veterinary surgeon has full knowledge of the breed, the strain, and the anticipated lifestyle of the dog. At ten days of age rarely could the lifestyle of the dog be predicted with any certainty. It follows that the routine docking of many breeds under ten days of age can rarely be acceptable for prophylactic reasons.
d	It should be understood that repeated unethical behaviour may raise unethical action to the level of being considered disgraceful. Any veterinary surgeon performing the operation routinely might therefore be required to satisfy the RCVS that he did so for prophylactic reasons which met the above criteria.
e	It is highly unlikely that the routine docking of tails of puppies belonging to an owner not normally the client of the veterinary surgeon, or routine docking merely at the owners request, would satisfy the above criteria. Moreover such circumstances might provide further evidence to support an allegation of disgraceful conduct.
f	Whenever a veterinary surgeon docks a dog he should carefully record the event setting out the reasons for docking and a copy of that record should be kept for future reference.
g	Meanwhile veterinary surgeons should take every available opportunity to educate and persuade dog breeders and the public that the routine docking of puppies tails is an unacceptable mutilation.

The RCVS published its latest Guide to Professional Conduct in June 1996. Leading Counsel has advised:- 

Docking, which may be defined as the amputation of the whole or part of a dog's tail has, since July 1993, been illegal under UK law, if performed by a lay person. 

The Royal College has for many years been firmly opposed to the docking of dogs' tails, whatever the age of the dog, by anyone, unless it can be shown truly to be required for therapeutic or truly prophylactic reasons. 

Docking cannot be defined as prophylactic unless it is undertaken for the necessary protection of the given dog from risks to that dog of disease or of injury which is likely to arise in the future from the retention of the entire tail. The test of likelihood is whether or not such outcome will probably arise in the case of that dog if it is not docked. Faecal soiling is not for this purpose a disease or injury, and its purported prevention by surgical means cannot be justified.

Similarly, docking cannot be described as prophylactic if it is undertaken merely on request, or just because the dog is of a particular breed, type or conformation. Council considers that such docking is unethical. 

Docking a dogs tail for reasons which are other than truly therapeutic or prophylactic is capable of amounting to conduct disgraceful in a professional respect. In the event of disciplinary proceedings being brought in respect of tail docking, it shall be open to the RCVS by evidence to prove, and the Disciplinary Committee on such evidence to find, that any therapeutic or prophylactic justification advanced for the docking in question is without substance. If such a finding is made, the Disciplinary Committee may proceed to consider and to decide whether in the circumstances the veterinary surgeon who undertook that docking knew, or ought to have known, that such a purported justification is without substance.

For the avoidance of any doubt, any instance of tail docking which is found to have been undertaken for reasons which were not truly therapeutic or prophylactic will necessarily constitute an unacceptable mutilation of the dog, which, if carried out by a veterinary surgeon who knew or ought to have known of the lack of true justification, would almost certainly be considered to be conduct disgraceful in a professional respect.
 

In summary of the above:

Breeders can no longer dock their own puppies without violating the 1993 law and Vets who dock puppies should be confident that their actions comply with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons guidelines.  If both parties are operating inside the law and the vet is operating within the guidelines of his/her professional governing body, there should be no problem in procuring the necessary evidence to prove that a puppy was legally docked.