When it comes to this breed of dog, it is not usually the question of whether they have a tail at all, but more why aren’t their tails fully grown?
The short answer is that they do have tails but at a certain time in their lives, they will get docked (partially chopped). There are a few reasons why people that own a Yorkie should do this which are quite unexpected.
This guide will give you all of the information about Yorkshire Terriers that you need to know, all about their tails and why they are the way they are.
Why Are There Tails Docked?
This task refers to partially removing part of a dog’s tail and is very common with smaller dog breeds. This is usually done to puppies or really young pups because they would be in less pain and are more likely to heal from this very fast.
Like it never happened! Therefore, it is all about the safety of the dog, and this would be the safest time in a dog’s life to do it.
Reasons Why
- How it looks – If the dog has a high and long tail it is considered undesirable – especially in the world of dog competitions. Therefore, many people tend to do it because of personal choice of how they want their dog to be perceived or judged. It is argued that a god with a shorter tail will create more of an impact look for your dog.
- American Kennel Club standards – These club standards make sure that all of these breeds of dogs must have a medium-length tail and must be docked at a certain point in their lives which is usually as a newborn. This also comes back for the dog shows that take place in many areas, this breed with a short tail is what is expected.
- Hunting – This is also put in place for their protection when it comes to hunting injuries. In the past, they used to be bred as hunting dogs which isn’t always the case now, but still happens. Therefore, they would have their tails docked so they would not have to worry about any injuries to the tail in hunting.
How Do You Dock A Tail?
It can be really difficult when it comes to this type of procedure – especially when it comes to newborn Yorkies. You have to make sure that you are using the correct equipment which you can actually use at home to carry it out.
It is all about the timing of the procedure because it will have the best outcome of healing if done at the right time.
You are looking at waiting up to 5 days before trying to carry out the procedure because by this time the pup would have built enough strength to be able to handle the procedure.
However, if you were thinking of doing this after a day then this would not be a good time because they would be too weak.
Different Methods
For this procedure, you have two different methods that you can use if you want to do this from home:
The Banding Method
The banding method is simpler than the two where you will use a tight sanitized rope to your pet’s tail where you wish to remove it. Therefore, the blood will be cut off from this area.
When this is left on that part of the tail will then die and fall off giving you the medium size tail that is desired.
Professional Vet
There is also the option of using a professional vet who will surgically remove the tail. This is a procedure that is not usually for newborns and is kept for older dogs where they haven’t been done after birth and need to be done.
Perks Of Docking It Early
There are several benefits of docking your Yorkie’s tail earlier rather than later:
- Less pain – when it is performed from birth there is a lot less pain than it would be if it was carried out on an older dog. They are also more prone to fast healing in comparison to older dogs.
- Smaller tail – it is an easier procedure when the tail is smaller because when using the band method, it would only take three days to come off.
The Question Is, Should You Remove Their Tails?
This is a question that people talk about across the whole globe, whether it doesn’t need to be done and if you are just doing it for aesthetic reasons then it is not essential for their health.
One thing you need to consider first is looking at the age of your Yorkie because if they are quite a bit older, there is no reason to really do it. It is not as safe for an older dog if they were to heal quite badly.
If you are somewhere that makes it compulsory then you might have to but if it is not you really need to think about the benefits of docking it and whether you want to enter your dog into competitions.
It can also go the other way where it can be illegal to dock tails and it should definitely be avoided as you could get into trouble for doing it.
If you are going to go through with this through the vets, it is also good to think about the cost of the procedure.
Conclusion
Overall, this is an important guide and sometimes it may be your choice whether your Yorkie has its tail removed and sometimes there will be no choice.
However, it is all about looking at the benefits or thinking about whether it is really necessary. If you are looking to enter your pet into competitions, sometimes it is prohibited to have a dog with a really long tail and is expected to be docked.
This is something to watch out for.
