What are cattle dogs?

Cattle dogs are a special breed that specialize in guiding cattle across long distances. While their popularity has certainly declined over the last 50 years, there are still many parts of the world (mostly remote) that still use cattle dogs. Cattle dogs are perfect for the job because they are very strong dogs and intelligent. Their athletic frame allows them to maneuver around cattle that weigh over 1000 pounds. Cattle dogs are also very friendly around humans, and are known for having a lot of emotional intelligence. 

If you have ever seen a cattle dog, you may have noticed that it had a docked tail. Docking tails is a pretty common practice seen in cattle dogs across the world. Today we are going to explain why cattle dogs have docked tails, and why the practice is starting to become controversial.

Why do cattle dogs have docked tails

The 3 main reasons cattle dogs have docked tails are to protect it from disease, prevent infection, and to maintain hygiene. 

Disease

Cattle dog’s tails are most oftenly docked in order to protect the dog from contracting rabies. While a cattle dogs is out in the open fields, there are plenty of wild animals that could have contracted rabies. With a longer tail, the cattle dogs is more at risk of being bitten and thus contracting rabies. 

Infection

Having a long, lanky tail also puts a cattle dog at more of a risk for infection. It is more surface area for fleas, parasites, or other harmful insects to attach to. This is especially true for cattle dogs that are traversing across large land masses with high foliage. Docking a cattle dogs tail will prevent it from dragging across the plants.

Hygiene 

Some owners will dock their cattle dog’s tails in order to keep it more clean. A smaller tail has a less chance of getting dirty. This is especially true for cattle dogs, since they are often roaming across muddy land, and a lot of the mud can get kicked up from the cattle.

Why is tail docking controversial?

Many vets have come out against docking, say that it is inhumane and not necessary. Over 30 plus countries around the world have actually outlawed tail docking in dogs. It is still legal in the US, but it must be done by a trained professional. A lot of the opponents of tail docking claim that people just do it for appearance purposes, and not for the actual benefit of the dog. Additionally, some newborn dogs have their tails docked as a newborn without anesthesia.