Pit Bulls are commonly seen with cropped ears, however, and occasionally you see the tail has been docked. Tail-docking on a Pit Bull isn’t usually done, but if you have seen it before it’s usually for looks. If you’re thinking about tail-docking, there are some things you should be aware of before you do. Tail-docking is much more common among breeds like Rottweiler, Doberman, Boxer, and even some hounds. Pit Bull breeds aren’t traditionally ones that get their tails docked, compared to other breeds. While ear-cropping is common among Pit Bull breeds, docking tails is less so. Both factors can lead to unpleasant complications, especially since the older the dog is, the more painful and difficult the procedure will be. Some even take it upon themselves to do it, usually when the puppy is 2-9 weeks old. This varies from country to country, but in the US, there are no such regulations. In most countries, the procedure must be done by a veterinarian, and should be performed when the dog is only a few days old. There is no medical reason to cut a dog’s tail, and it’s mostly done to conform to a breed’s “look”. Certain breeds have had docked tails for so long that it’s just seen as normal. This is probably a huge reason why tail-docking is still so common today. In 1891, a book titled The American Book of the Dog stated that tail-docking and ear-cropping were both necessary for a “proper look”. This, in turn, led to dog-owners docking their dogs’ tails simply to avoid said taxation, which normalized the practice.

There was a taxation on all dogs unless they were working dogs, and working dogs were distinguished from the rest by tail-docking. Tail-docking in general first came about in the 18th century. As with guard dogs and working dogs, hunting dogs could have their tails grabbed or injured, which is why it’s simply safer and more convenient to cut them off. This is still the logic many proponents of tail-docking go by. Why tail-docking?īack in the day, it was mostly a case of hunting dogs having their tails docked to prevent injury.

In the rest of the world, it’s instead very common for this practice to be entirely illegal. This hasn’t been the case for a long time, though, and yet tail-docking is still very popular in Canada and the US. As far back as Ancient Rome, people docked dogs’ tails because they believed it prevented rabies. Tail-docking is an old (very old) tradition when it comes to dogs.

Pit bull ears clipt