There are basically three groups of people when we look at the docking dilemma. One group is for docking as it is the vision of the Old English Sheepdog people have as a dog without tail that is cute and lots of fun. The second group of the Old English Sheepdog owners is strictly opposed to docking as they consider it barbaric ritual that is done strictly for the cosmetic purpose and therefore can’t be justified. This view is also shared by most of the veterinarian associations around the World, as they could not find medical reasoning for removing tails. The third group are owners that have no strong opinions or views about the tail but love their Old English Sheepdogs whatever they look like. They are more focused on their personality than looks, but still majority will be opposed to docking as they find it unnecessary. 

Origins of the OES tail docking

In this article we covered origin and history of the old English Sheepdog, but in summary, Old English Sheepdog was mostly used as a drover aiding farmers move large number of cattle and sheep to markets throughout the 19^th century. Laws of England of the 19th century required taxation of luxury pets, so farmers customarily docked tails of Old English Sheepdogs to prove that they were working dogs. After the transition to pets in the 20^th century, docking of the OES tails has been mainly traditional for cosmetic appearance. Since many countries completely banned or heavily restricted tails docking (exemptions are medical reasons or certain working breeds), most of the Old English Sheepdogs in Europe, UK, some parts of South America, Australia and New Zealand are undocked. United States have no restrictions, while in Canada some provinces have restrictions. Docking is usually done within the first five days of puppy’s life while the bone tissue is still soft enough and while the central nervous system is still underdeveloped. During the docking procedure, anesthesia is not administered if done within the first 5 days of the puppy’s life. If this window is missed, docking will be done after 3-4 weeks have passed and it will be done with surgical scalpels and under general anesthesia. 

Pros and cons of the OES tail docking

One of the most common pros for the tail docking is believed to be avoiding injury when Old English Sheepdogs are in fields. Some anxious sheepies will bite and injure their tails. However, after OES has become pet predominately, there are minimal risks for work-related injuries. If your OES is anxious, docking of the tail can be a medical procedure recommended by your veterinarian and can be done at later stage, rather immediately upon birth.

American Veterinary Medical Association lobbies for removal of cosmetic alterations from breed standards as it is deemed unnecessary. Some canine related books of the late 19^th century mention docking for certain breeds to improve their appearance. In the largest study conducted to date, it has been shown that approximately 500 dogs are docked to prevent one injury, which makes preventive medical docking unnecessary. However, it is necessary to also state that there is no substantial evidence that docked dogs are physically or psychologically inferior to dogs with tails. Some claims were made that docked tails could lead to incontinence and that docked tail could impair their ability to communicate; however, data for these claims is inconclusive as of now. What we noticed with our Old English Sheepdogs is that OES with tails had less mess after defecating, as they used their tails as a sort of catapult to avoid messy elimination. It is also necessary to state that regardless of the underdeveloped nervous system in puppies younger than 5 days, they do react to the procedure with crying and howling, which indicates that they still do feel pain, so the procedure is not pain free, albeit not as painful as it would be after their first week after their birth. Most puppies will not be scared for life, but some can have long-term difficulties in processing and perceiving pain. Aside of the traumatic tail injury that requires surgical amputation, docking is not considered medical necessity, but rather a cosmetic procedure. There are also natural bob-tailed Old English Sheepdogs which do not require further surgical intervention.

Conclusions

Docking your puppy’s tail remains your decision unless you live in a country where docking is banned. In the USA, you will have to dock your Old English Sheepdog’s tail if you would like to enter AKC conformation shows. The breed standard for the Old English Sheepdog requires naturally bobbed tail or docked tail and does not allow for dogs with tails to compete. American Veterinary Medical Association is lobbying to remove this requirement from the breed standards and allow both docked and undocked sheepies to participate. If you, however, live in Europe, your country could be one of many banning the docking and you will have no choice. 

Docked, or natural, we love Old English Sheepdogs, and the good thing is that docking their tails do not change their personalities, it does not influence their behavior, communication skills or reduce their stamina. Therefore, to dock or not to dock is the matter of your preference on cosmetic surgeries and if you can tolerate docking procedure for the benefit of appearance.