Docking of Dogs' Tails

Approximately 50 breeds of dogs recognised by the Kennel Club have been customarily docked. Docking may be defined as the removal of whole or part of a dog's tail.

From 2010 this procedure has been illegal under law in all Australian States unless carried out by a registered veterinarian for valid medical reasons. It is illegal for breeders to carry out the procedure.

The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) and the Small Animal Veterinary Association (ASAVA) were advocates for banning this procedure for many years prior to the ban. Before the change in the law, AVA and the ASAVA was firmly opposed to the docking of dogs' tails for cosmetic reasons, irrespective of the age of the dog. 

The only exceptions to this are if it can be shown to be necessary for therapeutic or truly prophylactic reasons. Therapeutic docking for the treatment of injury or disease to the tail presents no problem, but prophylactic docking is more difficult to define. Legal opinion suggests that docking cannot be defined as prophylactic unless it is undertaken for the necessary protection of the dog from risk of disease or injury which is likely to arise in the future resulting from the retention of the entire tail.

"Legal opinion suggests that docking cannot be defined as prophylactic unless it is undertaken for the necessary protection of the dog from risk of disease or injury which is likely to arise in the future resulting from the retention of the entire tail."

It is considered that faecal soiling is not for this purpose a disease or injury and its purported prevention by surgical means cannot be justified.

Similarly, docking of a whole litter of puppies carried out merely at the owner's request cannot be described as prophylactic just because the pups are of a particularly breed, type or conformation. In this situation it is recognized that docking of litters of certain a breed is done purely due to tradition, previous breed standards and is considered cosmetic only.

Docking for reasons that are other than therapeutic or truly prophylactic amounts to unacceptable mutilation, which, if carried out by a veterinarian who knew or ought to have known of the lack of true justification, would almost certainly be considered to be acting under disgraceful conduct in a professional respect. If found guilt by the Various State Veterinary Surgeons’ Boards Disciplinary Committees, the offending veterinarian could have his/her name removed from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons and would thus be deprived of his or her right to practice veterinary surgery.

Moreover, most veterinarians have a moral aversion to performing unnecessary surgery if for purely cosmetic reasons.   

Hopefully this explanation makes it clear to you why veterinarians are unable to accede with your request to dock your litter of puppies.