Imagine you’re a dog with a long, silky tail that you like to wag. The problem is, you spend your days running across moorland, through prickly undergrowth, which makes your tail hurt and bleed. Might you wish that someone had made it a little bit shorter when you were a puppy?
Many people – and especially those with working dogs – argue that docking is by far the kindest option. This is why it is odd that Scotland is the only country in the UK with a complete ban on tail docking. England, Wales and Northern Ireland all have exemptions for working dogs, as long as they are docked when very young. But not in Scotland. This is why the Scottish Gamekeepers Association has presented their Environment Secretary, Richard Lochhead, with a petition to reverse the ban.
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