The ACD's Tail...

[AusCatDogs_4Ever]

Many people dock Australian Cattle Dog's Tails... Some people people THINK the tail is supposed to be docked, but they are wrong! There are many reasons an ACD requires a tail...

for more information read the ACD's Tail page, along with an animation made by me

 

[Cassiepeia]

People dock the ACD's tail? Really? I'd never heard of that. How sad. I wonder why they think that's the way it should be?

EDIT: Perhaps they've seen pictures of another breed called the 'Australian Stumpy Tailed Cattle Dog' and they thought they were ACD's with docked tails?

Cass.

 

[AusCatDogs_4Ever]

Perhaps they've seen pictures of another breed called the 'Australian Stumpy Tailed Cattle Dog' and they thought they were ACD's with docked tails?

You are absolutly correct! That is just one reason they dock their tails. Another is ranchers think it may cause injury, but injury to the tail is very rare, and their tails actually act like rudders to help them herd.

 

[jess2416]

hmm...i've never seen any with docked tails...but I think they have the prettiest colors.. I hope that I will have the chance to mabey have a ACD one day

 

[AusCatDogs_4Ever]

Wow, both of you really havn't seen an ACD undocked? I saw a lot of them... It depends on where you live also. They mostly dock them in texas, and some other places through-out the states. No one in Canada and Australia would believe someone could dock an ACD. Sometimes you see the odd few cattle dogs with docked tails in shelters, but again it depends where you live.

 

[jess2416]

Wow, both of you really havn't seen an ACD undocked

What I meant to say was that I have ONLY seen ACD with their tails.

 

[AusCatDogs_4Ever]

Also, if your interested you can check out The Australian Tail Docking Ban

 

[AusCatDogs_4Ever]

What I meant to say was that I have ONLY seen ACD with their tails

That's good to hear, just the way it should be.

 

[Cassiepeia]

I've never seen them docked either. I'm Australian, so you're dead right about Aussie's never dreaming of cutting of our Cattle dogs tails (especially now with the ban *Yippeeee!!* ). The Stumpy's aren't that common down here (not rare...just not that popular with people as pets) so you don't see them much, so an ACD with a docked tail would be an odd sight.

Cass.

 

[Swiftwind]

Cattle Dogs are really, really common where I'm from... and I don't think I've EVER seen one with a docked tail.

 

[Molly_Moppet]

I've seen a few stumpy tailed cattle dogs. They're usually a fair bit heavier than the normal ACD's. Shorter legs, more barrel like shape. The ones i've seen have been more aloof, some have been downright aggressive to strangers. One i knew had a habit of coming around behing and 'heeling' you. I've felt sorry for the cattle ever since, it flamin hurts!

 

[Cassiepeia]

If they're heavier with shorter legs, you probably saw docked ACD's because Stumpy's are lighter and taller than ACD's.

This is an Australian Cattle dog - Aust Ch. Avonpark Tribal Legend (yes he has a tail...you just can't see it in the photo.

and
This is a Stumpy Tailed Cattle dog - BISS BISSS Grand Ch Ambajaye High Tail It

Cass.

 

[AusCatDogs_4Ever]

I am also thinking you saw a stumpy. They are more leggy than Australian Cattle Dogs, ACDs are more stocky.

Here is what they look like without a tail...

Adult:

Puppy:

 

[Molly_Moppet]

The ones i've seen must have been crosses then, because all but one of them were farm dogs. Farmers here rarely bother to vaccinate (unless they're competition dogs) let alone pay for docking. I couldn't imagine them doing it themselves either. As long as they can work, they don't care what they look like.

 

[Cassiepeia]

Actually I have no doubt a farmer would do it themselves. They may, as AusCatDogs has said, think this is how they're meant to be in order to work.

Cass.