What would you do?

I was honestly in the same boat as you, I didn't like the practice BUT found a breeder I loved and honestly, the pros outweighed the cons.

I got the puppy (obviously.) and have no regrets.

I had yet to find a quality breeder (that works their dogs as does as much as I would like with them, that I clicked with, that focused so much on health) that didn't dock... so the tail, for me, COULD NOT over-ride the importance of health, temperament, breeder relations etc... so I put it further down the list and focused on everything else.
Basically, to find a tailed dog I'd have to put MUCH MORE important things aside and shuffle the priorities around, and that just was not going to happen.

I knew his breeder was what I wanted, I knew coming this close to "perfect breeder" was rare, we clicked, I loved her dogs...I got the dog. *shrug*
Now I love the bunny butt

I have no doubt docking is one day going to be a thing of the past. Merlin's breeder is already (I believe) not docking mis marks and such. But until then...I'd just suck it up really.

I'm happy I did

Just my 2 cents.

This ^^^

I say stick to your guns. You can always ask about leaving tails on.

When I someday get my bouvier I will not purchase from a breeder who doesn't dock, if the breeder I like decided to stop docking I would find another breeder.

The trouble with asking a breeder not to dock a puppy for you... is that IF they would even do so, the selection process is a bit ruined because since they would choose to NOT dock that puppy for you at 3-4 days...that would be your puppy.
and what if that puppy grew up into the kind of pet you didn't want?

That said, tails are not important to me. I wouldn't choose or not choose a breeder because of tail politics.

I have seen a few breeders/owners alike saying things like IF ______ WERE A TAILED BREED OR DOCKING WAS BANNED I WOULDN'T OWN ONE/BREED THEM.
and IMO I think that's a bit...odd. I mean, it's just a tail. I understand being upset because of it being banned/the rights as dog owners... but to quit a breed altogether because they have tails now? they are still gonna be aussies with the tails lol I promise

This. And I much prefer a tailed dog (although I am not against docking).

It's such a personal decision. Of course first spend time looking at more breeders and see if you can find one that's just as perfect and doesn't dock.

Then you have to decide how big of a deal breaker it is for you. Some people can buy from people who cull healthy puppies (or deaf puppies), I could never ever do that no matter how perfect the breeder seems otherwise. You have to decide if docking is a deal breaker, only you can make that decision.

I thought I might give my prospective from the other side. I'm one of those "odd" people who would be put off by owning my breed of choice (Dobermans) if Docking/Cropping were illegal. I think they look weird with natural ears and tail. (I still feel a little weird because Skittles has natural ears but by the time I got my girl she was to old)

That said if the breeder is perfect in all other aspects, I'd go for it. We got our girl from a couple who couldn't keep her any longer and were rehoming with the help of the breeder. She wasn't cropped because the husband didn't like the look. I could have waited for the next litter this summer but Skittles was everything I was looking for in a dog. Her personality and everything about her was perfect other then her ears.

In the end, despite thinking she looks silly with those floppity ears, I'm very happy with our decision and I love my girl. She's been amazing to work with and is helping me in great ways as she is being trained to be my Psychiatric Service Dog. I don't regret it and neither will you.

If everything else is perfect, just that one thing. Go for it.

As a possible alternative, do any other breeders have dogs from that breeder's lines? If so, are there any that don't dock?

Since it's a rarer breed, you might try looking on the continent for people who have used her lines or have kennels completely based on them even. They might not do as extensive of testing as that breeder, but they'll be from a recently tested lineage at least. It could be a way to compromise and still get the dog that you're hoping for.

In the end it's still weighing whether docking is more or less important than the other testing and working things being done though.

That is why I don't think it's fair to ask a breeder to leave one tailed puppy for you. They would be guessing which pup would be the right one for you. I think you either decide if you're okay with the way the breeder does tails/dewclaws/ears or you should go somewhere else. I think it puts the breeder in quite a spot if you ask for a tailed puppy. What if you back out? What if they pick the wrong puppy at 3 days old?

I'm looking into two traditionally docked (one docked/cropped) breeds for future dogs. At this point in time one is able to be found in the US fairly easily all natural and the other is not almost ever. If I decide on the second one, I have realized it would mean a docked dog.

I think this is the clincher.

What am I more passionate about.

I'd have to say great, ethical breeding.

I'm going to strike up conversation with her. I'm not looking for a dog immediately, but perhaps we can talk and she can enlighten me to a wider circle.

I don't preffer docking, so I tottaly understand you!

I'm on the side of "go for it". Health and temperament > docking. Aussies are my breed; they are traditionally docked for a number of reasons and while I'd be pretty put off by having a breeder leave tails, if it came down to it and they fit literally every single other criteria of mine, well, I'd learn to like tails I guess.

Having held dozens of screaming tiny baby puppies while they had their tails cut off, I could not do it. I just could not. That's what is more important to me. ymmv.

Yep. I wish more people could see what actually happens.

This is why I choose to believe boxers are born with nubby tails.
I hate the process but... am not going to select a breeder JUST because they don't dock.

Neither am I, but I will be looking for that within the whole package.

To be fair it wasn't dozens... but I was there for a litter being docked and they all just squeaked and then went back to scooting around...

I'm not all gung-ho about the process, mind you, I mean it is what it is I have a dog who is docked and I love his breeder anyway and love him just the way he is but perhaps it depends on the method?

I don't know that there's too many docking methods?

Every puppy I've held has screamed his/her tiny lungs out. But they're too underdeveloped to be able to do anything about it other than scream. Granted, I guess I'd rather see people doing surgical docking vs banding...

There are different methods to remove the tail. All of the Dobermans I've seen done are fine and there is little to no reaction to the docking.


Heath and temperament is much more important to me than tail or no tail