Here at Purty P's we offer the option of keeping your Aussies tail intact. Read on for more information and how to make it happen.

Why are Aussie tails docked?

 It's done primarily to prevent a working dog (especially herders) from an injury. A broken or degloved tail on an adult dog is a very serious and painful injury. They are also docked because of breed or conformation standards. Third, for hygiene. Long fluffy tails can attract some less than desirable debris. 

Yes, some Aussies are born with naturally bobbed tails.

When are Aussie tails docked?

Tail docking is performed at 2-5 days old. At Purty P's, docking is performed by our trusted veterinarian. 

Why so young?

At 2-5 days old, puppies have not yet developed the nervous system to feel pain from docking. After the nervous system begins to develop (6 days old), it is no longer a simple "snip and stitch", it then becomes a surgical procedure with all the pain and recovery time that entails.

Why keep the tail intact?

Keeping the tail is a matter of personal preference. Most Aussies have beautiful, full tails and, as their companion for life, you may choose to keep it. 

At Purty P's, we encourage you to keep the tail if your Aussie is going to a pet home. If he/she is going to a working home or farm home, we then recommend docking to avoid the risk of injury.

When and how do I arrange to keep my puppies' tail?

In order to keep your puppies' tail intact, you must:

1) Contact us

2 Be an approved home

3) Make a deposit before your puppies scheduled docking. 

The best time to make these arrangements are before your puppy is born. We will place you on our waiting list and contact you on the day that our next litter arrives. You will then be able to choose your puppy based on the order of reservations received. (The first reservation gets first choice etc..). You may also choose to wait for the next litter if the puppy you want is not born in that particular litter. A deposit is not required to be placed on the reservation list, it is only required after you have chosen and before docking is normally performed.

 *Pictured at right is Sully, one of our grown and happily homed pups, contentedly snoozing away on his bed with his favorite toy and his tail intact.