Or docking them. I remember my grandfather lopping the dogs tails and sticking the stump into a can of kerosene. I am sure there must have been a reason- but what wa sit? It seems very painful for the dog, just reflecting.
It’s over very quickly.
Compared to “cropping” the ears so that they stand up, it is comparatively humane.
Some big dogs with long tails will knock over things, etc.
I am not in favor of it, but it’s not so bad.
Are you asking about the kerosene part? I can only imagine that your grandfather was attempting to clean the wound. He would have done better using dilute iodine. Way more effective, safer, and probably as easy to get as kerosene at the time.
If done effectively, tail docking does not seem to be overly painful for the animal. It’s a common practice in many farm situations, like for sheep and pigs, where having a tail can lead to management problems. It’s difficult to gauge exactly how painful it is because we can’t ask the animals. However, if the alternative is a 50%(*) increase chance of getting fly strike, or an ascending spinal infection, probably better not to have the tail.
*Percentage is my WAG because I’m too lazy to see what the number really is.
The Council of Docked Breeds faq.
Tail docking has been banned in the UK except for some working dogs who might otherwise suffer damage to tails.
Does the standard for docked breeds change? I would imagine the tails would be different sizes and shapes in breeds that were traditionally docked.
Some breeds have docked tails for safety or health issues- herding dogs with tails can have them mangled, and breeds with long, whip-like tails can easily break them.
Breeds are judged against an agreed-upon breed standard, rather than other breeds. It appears from the AKC website that Doberman Pinschers have a docked tail required by the breed standard, so undocked animals would be judged negatively. Similarly, a Boxer with an undocked tail would be “severely penalized.” But there are plenty of herding group breeds that carry a full tail, such as the Briard, and dogs will be penalized for a cut tail.
ETA- so in the case of the AKC, one could not successfully show a dog with an undocked tail in a breed whose standard requires it.