Docked dogs, whether bred or owned by Austrians or by exhibitors from other countries, may be shown without any restrictions. It is also allowed to breed from/with docked dogs. At the moment docking is banned in Salzburg. The other federal countries in Austria will follow suit, and docking could be banned in all parts of Austria in the future, but there don't seem to be any moves towards restrictions to show or import docked dogs from other countries - at least at the moment.

The Belgium law regarding docking: Royal decree of May 17, 2001

1. In accordance with Art.2 of this A.R. and in article 17 (a) of the law of August 14, 1986, (as described in the law of 4 May 1995 modifying this), "it are (henceforth) forbidden" to carry out on vertebrated animal one "or several interventions" involving the amputation or the "lesion of one or more significant parts" of its body".

2. According to the article 1st interventions on vertebrated animals, enumerated in the appendix with the A.R. from the 17.05.01 are authorized under the conditions mentioned, in accordance with same Article 17 (a). §2,3° of the law of the 14.08.86.

It can cause problems to be able to show a docked dog and get an official show result to him/her since there are more and more countries with docking ban and it's also more and more difficult to show dogs with docked tails in different countries. It is also a bit difficult to import a dog from England or some other country where the docking is allowed, breeders are not so willing to leave a long tail and they are not so interested in selling a dog just for breeding if he cannot be shown at all?

I do not have statistics about the tail damages, I can only speak about my own experiences. We use our dogs in practical hunting (pheasants, doves, woodcocks, ducks, foxes, beavers, rabbits, deer etc.) and also for tests (+ shows!!). All our dogs have damaged their tails after being used for hunting. They wag their tails against bushes and small trees and the tails start to bleed. After damaging their tails over and over again, the only possibility is to operate the dog and cut the tail off. That was done to our oldest bitch, it was suggested by the vet, only due to medical reasons.

Those animal protectors should have seen her!! What is worse and more painful - docking the tail of a puppy at the age of 3 days or amputating the tail of a 4 years old adult bitch, after she had damaged her tails numerous times? Our dogs have also damaged their tails just when wagging the tails against furniture and walls and boxes at shows. Of course it is not serious, but it's a bit irritating when their tails are bleeding and surely it must hurt the dog too, at least a bit?

Docking is allowed in case it is necessary to prevent injuries (hunting dogs). Nevertheless, the list of hunting dog breeds was only passed by Estonian Kennel Union Council on May 2nd, 2002 and then forwarded to the Ministry of Environment. For this reason, docking is not practiced at the moment.

All docked dogs may be shown on Estonian Kennel Union approved shows. Dogs with docked tails can be used in breeding without restrictions. We don't have any statistics regarding tail-injuries in formerly docked breeds.

Since 1st of May 2002 it is forbidden to show dogs with docked tails (docked after 1st of June 1998) at all German exhibitions. Docked dogs may only be shown, if they were docked according to the animal protection law (veterinary indication, exceptions for dogs, which are used for hunting).

In 1991 the UK Government amended the Veterinary Surgeons Act, prohibiting the docking of dogs' tails by lay persons from July 1,1993. Now only qualified veterinary surgeons are allowed to dock. In November 1992, following the Government move, the Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons ruled docking to be unethical except for therapeutic reasons, this however does not make docking illegal and some veterinary surgeons are still willing to perform the operation.

The official statement of the Kennel Club reads:

"The docking of dogs' tails is an operation which may now only be legally performed by a veterinary surgeon. In view of the fact that docking is lawful the decision concerning docking is one that rests with breeders and their veterinary advisers. The Kennel Club allows customarily docked breeds to be shown with or without their tails being docked and the Breed Standards issued by the Kennel Club indicate this."

All the breed standards for the customarily docked breeds carry a description of how the dog should look whether docked or undocked.

Docked dogs may only be shown if the dog was born before 1st of September 2001. A dog from abroad, either imported or coming over for the show, and from a country where there is no docking ban can be shown when it was born before 1.9.2001. Born after 1.9.2001 and docked it cannot be shown no matter where it comes from.There were exceptions only for the World Winner due to the fact that this legislation came into effect after opening of the entry.

Docked dogs may be bred from without any restrictions.

It is allowed to breed from a docked dog. Some club have rules that before breeding a dog must be shown once or twice, that will be a problem in the future.

Docked dogs may only be shown, if they have been imported before 1. 1. 2000, docked dogs, whose owners live in a country were docking is permitted, may not be shown either. There are no special regulations for world shows etc.

It is allowed to breed from docked dogs without restrictions.

Do you know of statistics on dogs with tail-injuries from formerly docked breeds? No, but I am very much involved with the spaniel club, and know that it has not been a big problem. Just now the spaniel club is doing a big survey asking everybody that have bred or bought a cocker (during the last 5 years) what problems they have had with the dogs, asking everything from toilet training, how it is with kids and so on, how often they have seen the vet, and the reason for seeing him. So hopefully by the end of the year we can get some results, and also see which lines have the most problems.

The situation is quite strange, because there is a law, which says, that any kind of surgical intervention on animals taken for other than health reason is prohibited, but no restrictions are taken and this law is actually not in use.

At the shows you can show docked and undocked dogs, no matter what kind of show it is.

At the moment there are no signals of moves towards a docking ban, but considering joining EU in the future, maybe we will face such a problem. Anyway, there is group of breeders, who vote for docking possibility for at least working dogs.

Tail docking is allowed in the breeds whose approved standards require docking. Portugal signed the European Convention on Cruelty Against Animals, but made a reserve clause on the tail-docking ban issue.

The various Animal's Protection Societies active in Portugal have never given up the lobby against tail-docking. So they are still active, lobbying government and Parliament circles in order to ensure that Portugal accepts fully the European Convention banning tail-docking in dogs altogether through internal legislation approved by Parliament.

Some breeders have organized a movement in the Internet in order to support tail-docking and fight against the Ban giving valuable information to people as far as the disadvantages of the tail-docking in these breeds.

The Portuguese Kennel Club and the various Breed Clubs concerned have been very discreet and quiet about the whole issue and we ignore if they are doing anything at all about it!

However, if other EU southern countries (Spain, France, Italy, Greece, etc.) accept the Ban in the future, I think it will be a matter of time that it will also arrive to Portugal. There seems to be also a growing movement amongst Vets, pro-Ban which will strengthen the movement I'm afraid.

At the moment legally docked dogs may be shown. From 1st of June 2002 no docked dogs may be imported. If docked dogs are imported after this date, they are not registered in the Schweizerische Hundestammbuch (Swiss Kennel Club registration book) - for the registration the owner must proof, that the imported dog is undocked. It is allowed to take docked dogs into the country for short stays (holidays, exhibitions) or during travelling through the country.

For dogs imported before 1st of June 2002 there are no restrictions re breeding, docked dogs imported after this date are not registered and therefore cannot be bred from.

In Slovenia all dogs with docked tails are able to enter all shows. At the moment I don't know of any moves in favour of a docking ban in the near future. In the mentioned law docking tails is prohibited in not pure breed dogs.

Tail docking has been banned by law for all breeds since 1989. Originally one could show dogs docked in Sweden for medical reasons with a veterinary attest but this isn't possible any more.

It is allowed to show docked dogs imported from other countries or owned by exhibitors, who live in a country, where tail-docking is still permitted. One can breed from docked dogs without limitations.

At the moment there are no laws which ban the showing of docked dogs, but in the future - who knows.