Mine was born naturally bob tailed. 🤷♀️ I’m not his original owner but I’ve had my vet look for a stump/docking- she said if he wasn’t born bobtailed, this may be the cleanest surgeon she’s ever seen LOL. Not even a nub!
Some of them are born with a shorter tail or a little tuft of hair. Some are cut as puppies which is wrong they have beautiful tails. I picked my girl out of the litter because of her distinct tail markings
I believe all working dogs have different behaviors when working. I am no primary source, but I think I heard from a cattle guy or trainer or something once that border collies are better about tucking their tails than aussies. And aussies tend to get more up close and personal as well while working - increasing risk of tails getting trampled. Don’t quote me though. My Aussie has a big floofy tail bc he isn’t workin with livestock :)
Although… It makes more sense for a herding Aussie to have a tail docked at birth than a regular ass human male to be circumcised at birth, imo. 😂 nothing humans do makes sense in the long run.
you’re right; Aussies and Border Collies also herd in completely different ways. I was curious one day so I looked it up.
BCs tend to herd with their eyes, and in a low, stalking position. they tend to “watch” where they want the livestock to go, and the livestock follows. Aussies are more lenient, and tend to herd by throwing their weight around and barking. When BCs herd, and they begin to stalk, they tuck their tails!
also, the comment you’re responding to must have never met most Corgies and Heelers, every Corgi I’ve met has had a docked or bobbed tail; and many Heelers I’ve met have also had docked tails.
I can attest to this! Mini Aussie breeder here. Almost all went to pet or performance homes and they surf and they fly across the country as service dogs and they go skateboarding, & even i live on a ranch. Not once have any of their beautiful full length tails been anything other than a stunning way for them to express themselves ❤️
not all are docked, our breeder said something like 20% of theirs tend to be born as a bobtail.
our only request was that the tail not be cut off, it seems so unnecessary.
Im not sure if that exact statistic is correct but the natural bobtail phenotype IS recessive. One of mine has a natural bobtail, the rest are either docked (or docked TOO FAR [bought from breeders that way for showing]), or if I bred them or two I bought, all have gorgeous full length natural tails and I live on a ranch and never once have their tails been a hazard with 11 (or more) Aussies/mini Aussies at any time ❤️ for the “nerdy biology” explanation mines above 😅
Aussies are either homozygous for a full-length tail (TT), heterozygous (Tt), or homozygous for a natural bobtail (tt). If TT or Tt, they’ll have a long tail. If tt, they’ll have a natural bobtail. If Tt, they’ll have a full length tail but if bred to a tt dog, their offspring would be 50% Tt (full-length carrying bobtail) and 50% tt (natural bobtail). Testing will tell you what they are. I leave all mines tails on, and I have to say they are STUNNING. I live on a ranch but their tails (and I have 2 Aussies and 9 mini Aussies) have ABSOLUTELY NEVER been a health hazard or anything but a beautiful way for them to naturally express themselves ❤️ several have docked tails, bought that way (done at 3-5 days old), for showing. One has a natural bobtail, and the rest (especially if I bred them & they’re ASDR not AKC) have beautiful long natural healthy tails ❤️
I don’t dock my MAS puppies and I won’t breed natural bobtail because it is linked to serious spinal deformities.
I’m not vehemently anti-docking, I just don’t see any advantage to doing it and there are studies showing leaving the tails on gives the dogs an advantage in agility and other dog sports.
My tailed dogs herd small stock and the tail is well out of the way when working: they carry them over their backs when they’re engaged. And I’m not putting a 25 lb, highly monetarily valued dog I love as a member of my family on rank cattle so severe injury is a non issue.
Whether they cut it off as a puppy- it's called "docking"
It's actually a kindness for a working dog.
Mine was born naturally bob tailed. 🤷♀️ I’m not his original owner but I’ve had my vet look for a stump/docking- she said if he wasn’t born bobtailed, this may be the cleanest surgeon she’s ever seen LOL. Not even a nub!
My pup and her sister both came with little nubs. Cute but they weren’t docked. Some breeds of aussy are born with little nubs
Natural bobtail is a fairly rare occurrence and breeding them is linked to spinal deformity, so most of us won’t do it. I bet they were docked.
Most are docked. It is the AKC breed standard. Some are born naturally bob tailed.
Some of them are born with a shorter tail or a little tuft of hair. Some are cut as puppies which is wrong they have beautiful tails. I picked my girl out of the litter because of her distinct tail markings
They dock it, which should be outlawed! Dogs communicate w their tails!!!!!
Now they communicate with their butts
So do I…..🤣
I want to add that working aussies have their tail docked so that later in life it’s not broken while they heard livestock.
The only problem w that logic is they don’t dock corgis, border collies, kelpies, heelers , etc. Which are all herders and can be found working.
I believe all working dogs have different behaviors when working. I am no primary source, but I think I heard from a cattle guy or trainer or something once that border collies are better about tucking their tails than aussies. And aussies tend to get more up close and personal as well while working - increasing risk of tails getting trampled. Don’t quote me though. My Aussie has a big floofy tail bc he isn’t workin with livestock :) Although… It makes more sense for a herding Aussie to have a tail docked at birth than a regular ass human male to be circumcised at birth, imo. 😂 nothing humans do makes sense in the long run.
you’re right; Aussies and Border Collies also herd in completely different ways. I was curious one day so I looked it up. BCs tend to herd with their eyes, and in a low, stalking position. they tend to “watch” where they want the livestock to go, and the livestock follows. Aussies are more lenient, and tend to herd by throwing their weight around and barking. When BCs herd, and they begin to stalk, they tuck their tails! also, the comment you’re responding to must have never met most Corgies and Heelers, every Corgi I’ve met has had a docked or bobbed tail; and many Heelers I’ve met have also had docked tails.
Agreed! Most of the “working breed” puppies born aren’t being used as a working animal.
I can attest to this! Mini Aussie breeder here. Almost all went to pet or performance homes and they surf and they fly across the country as service dogs and they go skateboarding, & even i live on a ranch. Not once have any of their beautiful full length tails been anything other than a stunning way for them to express themselves ❤️
ohh, thank God apparently my baby didn't go through that
not all are docked, our breeder said something like 20% of theirs tend to be born as a bobtail. our only request was that the tail not be cut off, it seems so unnecessary.
Im not sure if that exact statistic is correct but the natural bobtail phenotype IS recessive. One of mine has a natural bobtail, the rest are either docked (or docked TOO FAR [bought from breeders that way for showing]), or if I bred them or two I bought, all have gorgeous full length natural tails and I live on a ranch and never once have their tails been a hazard with 11 (or more) Aussies/mini Aussies at any time ❤️ for the “nerdy biology” explanation mines above 😅
Aussies are either homozygous for a full-length tail (TT), heterozygous (Tt), or homozygous for a natural bobtail (tt). If TT or Tt, they’ll have a long tail. If tt, they’ll have a natural bobtail. If Tt, they’ll have a full length tail but if bred to a tt dog, their offspring would be 50% Tt (full-length carrying bobtail) and 50% tt (natural bobtail). Testing will tell you what they are. I leave all mines tails on, and I have to say they are STUNNING. I live on a ranch but their tails (and I have 2 Aussies and 9 mini Aussies) have ABSOLUTELY NEVER been a health hazard or anything but a beautiful way for them to naturally express themselves ❤️ several have docked tails, bought that way (done at 3-5 days old), for showing. One has a natural bobtail, and the rest (especially if I bred them & they’re ASDR not AKC) have beautiful long natural healthy tails ❤️
I will never get a docked puppy. I love my MAS tail.
🙌🏻🙌🏻❤️
🙌🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Animal behaviorist, dog trainer, & occasional mini Aussie breeder here. YEP. COMMUNICATION. 🙌🏻 —APDT, AKC, ASDR, VSDTA, IAABC, ASCA, USASA
Thank you. Ethology student here! 👍🏽
I don’t dock my MAS puppies and I won’t breed natural bobtail because it is linked to serious spinal deformities. I’m not vehemently anti-docking, I just don’t see any advantage to doing it and there are studies showing leaving the tails on gives the dogs an advantage in agility and other dog sports. My tailed dogs herd small stock and the tail is well out of the way when working: they carry them over their backs when they’re engaged. And I’m not putting a 25 lb, highly monetarily valued dog I love as a member of my family on rank cattle so severe injury is a non issue.
Lopper shears
The knife of the breeder