"I want one with a tail"

SingItOut

Magenta wrote: »

By "shady "health" reasons in the case of hunting breeds" I mean- hunters say that springers, cockers, pointers etc should have their tail docked to prevent injury. If this is the case, why isn't the same procedure done on Labs, retrievers, setters?

Hunting Labradors and retrievers are in general used as water retrieving dogs, hence the reason for the thick "otter" tail to propel them through the water to retrieve the game and to help them in a strong current.

OP, I agree with other posters who have said that the man had his right to not want that terrier if he/she was not what he was looking for. Of course it's sad the terriers life may be cut short but each to their own opinion. The man may have been on strict orders by the family for a terrier with an un docked tail.

Try sharing the terriers picture on facebook or the rehomming thread if it is bothering you that much

pawrick

Let the guy choose which ever one he wants, he is still trying to do the right thing at the end of the day and he may check other shelters to find the one he wants like a lot of people do.

I know I wouldn't pick one I didn't want, that's not the right foot to start out on with a pet.

ShaShaBear

pawrick wrote: »

Let the guy choose which ever one he wants, he is still trying to do the right thing at the end of the day and he may check other shelters to find the one he wants like a lot of people do.

I know I wouldn't pick one I didn't want, that's not the right foot to start out on with a pet.

I would have to agree here, while the tail wouldn't be an issue for me, I would have no problem understanding why a person would go into a pound or rescue with a specific idea in their mind and leave empty-handed if there is a dog they didn't want. Perhaps the dog itself wasn't what he wanted and he used the tail as an excuse, or perhaps the female relative is very young and they didn't want to have to explain docking to her. I've only ever been in a pound to adopt twice, the first time I left with a dog that wasnt what I had went out for, and ended up being a bit of a disaster, second time I was more strict with myself :P

JustAThought

elusiveguy wrote: »

True, he owes the dog nothing but its not a great reason to make what is, probably, a life or death decision for the dog....

This is why I could never go near one. The pressure + emotional guilt I would have.

Jimmy Bottlehead

I know the first stray that I took in, Molly (http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=64808286) has a tail that looks like it was half-docked... to think that she could have been rejected and put down based on that if she was a pound dog is heart-breaking.

I don't understand people who put a dogs looks above its personality.

Gumbi

Jimmy Bottlehead wrote: »

I know the first stray that I took in, Molly (http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=64808286) has a tail that looks like it was half-docked... to think that she could have been rejected and put down based on that if she was a pound dog is heart-breaking.

I don't understand people who put a dogs looks above its personality.

Some people prefer looks to personality, at least to some extent. Most everyone does it to some extent.