Okay, so, I’ve been thinking about getting a Pembroke Welsh Corgi for a while now. They’re just so darn cute, with their little legs and fluffy butts. But something I’ve been seeing a lot about is tail docking. Apparently, it’s pretty common for Corgis to have their tails docked, meaning it gets shortened.
I did some digging to find out why this is a thing. I read somewhere that they were originally used as herding dogs, and the tail docking was done to prevent injuries while they were working. Makes sense, I guess. But I also saw that it’s become more of a breed standard thing now.
So I started checking out breeders and looking at pictures of Corgi puppies. Most of them did indeed have docked tails. It was pretty clear that if I wanted a Corgi with a docked tail, I wouldn’t have a hard time finding one.
I talked to a couple of breeders about it, just to get their perspective. One of them told me that it’s usually done when the puppies are just a few days old, and that it is done by a veterinarian. That made me feel a little bit better about it, knowing that it’s done by a professional.
- I watched a few videos of the procedure.
- I asked some questions on forums.
- I looked up the breed standards from different kennel clubs.
I called a veterinarian friend of mine to ask about the process. He did confirm that it is a common practice and it is not a big deal if it is done by a veterinarian.
What I Learned
In the end, I realized that tail docking is a normal thing for Pembroke Welsh Corgis. It’s something that’s been done for a long time, and it’s not going to change anytime soon. I did finally decide to get a corgi puppy with a docked tail.
It’s totally a personal choice, and I respect people who choose not to dock. But for me, I think it looks cute. My little guy is happy and healthy, and that’s all that really matters to me.
