Do Australian Shepherds Have Tails?

I’ve seen a few Australian Shepherds over the years. One thing I’ve noticed is how much their tails vary. I’ve seen a few bushy tails, a lot of stubs and some Aussies with no tail at all! It got me thinking – what’s most common?

Do Australian Shepherds have tails? Most Australian Shepherds are born with long, slightly curved tails. However, both the American Kennel Club (AKC) and Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) standard describes the breed as having a tail no longer than 4 inches. This means, most US Breeders dock their Aussie pups.

Many owners never give a second thought as to why their dog has a stubby tail. It’s actually a very interesting story. There is a practical reason for docking Australian Shepherds, but the amount of dogs who really benefit from it are a very small minority. And for most Aussies, it may actually be better for them to keep their tails.

The Results of a Survey on Australian Shepherd’s Tails

In 2014, the Australian Shepherd Health and Genetics Institute (ASHGI) conducted a survey. The survey collected data on 612 purebred Australian Shepherds. In the survey, they asked a series of questions about the tails of purebred Aussies.

28% of dogs were reported as being born with a natural bobtail. This means most Australian Shepherds naturally have a longer tail.

The survey found that 72% of dogs in the United States were docked to keep them in line with breed standards.

Interestingly, outside of the United States, only 21% of Aussie tails were docked. This is due to European Laws banning the practice of docking.

We’ll get onto this later…

58% of dogs had a curved tail, in cases where the tail shape was known. No other shape came close indicating Aussies tails are typically curved.

There is a typical feathering style tail with 61% of dogs having profuse feathering at the tip of the tail, shortening towards the base.

Confusingly, what the AKC and ASCA define as standard contradict what this survey found as typical characteristics of an Australian Shepherd’s tail.

Both clubs describe the tail as being:

Straight, natural bobtail or docked and no longer than four inches in length.

-AKC and ASCA, regarding Australian Shepherd tail length

Why do Australian Shepherds Tails Get Docked?

Traditionally, Australian Shepherds were working dogs from Western United States.

They were originally bred in ranches in the nineteenth century. This was a tough terrain to work in for the dogs and they would often injure their tail if it was left intact. If the tail was left bleeding or broken, it was hard to treat and prone to infection.

Removing the tail reduced the risk of injury.

In more recent times, tails have continued to be docked in order to maintain breed standards.

Some owners argue that docking their dog is more hygienic. Dogs with thick hair, such as Aussies, can get feces caught in their tails.

Thick tails are also prone to matting. Removing the tail removes the chance of the dog experiencing any of these hygiene problems.

However, most Australian Shepherd are also aware of the importance of a regular grooming schedule. If adhered to, proper grooming should also encourage good hygiene.

Today, there’s very little practical reason, from the dog’s point of view, to dock a non-working dog.

However, puppies are still being docked at birth with the intention of being shown competitively.

This trend is changing, with more competitive breeders opting to leave the tail alone at birth.

How is Australian Shepherd Tail Docking Done?

Puppies are docked when they’re extremely young, before their eyes are even open.

Most breeders dock their puppies themselves using a technique known as “banding”. This involves placing an orthodontic band over the end of a puppies tail while it’s still just 24 – 96 hours old.

The band cuts off blood supply to the end of the tail which falls away naturally within 3 days.

The other option open to breeders is asking a vet to surgically remove the tail.

Most vets use surgical scissors known as hemostats. It’s a fairly clean surgery and most dogs don’t even require stitches. They are stitched on occasion, especially with bigger breeds.

Should You Dock Your Australian Shepherd?

Whether docking has any real benefits is contentious, but equally weak is the argument for negative effects caused by docking.

While the RSPCA argues that docking is painful, many professional breeders say their pups only show signs of feeling discomfort for 2-4 days after the procedure.

There’s very little evidence to suggest long term pain as a direct result of tail docking.

There does seem to be a longer recovery process when the tail is removed surgically and docking using either method can leave the pup susceptible to developing a neuroma. Neuromas can often be very painful.

The RSPCA also points out that the tail is a vital tool in canine social behavior.

It’s used to communicate friendliness, desire to play, appeasements and a warning signal amongst other things.

Humans can also use to the tail to get more information about how a dog is feeling.

There can be an argument made that docking a dog’s tail can have a negative effect on public safety. The counter argument to this is that some Australian Shepherds are born with bobtails and they don’t appear to be at a social disadvantage.

Then there’s the fact that many countries have actually banned docking, except for medical reasons. Many European countries have decided tail docking is unnecessary and compromises the welfare of dogs.

Breeding Bobtail Australian Shepherds

Wherever you stand ethically on the “dock or not to dock” argument, it’s hard to argue that there’s high demand for bobtailed Australian Shepherds. We’ve already established over one quarter of owners reported their Aussie being bobtailed at birth.

Surely then, if you breed two bobtailed Aussies together, the chances of getting a natural bobtail increases?

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like this in practice.

You see, the gene in Australian Shepherds known to cause bobtail is an incomplete dominant. Puppies that inherit two copies of the gene are likely to develop health problems and die early.

Breeding two natural bobtailed Aussies together can cause their puppies to have spina bifida or other lower spinal defects. Because of this, it’s not recommended to breed two natural bobtails together.

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