# Would you get a puppy without a tail?



## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

This is very interesting. When I went and chose Brady, the first puppy I picked had a crooked tail, like it had been broken at birth and healed. It wasn't noticable until I actually was holding him. I was afraid to choose him because didn't know if he would have problems with it ( now I know he would have been fine ).

I once heard that some dogs born without a tail might have spinal issues


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

One issue I can think of with a tail-less dog is they may not be able to hold their feces in as well and may go without warning since they cannot hold it.


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## Braccarius (Sep 8, 2008)

If they've got all their clearances and what not and it won't affect them later in life... I'd buy a male and call him "Bob"


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## Golden123 (Dec 6, 2009)

I would consider it.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

I would if I didn't run agility and obedience.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

No! I know me and I would get tired of explaining it to every Tom, Dick and Harry we'd meet in her lifetime. That sort of thing gets old for me...real quick!


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

If I were sure there were no medical problems associated with it.... no spinal defects, etc, sure I would. Although I love our golden tails, I could easily love one without.

BTW, Cody, our rescued springer, has only a nub of a tail. In our house it's called a wiggler.... and boy can it go a mile a minute. Makes me smile just thinking about it.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Rainheart said:


> One issue I can think of with a tail-less dog is they may not be able to hold their feces in as well and may go without warning since they cannot hold it.


 
Really? Huh. Old English Sheepdogs, French Bulldogs, Australian Shepherds, Boston Terriers, Dobermans...


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Pointgold said:


> Really? Huh. Old English Sheepdogs, French Bulldogs, Australian Shepherds, Boston Terriers, Dobermans...


Hm, maybe I should get Cody a cork? :


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## janine (Aug 8, 2009)

Chester loves to be brushed everywhere except his tail. Sure it would make grooming easier


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## DianaM (Feb 18, 2010)

We were originally gonna get a boy puppy but Gracie's litter only had 2 boys and 9 girls. I was number 4 on the list for a male. The first boy was claimed by #1 of course. The second boy was a runt and was born with a kinked tail. They ended up cropping about 1/3 of the tail off. #2 on the list wanted a big boy and didn't want to risk it with a runt so they were waiting for another litter, #3 switched to a girl so it landed on us. We ended up with Gracie. I just didn't know what I might want to do in the future so wanted to keep our options open. I can't imagine having a boy right now lol. I believe the breeder's son ended up taking the runt boy. I've seen pictures.. he is still a little small but seems to be doing well.


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

Pointgold said:


> Really? Huh. Old English Sheepdogs, French Bulldogs, Australian Shepherds, Boston Terriers, Dobermans...


Some of those breeds still have little nubs. Aussies have an issue with this; same if some breeds who's tails are docked are docked too short.


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## bioteach (Nov 13, 2010)

Personally, I would rather pay full price for a full golden because I also love the long flowing feathered tails. When a golden runs the tail helps with balance. Nevertheless, I'm sure that these pups will make outstanding pets.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

I would have to know what happened if I were going to be comfortable. Knowing that spinal problems could lead to a missing tail, I'd be concerned about problems down the road. Because of that, I probably would not agree to pay 1/3 of the normal price.

Also, as a side note, I was able to make a quick search that turned up some research linking tail docking and fecal incontinence, so I don't think Rainheart is totally off base here. There are a number of plausible scenarios in which damage to the spine or muscles at the base of the tail could affect continence.

I think you'd see it pretty quickly, though, so I wouldn't worry all that much about it unless the pups were showing signs of incontinence already.


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## Braccarius (Sep 8, 2008)

tippykayak said:


> Also, as a side note, I was able to make a quick search that turned up some research linking tail docking and fecal incontinence, so I don't think Rainheart is totally off base here. There are a number of plausible scenarios in which damage to the spine or muscles at the base of the tail could affect continence.


My uncle's dog has a prolapsed bowel caused by an improper tail dock (these are the vets words not mine). I think there's a difference between animals who are simply born without a tail and those that have them surgically removed.


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

I do know that cats without tails will also have these kind of issues. My vet told me this when we were dealing with a client with a tailless cat.


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## goldensrbest (Dec 20, 2007)

A golden without a tail, they have such beautiful tails, honestly, i don't think i would, not a golden, other breeds yes, but not a golden.


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Absolutely! If the puppies present no other health problems then I wouldn't think twice about it. I love little stubby tailed dogs.


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## Almanac (Jan 26, 2011)

kdmarsh said:


> Absolutely! If the puppies present no other health problems then I wouldn't think twice about it. I love little stubby tailed dogs.


Well, I think she's looking for good homes .

I personally would find it hard to get one without a tail. They communicate so much with their tails and have beautiful tails as someone mentioned earlier.


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## Braccarius (Sep 8, 2008)

Almanac said:


> Well, I think she's looking for good homes .
> 
> I personally would find it hard to get one without a tail. They communicate so much with their tails and have beautiful tails as someone mentioned earlier.


You could always get a feather duster and attach it to his tail. I think an appropriate name would be "Stubby"


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## artbuc (Apr 12, 2009)

Almanac said:


> I was talking to my breeder and apparently out of the litter of 10 puppies, 2 were born without tails. Apparently, this is a rare occurrence, and other than their tail they are perfectly fine and have been checked by a vet. They have a 5+ generation pedigree, all clearances, and from a very reputable breeder.
> 
> Now.. the one that I'm getting in a short while has a tail. So... I'm not asking for myself. But, how many of you would consider buying a purebred golden, minus a tail, for 1/3 the normal price?
> 
> If anyone was really interested, near the southeast US, you can PM me and I may give you some contact info.


One of the nicest Goldens I ever met (not counting my own, of course) was a guy named Tucker who lived down the road. He was born without a tail and was just one of the sweetest, well-behaved boys you could imagine. I saw him every day for 6 years. His family moved away and I think of him often.


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## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

The tail wouldn't matter if there were no health issues, but I'd have to have some strong reassurances.

I do know that manx kittens can have problems if they are born with no tail. I have a friend who has one she rescued and he sometimes has incontinence issues and has has a prolapsed anus that was surgically replaced. The vet said it may happen again because the muscles back there are not right.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Braccarius said:


> My uncle's dog has a prolapsed bowel caused by an improper tail dock (these are the vets words not mine). I think there's a difference between animals who are simply born without a tail and those that have them surgically removed.


The thing is, we have no idea why there are no tails in this situation. It's entirely possible that the reason they're missing is even more damaging than an improper docking procedure.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Rainheart said:


> Some of those breeds still have little nubs. Aussies have an issue with this; same if some breeds who's tails are docked are docked too short.


 
The key is if they are _docked _too short, which likely also includes some compromise to the vertebra and spine. I've shown a lot of docked breeds and cannot ever recall any having any issues.

If the puppy were healthy in every other respect, I might suggest that the breeder have a radiograph or ultrasound done to assure that there are no abnormalities present other than lacking the tail.


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## Braccarius (Sep 8, 2008)

Pointgold said:


> The key is if they are _docked _too short, which likely also includes some compromise to the vertebra and spine. I've shown a lot of docked breeds and cannot ever recall any having any issues.
> 
> If the puppy were healthy in every other respect, I might suggest that the breeder have a radiograph or ultrasound done to assure that there are no abnormalities present other than lacking the tail.


With my uncles dog his dock is so tight to his body that there is literally no discernable tail. (He's a Skip).


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

Almanac said:


> Well, I think she's looking for good homes .


Doesn't she already have homes lined up? 

I would definitely look into the cause of the tail issue more, like Tippykayak said. I would also expect her to give you a very thorough explanation on why this happened in these dogs with copies of vet records on what this might mean for their future (with x-rays etc.).


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## Almanac (Jan 26, 2011)

jackie_hubert said:


> Doesn't she already have homes lined up?
> 
> I would definitely look into the cause of the tail issue more, like Tippykayak said. I would also expect her to give you a very thorough explanation on why this happened in these dogs with copies of vet records on what this might mean for their future (with x-rays etc.).


It seems that she is still looking for homes for these 2. I'm receiving a different puppy in the litter. Perhaps the tail issue scared off the previous interest. I think she originally had people waiting to adopt all of them.

She's asking $500 (I'm paying $1500).


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

Almanac said:


> It seems that she is still looking for homes for these 2. I'm receiving a different puppy in the litter. Perhaps the tail issue scared off the previous interest. I think she originally had people waiting to adopt all of them.
> 
> She's asking $500 (I'm paying $1500).


 
Thanks for clarifying!


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

I would take lil' miss tailless in a heartbeat (assuming she's otherwise healthy). I bet a tailless Golden is still a beautiful dog...and just think how safe one's coffee table would be from objects sent flying.


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## ILoveMyGolden (Oct 19, 2006)

As the owner of a Golden pup who may have needed his tail docked....!

He sat funny in his Mom and has a bump at the top and his tail only wags down (he always looks like he's cowering -wine glasses are always safe on our coffee table from being knocked by his tail). His tail does not lift up high and of course he's super butt shy to make things more annoying when grooming him. The initial concern for him was not being able to lift his tail enough for everything to get out with no obstruction from the tail.

Breeder was upfront with "the issue" and beyond it being cosmetic there was no issue. Xrays done at the vets right from the beginning that we were allowed to take home with us and to our vet. Just be sure that they're upfront on the reasoning and you get xrays (from the breeder, then maybe your own done) to ensure nothing else is wrong.


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

paula bedard said:


> I bet a tailless Golden is still a beautiful dog...and just think how safe one's coffee table would be from objects sent flying.


 
Or how quiet it would be at 5:00 in the morning without the tail banging against the wall and doors!!!!


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## Susan6953 (Jun 9, 2008)

One of the pups in a litter sired by Jamie's dad lost part of its tail during the mom's C-section. I've no idea what happened to it though.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Laurie said:


> Or how quiet it would be at 5:00 in the morning without the tail banging against the wall and doors!!!!


Or how awesome it would be to have full body wags ALL the time?? 

Because Lord knows, that Golden would have to wag something!!


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

Laurie said:


> Or how quiet it would be at 5:00 in the morning without the tail banging against the wall and doors!!!!


Or against the grandfather clock...


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## crayola_sky (Jan 18, 2011)

My grandma had a sheltie dog x, and she had some issue with her tail..the vet said one day it would fall or 'rot' off. (honestly i dont know the enitre story)
i do know however..my cousin..about 12..was playing and horsing around with the dog...all of a sudden the dog bolted one way and he was left with her tail in his hand.

dog wasnt hurt of fazed at all....my grandpa said the look on my couisns face though..was priceless... grandpa still cracks up to this day.

tasha never had a problem..no pain or anything..but yeah..the tailless sheltie.


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## Svan (Mar 2, 2011)

I would have one but only after X-rays & a vet assurance. I would need to know the spine is entire & uncompromised.


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## BajaOklahoma (Sep 27, 2009)

Pointgold said:


> Really? Huh. Old English Sheepdogs, French Bulldogs, Australian Shepherds, Boston Terriers, Dobermans...


Sitting at my feet are two of the four Sheepies that we've had. No issues here.
Perhaps there was confusion with cats. Losing their tails usually does cause issues with elimination.


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## whiskey creek goldens (Jul 12, 2010)

I have had two puppies born without tails in my 20 year of breeding. Interestingly both our of the same sire and closely related Dams. The dock tail gene is a recessive gene. since we are not 100% sure of all the breeds that make up the golden it is possible that one or more of the original contributors carried that gene. 

As for a puppy being incontinent or having spinal issues. This usually only occurs when there is no tail at all. If there is at least one vertebra past the end of the bottom they are usually fine and live long healthy lives.

As the reputable breeder and the breeder of two of puppies without tails. I always go the extra mile and had a ultrasound and blood work up done before placing them to rule out any unforeseen health issues.


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## evei (Sep 11, 2015)

If there was no medical problems, I would definitely!


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## elway (Jan 23, 2015)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> Hm, maybe I should get Cody a cork?


Lol. Despite the fact that my coffee table might be safer without a tail swooshing across it, I still wouldn't take a tailless dog. I'd have the same health concerns as others have mentioned. I also think it would affect our athletic pursuits (multiple hikes per week, frequent swimming, possible agility down the road). I would prefer not to have a dog with balance challenges etc. 

Any golden, tail or no tail, obviously deserves tons of love. But for me personally, I don't think a tailless golden would be a good fit.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Almanac said:


> I was talking to my breeder and apparently out of the litter of 10 puppies, 2 were born without tails. Apparently, this is a rare occurrence, and other than their tail they are perfectly fine and have been checked by a vet. They have a 5+ generation pedigree, all clearances, and from a very reputable breeder.
> 
> Now.. the one that I'm getting in a short while has a tail. So... I'm not asking for myself. But, how many of you would consider buying a purebred golden, minus a tail, for 1/3 the normal price?
> 
> If anyone was really interested, near the southeast US, you can PM me and I may give you some contact info.


I am so, so interested in this thread, just because this happened to a breeder in my region- the entire litter had no tails. This is only the second time I have heard of such a thing. If I just wanted a pet, I would consider the puppy for 1/3 the price if amazing health clearances , titles, upraising for sure. If I were the breeder I would be a bit panic stricken I admit, and would probably give the pups free to friends and family.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

Jill, I could tell you about these puppies- I am pretty sure I was there when they were born! So precious! There was a whole gang of breeders there to catch them because mama had a bellyful and we didn't notice the two had missing tails til maybe an hour later when we were putting them on mama to nurse. One had just a nub, and the other had about half his tail. They were both boys, and the vet quickly went and checked everything- stimulated them to poop, and both are still happy and healthy boys last I heard. 
I suspect - vet said- that they were very,very crowded in the uterus. It seems like there were 9-10 of them and mama is a smallish bitch. That was the reason for the section in the first place. The breeder is a very reputable person, and of course both parents (my Hudson was the sire) had every clearance that was do-able. Mama had had B vitamin supplementation during pregnancy, so it wasn't a folic acid issue though I know that that sometimes can cause tails to go missing.
edit:checked dates- yep I was there. There were 10.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

when the missing tails were discovered- the vet took them off to check for missing other things, she did a quick U/S and all the organs were there and normal, stimulated them to poop.... we all just sat there floored, pretty much, and decided they would be perfect apartment Goldens since they wouldn't knock things off the tables in small spaces with their tails...
The dam had another litter, and none of them were missing anything. Hudson sired many, many litters after that, and none of the puppies had anything missing in any of those litters. I think it was truly just a case of crowded uterus in this case, like the repro vet said.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Prism Goldens said:


> Jill, I could tell you about these puppies- I am pretty sure I was there when they were born! So precious! There was a whole gang of breeders there to catch them because mama had a bellyful and we didn't notice the two had missing tails til maybe an hour later when we were putting them on mama to nurse. One had just a nub, and the other had about half his tail. They were both boys, and the vet quickly went and checked everything- stimulated them to poop, and both are still happy and healthy boys last I heard.
> I suspect - vet said- that they were very,very crowded in the uterus. It seems like there were 9-10 of them and mama is a smallish bitch. That was the reason for the section in the first place. The breeder is a very reputable person, and of course both parents (my Hudson was the sire) had every clearance that was do-able. Mama had had B vitamin supplementation during pregnancy, so it wasn't a folic acid issue though I know that that sometimes can cause tails to go missing.
> edit:checked dates- yep I was there. There were 10.


In that case , for sure I would gladly take one of those pups if I wanted a pet. We work with a ton of aussies, so I dont think it would bother me at all. The story interests me as the bitch her in New England also small girl just loaded with pups, and big pups. Mother Nature will always throw her curve balls for humans to catch.


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## 4goldengirls (Jun 10, 2014)

As long as all other health clearances were passed, I'd have no problem.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

I know a breeder who also just had a large litter. One was born with no tail, one with a crinkled tail both perfectly happy, healthy and exuberant. Tailless boy just went home to a disabled vet to become his service dog. Crinkle tail will hopefully find her perfect home soon.

This breeder with a lot of experience had never had this happen before. All the other pups were perfect and have gone to their homes.


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## alphadude (Jan 15, 2010)

Wow, first I've ever heard of this though I'm FAR from an authority on GR reproductive issues. Personally, I would be very torn, because I of course feel that *any* golden pup deserves a loving home, but I would be concerned that the lack of a tail might negatively affect the dogs athleticism. I can't imagine that their tails don't assist them in keeping their balance and making high speed maneuvers. Then again, I could be way off base. Now I'll have to research it.


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## whiskey creek goldens (Jul 12, 2010)

Aren't Australian Shepherd very athletic dogs?? From my own personal experience with them They are healthy normal dogs that live long lives just like any other golden.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I agree with that Aussies can jump sky high and are so athletic with no tails


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## AlanK (Jun 28, 2008)

My boy was born without a front leg...... He would trade his tail for a leg any day. 

Personally I would take in a tailless pooch :yes:


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## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

I have an Aussie with no tail and a BC/Aussie cross with a stub...and they are both really athletic. More so, at least for now, than my Golden puppy. So as much as I love the sound of a Golden's tail thumping on the floor...I'd take a tail-free Golden in a hot second.

It's about the dog, not about the packaging, right?


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## Garou (Oct 20, 2014)

My last golden had half a tail - just born that way… We always said it was helpful 'cause he knocked only 50% of things off the coffee table when he was happy.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

I would suspect that short tails or absent tails are genetic and not due to space. I had a bitch on the small side who had ten pups...not one had a short tail.. If the pup is sold as a pet, the tail length or kink, etc should not be important..


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## vanordenmaryl (10 mo ago)

elway said:


> Lol. Despite the fact that my coffee table might be safer without a tail swooshing across it, I still wouldn't take a tailless dog. I'd have the same health concerns as others have mentioned. I also think it would affect our athletic pursuits (multiple hikes per week, frequent swimming, possible agility down the road). I would prefer not to have a dog with balance challenges etc.
> 
> Any golden, tail or no tail, obviously deserves tons of love. But for me personally, I don't think a tailless golden would be a good fit.


You are totally wrong about a puppy that was born with no tail they are very healthy and faithful just like all the puppies that has a tail


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## JerseyChris (10 mo ago)

We do conformation so we could not but even so I am not sure.... One of the best parts of my boy is how pretty his tail is when he constantly wags it.. But certainly would consider one for a pet if they needed a home. Not sure I could say no to a Golden face..


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