Tail docking: Why is the end of my dog's
tail discolored?
A. I have a mix of the tail colors on the premises. Some of
them have the discoloration and some do not. As far as I know,
the damage is permanent. You should ask your veterinarian about
it and listen to what he offers. Those of my dogs who do not
have the discoloration or hair loss, in some cases, are those
dogs whose tails where docked by a veterinarian. Those tails
docked by the breeder have the damage.
The methods vary if the breeder does it themselves. Tying
the tail off at the desired length and in a day or two-twisting
it off. Some just cut the tail off and put some product on
the tail to stop the bleeding. Some breeders do not bother
tying the tail, they just twist it off at the desired length
when the pup is two days old.
The vet has a couple of methods available to him. The best
is to trim the tail ('V' cut) at the desire length and put
one stitch to close the end. Some will trim and use surgical
glue to close the wound. These two methods allow the puppy
to heal quickly and in about two days, the tail is healing
over and the puppy no longer is experiencing discomfort.
Q. I am looking for a field dog/family
dog. While at the Southeastern Wildlife Expositon, Charleston,
a breeder said there was a difference in what I should be looking
for in a field dog versus a show dog. Is this true and if so
what is the difference? He was talking about a physical difference,
not a temperamental difference.
A. This is an interesting question you have posed. Many times
the two groups do not like each other. But, with the Weimaraner,
the gene pool is small and the two groups do have to interact
in order to preserve the character of the breed. Many field
people swear the show dog only looks pretty. We all know for
a fact the show dog, if care is taken to preserve the character
of the breed for hunting, can hunt otherwise we would not have
dual champions. Oftentimes, out of a show bred litter, there
are some Weims, while they are conformationally correct, are
better suited for field work. The conformation choice for the
litter might be a good hunting dog, but the breeder decides
the temperament and physical qualities would do well in the
show ring and does not want to expose the dogthe vagarties and
dangers of the field. The show ring is nothing more than judging
a particular dog against the breed standard. In the case of
the Weimaraner, the judge should look at the dog in such a way
and ask the question: "Is this dog fit to hunt all day with
the master?" The lack of understanding about what the conformation
judging does for a breed seems to pass some people by.
I get many letters from field people complaining about the
webpages. They say all the dogs are show dogs. I think they
have not read the pages. The majority of the indexes involve
the history and field abilities of the Weimaraner. Many of
these field individuals believe the only thing the dog has
to do is have hunting ability, it does not have to possess
physical correctness while it is accomplishing this. Many
ignore the breed standard or do not care to understand the
place the standard should hold in their breeding programs.
When I look at those dogs, it makes me sad as the German's
originally did not intend the dog to look short and 'squatty'
with big broad chests and square heads. Some breeders even
go for the 'labrador look' with a shorter muzzle and square
head.
The show dog has a tendency to reflect the modern Weimaraner
as intended in the breed standard. The ribs are longer, well
sprung; the elbows fit tightly to the side; the neck is set
well back on the shoulders and is moderately long; the topline
is straight from the neck to the tail without a lump at the
shoulders; the tail is set high without a dropoff after the
loin; the rear legs are well angled with a substantial hock
bone; the dog walks on its toes rather than the pad of the
foot; the muzzle is moderately long with ample flews; skull
has a rounded more narrow appearance than a lab; the shoulders
have a 45 degree angle allowing the dog to lift its head up
without restraint to see; eyes are not wide set in the head;
the ear should reach the back of the nostril when pulled forward;
when moving away at a gate, the dog should single track whether
it is a gate or a 'camel' walk; no white or very little white
on the body. When a dog is not judged against the breed standard,
the only thing the breeder has to adhere to for breeding the
dog is the OFA certification. All other physical qualities
of the Weim are at the mercy of personal taste.
I hope I have helped you. There are often large differences
in the way a Weim looks between the field dogs and the show
dogs. Show dogs can usually hunt, but many field dogs would
be excused from the conformation ring. In the not so distant
past, the judge withheld ribbons at a conformation show because
the field dogs presented there did not represent the standard
and those where the only dogs shown in the Weim ring that
day.
There is a program promoted by the Weimaraner Club of America,
awarded through the AKC called the Dual Champion award (DC).
It offers recognition for the dog who is conformationally correct
and a good hunter having earned both a CH. and a FLD. CH. It
is also becoming more popular as people want to compete in events
with their dogs besides shows. There are several types of hunting
tests other the AKC field championships. These include WCA ratings,
AKC JH,SH, and MH titles, and titles awarded by the North American
Versitile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA).
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