20 November 2000

KC Amend Rules On Docking

In a development in the ongoing debate over tail docking the Kennel Club have agreed a formal amendment to its regulations to cover the circumstances where dogs have tails amputated at unacceptably advanced ages. This is in response to its decision taken at its September meeting to introduce a regulation to prevent the showing of dogs whose tails have been amputated, either in whole or in part, without good reason at an 'unacceptable advanced' age. Their regulations now state: No act or operation which alters the natural conformation of a dog or any part thereof may be performed and nothing may be done, calculated in the opinion of the General Committee to deceive, except: a. Operations certified to the satisfaction of the General Committee b. The removal of dewclaws of any breed. c. The shortening of tails of customarily docked breeds, but only up to an acceptable age limit which shall be prescribed from time to time. d. Operations to prevent breeding provided that such operations are notified to The Kennel Club before neutered dogs are shown.