Back to the folks stating they prefer long tails. And another that was bothered by puppies crying during a procedure.
You've probably never heard an adult aussie SCREAM when it's full tail was suddenly full of dock stickers, cactus & yucca. All gained on one working trail drive (900+ head of 1st yr heifers to be gathered - western slope CO). MILES from a trail head or truck availability, and vets... Even w/ extra sedative when a vet called in, dog hard to handle & screaming non-stop w/ pain. Most of tail had to be clipped completely. Unfortunately, the tail was later amputated (& then looked more like a working Aussie) as he developed gangrene from infection caused by the cactus. Probably because cactus & yucca caught in feathers & poor fella releasing stress diarrhea too. 2nd dog, also having gotten tail full of cactus, didn't get gangrene but was still dealing w/ infection also had her adult tail amputated... Other dogs, tighter, less fluffy feathering & "proper" docked tails had no issues... Some did have to have pads checked & spines pulled/treated. But that was NORMAL & every stock dog owner checked his/her dogs at morning, noon & dinner meal breaks & before sleeping bag time...
Those dogs were gorgeous and close to current show standards - extra feather at legs, lots of superfine feather at britches, extra heavy hair & a lot of it on the chest.
The working Aussies I grew up with in CO, had much shorter coats (not a smooth coat). Their feathers & britchin' was much shorter (not trimmed) & had a tendency to curl slightly around the legs & under the tail. The tails were docked, but the docking job generously covered the anus (ive seen a lot of dogs w/ home & pro dock jobs not come close to covering the anus in last 11 years - all breeds - SAD). They had more fluff than smooth coated dogs, but did not need sanitary patches trimmed to keep out/off stickers, cactus. The chest was not overly fluffy & a lot of those dogs would be under the show dogs height limits of today - closer to mini standards.
I'm talking in the 70s, 80s & still into 90s. In the west - CO, WY, MT, ID & mid-west - IA & NB. They were AWESOME working dogs & some of those strains are still around - out west... That cattle drive was during a visit in 1993, after returning from GE.
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If our current JackRat (?we think?) had a full tail, i wouldn't be able to keep him. One strike across my shins could put me in hospital. A full tailed Aussie has a "flimsier" tail (we've had a couple) - wouldn't be so much an issue. But dealing w/ all the stickers & such, on our current property, would be a problem. It's bad enough w/ the fluffy Pom & 2 corgi/pom's, who are closer to the ground.
I will stick w/ a properly docked dog - Aussie, terriers, JRTs, Rat terrier, corgi. A "soft poof", carried over the back - poms, some mixes, Spitz dogs also works ... We've had a mixed Norwegian elk hund (edit - Blaze's dam was a Keeshond - colored like a NEH, her sire a black Lab), a pure Norwegian EH, a Husky, a mix Eskimo spitz and a Finish Spitz (lovingly called "Finkies"). Would love to have an Eskimo Spitz or Finnish Spitz again, but OH, THE HAIR. A smooth coat would be a Shiba Inu...
You've probably never heard an adult aussie SCREAM when it's full tail was suddenly full of dock stickers, cactus & yucca. All gained on one working trail drive (900+ head of 1st yr heifers to be gathered - western slope CO). MILES from a trail head or truck availability, and vets... Even w/ extra sedative when a vet called in, dog hard to handle & screaming non-stop w/ pain. Most of tail had to be clipped completely. Unfortunately, the tail was later amputated (& then looked more like a working Aussie) as he developed gangrene from infection caused by the cactus. Probably because cactus & yucca caught in feathers & poor fella releasing stress diarrhea too. 2nd dog, also having gotten tail full of cactus, didn't get gangrene but was still dealing w/ infection also had her adult tail amputated... Other dogs, tighter, less fluffy feathering & "proper" docked tails had no issues... Some did have to have pads checked & spines pulled/treated. But that was NORMAL & every stock dog owner checked his/her dogs at morning, noon & dinner meal breaks & before sleeping bag time...
Those dogs were gorgeous and close to current show standards - extra feather at legs, lots of superfine feather at britches, extra heavy hair & a lot of it on the chest.
The working Aussies I grew up with in CO, had much shorter coats (not a smooth coat). Their feathers & britchin' was much shorter (not trimmed) & had a tendency to curl slightly around the legs & under the tail. The tails were docked, but the docking job generously covered the anus (ive seen a lot of dogs w/ home & pro dock jobs not come close to covering the anus in last 11 years - all breeds - SAD). They had more fluff than smooth coated dogs, but did not need sanitary patches trimmed to keep out/off stickers, cactus. The chest was not overly fluffy & a lot of those dogs would be under the show dogs height limits of today - closer to mini standards.
I'm talking in the 70s, 80s & still into 90s. In the west - CO, WY, MT, ID & mid-west - IA & NB. They were AWESOME working dogs & some of those strains are still around - out west... That cattle drive was during a visit in 1993, after returning from GE.
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If our current JackRat (?we think?) had a full tail, i wouldn't be able to keep him. One strike across my shins could put me in hospital. A full tailed Aussie has a "flimsier" tail (we've had a couple) - wouldn't be so much an issue. But dealing w/ all the stickers & such, on our current property, would be a problem. It's bad enough w/ the fluffy Pom & 2 corgi/pom's, who are closer to the ground.
I will stick w/ a properly docked dog - Aussie, terriers, JRTs, Rat terrier, corgi. A "soft poof", carried over the back - poms, some mixes, Spitz dogs also works ... We've had a mixed Norwegian elk hund (edit - Blaze's dam was a Keeshond - colored like a NEH, her sire a black Lab), a pure Norwegian EH, a Husky, a mix Eskimo spitz and a Finish Spitz (lovingly called "Finkies"). Would love to have an Eskimo Spitz or Finnish Spitz again, but OH, THE HAIR. A smooth coat would be a Shiba Inu...
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