As of June 1, 1998, a federal law was passed in Germany prohibiting the docking of Rottweiler tails. The basis for this law was the fact that the practice of docking and cropping was deemed to be inhumane. In order to comply with the new federal law requiring tails to be left in their natural state, the ADRK (national breed club in Germany) revised their breed standard for the Rottweiler to reflect the required natural tail.

TAIL: In natural condition, level in extension of the upper line; at ease may be hanging. Faults: Set on too high or too low. Disqualifying faults: Kink tail, ring-tail, with strong lateral deviation.

The FCI translated and adopted the new breed standard and gave all FCI member countries several years to comply with the new breed standard. As more and more countries are adopting the anti-docking platform for Rottweilers in order to comply with the revised ADRK/FCI Standard, and tails are becoming more commonplace, it is very important to become familiar with both the good and bad tail sets out there. Below are illustrations of those tail sets.

Hanging - Correct Dog is calm	Straight - Dog is
Sabre - Correct Dog is alert, happy or excited	Coiled - Not Correct Incorrect carry of tail

DKVROTTWEILERS VIEW ON TAILS

We wanted to let everyone know our position on tails. At the current time, we dock tails on some litters and we keep tails on other litters. However, we do plan on keeping tails on all litters in the future. The litter normally determines our decision. If we get more international interest in a litter, we will keep the tails to benefit our clientele. Some international buyers would not be allowed to compete with their Rottweiler with a docked tail. Also, a breeders goal is to one day produce that perfect litter and next world champion, if you were to cut the tail on the litter, you also cut the their career short of ever succeeding outside of the United States.

I understand when everyone thinks of a Rottweiler, they think of a docked tail. But that should not be reason enough to continue the tradition. History states that Rottweiler tails began to be docked to prevent injury. However, Rottweilers are not primarily used in extreme situations any longer such as in the military or police where their tails would get in the way. Also, consider the other hundreds of breeds which have tails, and do not injure themselves.

People can also debate the cruelty factors forever. Their are tons of facts used to persuade the reader to believe one way or another. What I do know is when a puppies tail is clipped, yes, he or she does holler. Yes, they do cry for the next 2-3 days, especially when their bottom is bumped by another puppy. So, this tells me it is extremely painful. The puppy also does not eat as well for the next 2 days. After a few days the puppy does return to itself again.

What I want to discuss is something that I rarely see on these tail debating pages. We hear how the natural tail benefits the Rottweilers health at birth, their natural balance, but I believe it can also save lives. I want to talk about how a tail can benefit your safety. Unfortunately, the beautiful Rottweiler breed has gotten a bad reputation in the past 5 years. You occasionally hear of bite attacks on the news, and it is very disturbing to myself as a Rottweiler breeder. It has brought us to the point, where some states want to ban some breeds indefinitely. Now this is another argument for another day, but consider the following... Rottweilers attack for 2 reasons primarily. First, a Rottweiler can attack simply because he is aggressive due to a lack of socialization or breeding. Second, a Rottweiler can attack because he is scared, again, due to a lack of socialization or breeding. Now, if you approached a dog and he was aggressive, it would be very obvious by their snarling and deep barking, right? I think anyone would stay away from that dog. Well, what is you approach a dog and he is scared. He is bowing down and lowering his head and you think he is inviting you to pet his head. So, you reach out with your hand and OH MY GOD you get bit or possibly attacked. What happened, maybe you did not see it because he did NOT have a tail. If he had a tail, you could see it curled in between his legs and you would know he was scared and feeling very threatened. So, he attacked you to protect himself, because HE was scared. Now, I know this is not the case in all bite cases, but I think a tail might have prevented SOME bite cases. I also think we all agree some is better then none. Our loved look of a docked tail, can be hurting the breed.

Another funny point is when I have people come by and look at my dogs, most people are amazed with their personality and beauty, they overlook the tail. I have had numerous people say, I did not even notice the tail. Personally, I think tails are great. I think it's great to see your Rottweilers emotions. It helps you bond with you Rottweiler even more. I am not trying to persuade  you one way or another. I just hope I can get some people to see the natural tail from another point of view.

The law banning all forms of docking and clipping was passed in Germany in 1999. Now in 2007, their are so many countries who follow these FCI standards. I do believe all forms of docking or clipping of breeds will be banned everywhere, including the great USA, within the next few years. Whether it does or not, we hope people can learn to except the Rottweiler with or without a tail. Like I said above, we dock some litters and we don't on others. Tails do not affect a Rottweilers beautiful personalities. If you are basing your purchase on whether or not a Rottweiler has a tail, this is ridiculous. Base your decision on the Rottweiler's pedigree, Sire and Dam, Personality, Beauty, but NOT their tail. We simply love the Rottweiler breed unconditionally and hope you can too.