# Docked Tail Vs Natural Bob Tail???



## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

How do you tell?

I keep getting asked if Hank has a docked or NBT. I assume docked. The tip has no hair on it if you part the hair. Is that a tell-tale sign of a docked tail?

Hank's tail/bald spot.



















And the nubbin


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

I wanna say docked just because of the bare spot. But then I guess I've never looked at the tip of a natural tail to see if it's also hairless . Does it seem to taper at the end or just abruptly stop? I'm pretty sure a natural tail will taper at least a little bit.


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## TheDarkestMinds (Feb 28, 2015)

Looks like a docked tail to me. The Cocker Spaniels I have lived with before had tails with tiny bald/thin spots on the tips.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

Looks like docked to me


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## SirviRavenWind (Dec 1, 2014)

with my experience with cockers, yes it looks like a dock then natural.


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## lauren17 (Apr 14, 2009)

Looks like my dogs tails (both are docked) they have a bald spot when you part the fur. But mine have a tiny bump into there. Boomers may be a wart lol but Roos is definitely a little knot


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## DaySleepers (Apr 9, 2011)

Sam's bald on the tip of his tail, too, and he's definitely docked. So another vote for docked!

That would seem to imply he was a purpose-bred mix/poorly bred purebred as opposed to a random mutt, wouldn't it?


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Eh, some people dock any breed/mix, especially if the mother is docked. There's one dog on my route whose mix I just can't identify (40-ish pounds, black and tan with a little white, wire-haired, heavy-built like a Rott) and he's docked. I've seen other docked mutts too. My parents' neighbors had a solid black Lab/Rott mix, and she said he once knocked up the other neighbor's Golden, and half of the pups were black and tan so they had them docked :/. But they didn't dock the solid black pups. So it can get kinda strange .


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## DaySleepers (Apr 9, 2011)

That is weird! I've only seen dogs that were purebreds or known mixes of commonly docked breeds get docked (for non medical reasons, and that I'm aware of, of course).


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## luv mi pets (Feb 5, 2012)

There are some who will dock their own pups tails and even remove the dew claws. Some people just like the look of a docked tail dog compared to a long tail dog. I going with the majority and say docked. 

I have a Doberman with a docked tail and a long haired Chihuahua with a docked tail and a MAS with a docked tail. The MAS and the Doberman were done as pups and the Chihuahua was done as an adult. They all have the bald spot and the knot at the end.


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

I'm going to say docked.

Vitae (according to the rescue vet) is natural and she doesn't have the bald spot and her tail is quite a bit more tapered.


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## parus (Apr 10, 2014)

Queenie is not docked, and she has a bald tail point. Cas is docked, and he doesn't. lol


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## Miss Bugs (Jul 4, 2011)

Paisley has a bald spot(though looks fully furred due to length of fur lol) and a pimple on the end of her tail and she's a natural bob. Gem and Gypsy have fully furred tails and they are docked.


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## luv mi pets (Feb 5, 2012)

Forgot to add that the cat who has a natural bob tail is not bald and no knot but a kink .


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## TheDarkestMinds (Feb 28, 2015)

Yeah it's pretty common around here to see random mystery mutts with docked tails. I often see ads on craigslist for mutt puppies that have been docked and had their dew claws removed. Often Rottie mixes and spaniel type mixes. For what ever reason some people like the look of a docked tail...I mean I get the wiggle butt effect. But I don't see much point in docking a non purebred...Unless the tail could get in the way in a future working dogs job.


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## Kingfisher (Jan 2, 2015)

I'm going to fairly confidently say docked. I'm looking more at the "muffin" shape of the tail. I guess I've always seen a bit of plumpness on the docked dogs I've known. 

I'd say him being docked says more about his parentage. Whoever created him must have been confident that he'd come out ACD-y. Or he has known docked terrier lineage. People dock mutts certainly, but I'd take a guess and say he was docked for a reason. He strongly resembles a rat terrier and an ACD, both of which are often docked.

My mom has a Boston Terrier (obviously naturally bobtailed) and he has a bald tip. His is from it rubbing on the carpet and whatnot as he sits.


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## Ollie Monster (Oct 23, 2014)

That's either a poorly docked tail or he lost part of his tail early on. Shaft is thick at the base and extend naturally for a normal elongated tail.
That isn't a natural bob tail.


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## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

The undocked natural bobs I have known have all had tail bones that didn't go all the way to the end of the tail, they instead ended with a bit of boneless flappy skin or a kink at the end.


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