Tail docking of dogs in England - an overview

Defra launched a public consultation in January 2002 on reviewing the existing animal welfare legislation. It was accepted that the Protection of Animals Act 1911 was outdated and needed enhancing according to modern day good practice and advances in veterinary science. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 came into force on 6th April 2007.

The Animal Welfare Act 2006, which contains a general ban on the tail docking of dogs, and the limited exemptions to it, applies to England and Wales only.  However, regulations detailing how working dogs are identified and certificated have been made separately in the two countries and differ in certain details. The following information relates to England only.

Exemptions for working dogs in England

There are exemptions from the ban for certain types of working dog, or where docking is performed for medical treatment.  The exemption allows certain types of working dog to have their tails docked by a veterinary surgeon. The dog has to be no more than 5 days old and the veterinary surgeon must certify that he or she has seen evidence that the dog is likely to work in one of the specified areas.

Click here to download a sample tail docking certificate

In England, any spaniel, terrier, hunt point retrieve breed or their crosses can be docked (as long as the necessary evidence indicating that they are likely to work is produced).  Owners and keepers wishing to have a working dog’s tail docked must ensure that this is undertaken in accordance with the law. The docked dog will also have to be micro-chipped before it is 3 months of age. If you get the dog before it is 3 months old, we would encourage you to make sure that it is micro-chipped before taking ownership and that the certificate has been completed in all parts. Veterinary surgeons are the only persons who are allowed to decide that a dog may have its tail docked.

Evidence required in the support of legal tail docking

The puppy must be presented with the dam, and a statement provided by the owner (or the owner’s representative) that the dog is intended to work in one of the specified areas below. Additional evidence related to the particular type of work the dog will perform is also required. It is crucial that members take all available paperwork with them when they go to the vet, including printouts of the document below together with the proofs of working status etc.

(a) law enforcement,
(b) activities of Her Majesty’s armed forces,
(c) emergency rescue,
(d) lawful pest control, or
(e) the lawful shooting of animals

Additional evidence

A current shotgun or firearm certificate issued to the owner of the dog, or to the agent or employee of the owner most likely to be using the dog for work in connection with the lawful shooting of animals OR

A letter from a gamekeeper, a land occupier (or his agent), a person with shooting rights, a shoot organiser, a club official, or a person engaged in lawful pest control, stating that the breeder of the dog whose tail is to be docked is known to him and that dogs bred by that breeder have been used (as the case may be) on his land, or in his shoot, or for pest control.

Must a vet dock a working dog’s tail if asked to do so?

No – the decision is discretionary. The legislation does not require a vet to dock an eligible dog’s tail.

Click here to view the current RCVS advice to vets on tail docking

Law on showing docked dogs

A dog docked before the 28 March 2007 in Wales and 6 April 2007 in England may continue to be shown at all shows in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland throughout its natural life.

A dog docked on, or after, the above dates, irrespective of where it was docked, may not be shown at shows in England and Wales where the public is charged a fee for admission.

However, where a working dog has been docked in England and Wales under the respective regulations set out above, it may be shown where the public are charged a fee, so long as it is shown “only to demonstrate its working ability”. It will thus be necessary to show working dogs in such a way as ONLY to demonstrate their working ability and not conformity to a standard.

A dog legally docked in England, Wales, Northern Ireland or abroad may be shown at any show in Scotland or Northern Ireland

Find out more

Click here for more information on the Defra website