help with the tail

[lebro]

i have a female that seems to have lost her hunt. her tail looks terrible, i wonder if this could be part of the problem. i dont like the ideal of docking her tail but i wont own a dog that wont hunt. will docking her tail hurt on the bench? thanks in advance. the female has just turned 1 year old.

[BCBeagles]

IMO, I would dock her tail. I have done this on multiple hounds with very good results. Trim hair around tail where you want to dock. Put some vaseline or other preventitive salve on it. Band it and maintain the vaseline until the tail falls off. No more issues. Again my opinions, some bashed me for saying I like to dock there tails, but they are purest, I guess. LOL.

Had the same situation until tails were docked, would you like beating the brush if your legs were scabbed over and raw. I would think it would be less than comfortable. Good luck Lee. Call me and I can go into detail on the hounds I have done this too.

I don't know about penalties for shows??

[S.R.Patch]

Imho, I wouldn't think she'd loose her hunt unless becoming anemic from blood loss.
Many yrs ago, I had one of my best bitches lay down on me during a hunt, she's never quit so I knew something was wrong. I carried her to the truck (she wouldn't walk) and took her to the vet after finishing the hunt.
The vest said she was anemic, did some blood test and found she had heart worms. The ole gal had just wore out, she was 8 yr old and the cure of arsenic at the time along with the heart worms killed her.
Your hound is far to young for this effect, but whip and hook worms can suck the life out of one.
Is this a hound you've raised or one you've just acquired?

I've seen some awful bloody hounds, especially white ones that never lost their hunt...if she's healthy and worm free, the degree your hunting her may be to much.
Lighten up and see if she comes back to forum. Many eyes have been opened on our trips to run hare. Sad, when on the fourth day ole Rover doesn't have the spring in his step any more and finishes up in the truck...

[lebro]

jim thanks sr i have owned her since 6 weeks old and i do hunt her hard. i see her chewing on her tail alot when she should be hunting. she is worm free and well nourished. thanks for the insight all will be considered.

[PrideHillKennel]

Dock it and do not look back. I have one that is the same way. Several long days in the blackberry briers or rose bushes and her hunt drops off. She is 10 years old and I wish I would have done it when she was a pup.She is Red and white and has always been a bleeder any way. Her tail will not even regrow hair if she is not ran for several monthes. I have only been able to hunt her a day or two a week this season so it has not been a big deal this year. I do feel bad for the old girl though and doctor it as best I can after every day of running. I do have a young female that I have had the tail docked as a puppy and she hardly ever has a bloody tale regardless of what she is ran in. I do not feel that you have to take off much. Maybe 1-3 inches off the end is just enough to keep if from snaging while running or whiping side to side. I had a vet dock the tail on my pup. I have heard other people use the band method above with good results. I will not heasitate to dock a tail from here on. Brock

[Joeyman]

I'VE GOT a female thats been sitting down on me licking her tail its effecting her field performance. i may band her tail soon. going to see how she does this weekend.

[S.R.Patch]

There is something in the beagle standard about the "proper brush & length" of tail. As with many other problems we run into when varying from the standard, I'd think this one could also be eliminated by selection and breeding practice.
I would hate to think docking tails, cutting out cherry-eyes and whelping by Caesarean section, would become a standard practice of the breed.

[lebro]

sr she has a proper length tail and the heaviest haired of all my dogs. she dosent carry her tail high and conformation wise she is very nice. i will check on siblings and sire and dam to see if this is genetic or just her.

[Hill Top Beagles]

I had a hard hunting male that tail got sore like that was not hunting like he always did, took a while to figure it out; it was his tail it was so sore he coundt stand for anything to touch it. Docked tail took care of problem.

[S.R.Patch]

If she has better brush than your other hounds and they don't suffer this affliction, she must be a tail whipper that's beating her tail raw. The cold and dry has an effect on the skin an I've seen tails crack open, I guess freezing temps and even frostbit can occur on the tail.
I guess to determine about the lack of hunt developing, the only way to know would be to take her to areas of less briar and see if the desire and longevity of hunt is restored, to know if the tail bleeding or burn out is truly the problem.

As to the bench, I'd think that kind of physical alteration to the hound's natural state would be a demerit if it were noticed.

[east80kennels]

i have a male out of greenbay shooter, he had this problem i din't want to dock his tail so i had to just let him lay up for a few weeks to let him heal up. i would definatly say this is affecting her performance.

[Shotgun John]

The way they carry and use their tail causes most of the damage. You can always tape the tail while hunting. I have a couple that beat the ends of quickly while others just get a little color on the end.


http://youtu.be/HGOF5EjcsvM







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[SHAWN SEXTON]

When you guys band there tail how long do you have to put the dog up or can you keep on running them. Thanks for your information

[pilotknob]

Some dogs just have alot more action in their rearends and tail.I had a female that wore hers so bad hair quit growing about 3 in.from the end.And then later wore it so bad you could see the bone.She never quit hunting but would stop alot and lick it.Other dogs hunting with her would just get a bloody tip or a little hair missing from the end and they hunted just as well.I banded her at the hairline and never had any more problems.The guys down south that run the Black Creeks band pups for this reason so they don't have to mess with it later.I'm not sure about bench trial rules,seems like I herd onetime you coulden't in AKC.Not sure different registeries might let you.

[Chris Powers]

Guys I have banned serval dogs tail with a cow band. I ve only band about three inches down. What is the farthest you all have seen one banned down on the tail?