Where Can I Find a Boxer That Has Not Had Its Tail Docked?

The boxer is a fun-loving breed of dog known for its short muzzle, strength, intelligence and playful character. A boxer's appearance traditionally includes a 2- to 3-inch docked tail and cropped, pointy ears. While ear-cropping has slowly become optional, tail-docking is still a standard for the breed set by the American Kennel Club and used by most boxer breeders.

  1. Boxer Tail Docking

    • The motivation behind docking the tail of a boxer is injury prevention. A long, thin uncropped boxer tail is extremely strong (as is the rest of the dog) and can easily knock over anything in its path as well as whacking anyone nearby. Boxers are easily excitable, and their long tail whips around when they are stimulated or playing. often straight into walls, sharp corners, radiators and anything else that happens to be in the way. As a result, cuts and wounds can develop on the tail and never heal due to the constant impacts.

    Rescue Organizations

    • Boxer rescue groups often have boxers with tails. Since the boxer is such a popular breed, many people with no breeding experience breed them just to make a quick dollar; these questionable breeders usually do not want to pay for tail docking and leave the tails intact. Boxer tails can be destructive, and constant injury may be an expense that an owner cannot handle, so many such boxers end up with a rescue group.

    Breeders

    • There are very few boxer breeders in the United States that do not dock tails. Reputable and seasoned breeders usually dock boxer puppys' tails within the first few days after they are born. If you are prepurchasing a puppy from an upcoming litter, you may request that the tail be left intact; a breeder will usually agree to such an arrangement if he knows the dog will not be a show dog, the prospective owner understands the risks involved and the dog has already been paid for.

    European Boxers

    • Tail docking is illegal in most of Europe, and boxers from most European breeders will have a tail. The cost of shipping a dog may be exorbitant, but if you are already planning a trip to a European country in which tail docking is illegal, you may elect to purchase and bring home a puppy with the proper vaccinations and paperwork.