Tail preference

[Checkers]

In the show ring here the standard states:

"The tail attachment should be high. The tail should be docked and carried upwards and should not be more than 5 cm (2 in) long"

And i went to a show a while ago and most, if not all of the boxers had at least 6in nubs. This is just a hypothetical so bare with me . But say you have two boxers that have an equal chance of being first, but one has a correct to the standard tail and one has a longer tail, would the one with the short tail win automatically? (i know there arent 2 boxers that look exactly the same and that other factors would also play a part in winning but for this question lets say there are ). Or is it up to the judges preference (maybe they prefer the longer tail) and no body makes a fuss if the longer one wins? Or do they HAVE to pick the one closest to the standard? Im not sure who won in the show that i was watching (i didnt have a clue what was going on lol) but is it really important to follow this part of the standard or can it go either way without too much thought?

Its just interesting to see people not following the standard to make the tail look 'better' when its longer (i prefer a shorter nub myself ). Are they toying with their chances of winning because they think a judge just might prefer the longer tail or is it mostly standard that decides what wins?

Hope that make some sense

One more thing while im at it, whats a dewlap?

[boxer]

Well, since the tail dock is entirely a cosmetic thing, it shouldn't really play much of a part in a judge's assessment at all. Technically, yes, the length of dock is still written in some of the standards, but a cosmetic thing like that has to be a secondary consideration to actual conformational points. The point of showing, after all, is to judge how well the dog is constructed, not the skill of the surgeon who docked it's tail or cropped it's ears.

What a judge *should* be interested in, with regards to the tail, is where it is set on the dog's back (not too low) and how it is carried. I suppose that if two individuals were in all respects otherwise equal, then a dock closer to the 2" prescribed by the standard should be a deciding factor.

Actual length of dock can be a bit of a fashion thing. But what you should also factor in is that the job of the person handling the dog is not only to show it off to it's best advantage by emphasisint it's good points, but also to disguise it's faults as far as possible If you had a dog with a slightly long back, for example, one of the things you could do to try to disguise that would be to hold/push the tail upward and forward, thereby making the back appear shorter (and the dog squarer) than is actually the case. Not surprising then that handlers and breeders often prefer a longer dock Possibly it's also part of the reason for writing 2" as the maximum into the standard - to stop people doing that. It's not that easy to get a good hold of a 2" tail.

Oh - and dewlap is the excessive loose skin that some dogs have under their chin/neck. It's quite correct to have that in some breeds, but not the boxer.

[JulieM]

Also keep in mind that tails are docked at 2-4 days of age - it's a gamble as to how long they'll actually be when the dog is mature! (Of course, a 4" difference is a bit extreme even considering age at docking.)

[kassa]

I'm tearing my hair out on my current pup. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's Weimeraner tails on boxers -- and she's got one! (I guess I'm supposed to be learning some lesson about judgement, because boy has this one come back to haunt me!)

I've also got a pet white boy with a Rottweiler nub! And one Ch bitch who's a happy medium!

At 8 weeks her tail was just fine. Maybe a smidgen long, but nothing that a single person (including me) commented on. Then at 4 months, it sprouted like Pinocchio's nose. Now, at 6 months, it seems to be a bit more proportional than it was (thank God!)

I'm used to dogs growing long and then tall and then long again -- I never realized their tails do the same thing!

[ARCHANGLBXRS]

I read in one of my vintage boxer books that a nickel placed at the hiney when they are 2 days old would yield the proper length for a dock. ( ONLY TO BE DONE BY A VET) My Bitch has a large scar tissue area on the end of hers and my Male has a indention under his. Just something I didn't know if you knew or not. I love the old books except for their views on the whites.
Amber Angel MASD, Beau TD SDIT

[Checkers]

Thanks for the replies guys It just seems the tails are getting longer and longer, and it is starting to look weimaraner styles. Boxer i can fully get that holding a short nub up would be a pain, i couldnt get a hold of Lily's if i tried (hers is short as).
ARCHANGLBXRS Lily has black scar tissue on the tip of hers, i was a bit worried at first, but not anymore. Its covered up by the hair around it so it doesn't worry me (or her for that matter)

[ARCHANGLBXRS]

I was told it was from the bitch chewing the stitches out but I'm not sure if that is true or not. I have never welped a litter. I would think the vets would use dermabond or something similar though. Glad Angel isn't the only one with an extra wide nubby =)