The American Beagler Forum

Beaglers,
Need some input and advice. My four year old female just had her first litter of pups and three have kinked tails. One of them has a tail bent 180 degrees midway length. Not only is this ugly, but it could be a hazard as the pup matures. My question is two fold. 1) Is this a genetic issue or was there too many pups in the womb during developement? I have been told both. 2) Should'nt I just clip the tail off? I realize that some folks would frown on this, but the pups ability wont be effected. I have heard that tail bobbing is kinda a common practice in the southern states; thus, eliminates tail infections due to briars... Is this a common practice down there beaglers? Thanks in advance.

It's genetic and you can clip off the tail with any sharp tool at this early age usually with no problem. Many of the beagles in the deep south have their tails bobbed because of the briars which eventally cause the tail to get infected and sore.

I had this problem years ago with some of my Bredemeier bred hounds. I believe it is genetic, due to too close of line breeding. I've been careful not to line breed too close and not breed any hounds with genetic problems, and have eliminated this problem from my kennel. I would dock their tails if I were you, just pull the hide toward the base of the tail and cut in between the vertabrae with a very sharp scissors, when you release the hide it will slide over the tip of the tail and heal quiet well.

I think it's genetics I had a female that had a pup with a crook in her tail the vet said to many pups in the womb(8) well I raised a litter out of the pup and she threw out a pup with the crook in its tail she only had 5 so I'm sure its genetics.

No real need in docking unless you just want to. Bobby Fisher here in Texas has a 9 year old male with the last 2" of his tail crooked at a 90 degree angle. It's so bushey you can't even tell it is crooked. PPRC and soon to be FC Fishers Gay Crook.

Sometimes this is caused by genetics, other times, diet.
Look at the bag of food you're feeding and if folic acid is the last or one of the last few ingredients, the crooked tails could just be a birth defect from not enough folic acid in the diet.

With three pups I would say genetic. Both the sire and dam needs to carry this gene to produce crooked tail pups.

Between 3 and 5 days old take a pair of hemiostats(sp) and lock just above where you want to dock the tail. Take your finger nail a rip off the end of the tail. A rip does not bleed as much as a cut. Have some super glue handy in case it bleeds alot. Should be fine.

I will be remembering ya oakhill if I ever run into some crooked tailed pups.....Dew claws are about all my stomache can handle..

Sounds like the old Pearson Creek days again,, Now that was inbreeding at its worst,,

I looked again at both parents pedigree to see how linebred these pups were and the only dog that shows up on both parents lineage is three generations back on both sides. I have known closer crosses than that without defects. Both the sire and dam's individual pedigrees are outcrosses. I don't question the genetic theory, just puzzled!

Bunnie is right.

The Pearson Creek line threw hooked tails in dogs for many generations and everyone here knew it.

Look way back and see what genes are flowing forward.

A lot of folks here that dock all pups tails at 3 days old.

That is correct about the Pearson Creek line. I agree with Bunnie also. Could be several generations back. And you don't have the pedigree for each of the hounds in your hounds pedigree so it could be in any one of those hounds. One pup could be how it laid in the uterus but 3 would be a different matter. I have one crooked tail female that can run the hair off a rabbit. When bred to one of my hounds she throws some crooked tail pups. When bred to another, there has been no crooked tail pups.

Interesting that George Nixon, the founder of the Pearson Creek strain, is in the Beaglers Haul of Fame. I'll bet he is more responsible for genetic problems in beagles than any other beagler. I remember reading an adverstiemen for a Pearson Creek hound in Hounds and Hunting, back in the seventies. The ad said Pearson Creek XXX is from a litter in which all five in the litter finished for their Field Champion Title. Old XXX is the only one in the litter that wasn't blind by the time he was a certain age, from glaucoma. As if that was a reason one should breed to the dog.

I had an excelent little male named HOOK. He had quite a hook in the end of his tail that got cought on everything. Even with this defect, my neghbor insisted on breeding him to one of his gyps. Two of Five pups had crooked or hooked tails.

I dock all of my pups tails at 2 days old, I use a razor knife and take of about 1/4 of the tail. If the tail is 2 inches I only take off 1/2 inch. This is not much, but enough to keep them from years of suffering in the briers. I use blood stop, like you would use for toe nails and put them back with there mom. In a few minutes they are quite and have forgotten all about the experience. This must be done early. (Day 2 or 3 before they develop many nerves and blod flow to the tail) These pups all end up with a nice tail length with a good bush.

If I get an older pup, I band there tail. Takes about 10 days for the tail to drop off. The briers here in south Mississippi are tuff on long tail dogs. While some would never do this, it is my practice and serves me well.

i see cains point very well, i have had young hounds that would beat thier tail so hard in the briars it would loose hair about an inch down,,,,,,,then when its just bone or gristle which ever it is, thats exposed i think it hurts them worse being raw than bobbed,,,,i think a bobbed tail dog has a well meaning behind it,,,,