People Are Obsessed With This Doberman's Unusual Tail and Ears

A Doberman pinscher without a docked tail has gained serious attention online, with thousands of people admiring the unaltered canine.

With over 29,000 upvotes on Reddit's r/oddlysatisfying subreddit, user u/nixass posted a picture of their friend's dog with an impressive long, curly tail.

In the caption they wrote: "I was told this would be appreciated here. My friend's dog's tail. This is also the first time I've seen an undocked Doberman (both ears and tail)."

While the Doberman pinscher naturally has a long tail and long floppy ears, for years it has been more common to see them with a fully docked tail and ears.

These surgical procedures were first performed to reflect the breed's original purpose as a personal guard dog. The naturally long and thin tail of the Doberman was seen as a potential weak point, which could be easily injured or used as a handhold by an attacker. Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann, the original breeder of the Doberman, docked both the tails of the dogs and their ears, with the latter procedure designed to make them more intimidating.

Dobermann was a German tax collector who created the Doberman pinscher in 1870. He aimed to create a breed that would protect him during his collections, which took him through many dangerous, bandit-infested areas.

The practice of docking also has ancient origins. It was once used to prevent rabies, and was even thought to ward off demons associated with a dog's tail, or to distinguish working dogs from hunting dogs. Today, though, tail docking is controversial, with many arguing that it is unnecessary and cruel, and others maintaining that it is essential for the dog's safety and well-being.

On Reddit, people were impressed with the dog's undocked tail and ears. "How refreshing to see an undocked Doberman," said Reddit user bebespawn, while decanted wrote that "TIL that Dobermans have floppy ears and circle tails!"

User Half_Man1 chimed in with, "So much cuter imho," and DeadlyYellow compared undocked Dobermans to another popular dog, saying, "I love regular Dobermans. They look like tall dachshunds."

Other Doberman owners shared their thoughts, too. Meewelyne said: "I had a few Dobermans and never docked them; it's a cruel and useless practice."

Tail docking is mostly unregulated in the U.S., and only two states have provisions restricting it: Maryland and Pennsylvania.

In Maryland, tail docking can be performed only by licensed veterinarians using anesthesia, and only when deemed appropriate. Similarly in Pennsylvania, the law prohibits tail docking if the dog is over 5 days old, and it may only be performed by a licensed veterinarian if it is medically necessary.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) continues to support tail docking in the U.S., and it is included in the breed standard for more than 50 breeds, including the Doberman pinscher. By contrast, most European and South American countries, as well as Iceland, Australia, and New Zealand, have banned tail docking except in medically necessary situations.

Newsweek reached out to u/nixass via Reddit for comment.

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