Dog Breeds that Are Born Without Tail

Brittany Spaniel Brittany Spaniels were historically bred as gun dogs and are still being used for various sports. While most dogs in this breed have short tails, some are actually born tailless. It is not known whether the short tails occur through natural mutation or breeding with other Spaniels.

Boston Terrier Are Boston Terriers born with tails? Yes, they are and the little tail on a Boston Terrier is called a “nub” and is mentioned as a standard characteristic. A long or docked tail disqualifies a Boston Terrier from registration which makes it hard for long-tailed dogs to be recognized as purebred.

English Bulldog Bulldogs are naturally born with a short straight or screwed tail while the straight one is more desirable according to the breed standard. Just like with any other breed, there are abnormalities and bulldogs can be born with a long tail. However they are just as great as companions.

Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog Opposite to the Australian Cattle Dog, this breed is naturally born with a stumpy tail (as the name suggests) that is no longer than 4 inches (10 cm for our metric friends). The Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog was specifically bred to withstand the harsh environment of the Australian outback while herding livestock.

Braque du Bourbonnais The mutation of the Braque du Bourbonnais’s tail has been discovered as being identical to the Brittany Spaniel. This breed was also called “short-tail pointer” and originated in France although it’s mostly being bred in the USA today.

Pembroke Welsh Corgi A short or missing tail is a very desirable trait in the Pembroke Welsh Corgi and really distinguishes it from the long–tailed Cardigan Welsh Corgi. Corgis were being docked for a long time until it became illegal in many countries and breeders had selectively bred for this trait.

Brazilian Terrier The tail length of the Brazilian Terrier can vary from long to completely missing but the docked tail is seen as the breed standard. The origin of this small tri-colored dog is not completely discovered and different theories mention the Jack Russel Terrier and Fox Terrier as ancestors.

Croatian Sheepdog The Croatian Sheepdog used to be naturally born with a long and curly tail which was usually being docked. After docking became illegal in Croatia, selective breeding was the only way to keep passing on this trait. Today, most dogs are born with a very small or no tail at all.

Miniature Schnauzer Just like the Croatian Sheepdog, Schnauzers are naturally born with a long tail. The natural mutation of the T-gene allows breeders to keep the desirable bobtail. Traditionally, Schnauzers were always docked like many other small farm dogs as a part of the AKC terrier group.