In 18th century England, the king levied a tax on tails. (I believe that kings lie awake at night thinking of things to tax.)
But, the peasant farmers found a way around it. In order to evade the tax, they docked the tails of their working dogs. The tax was eventually repealed, but the practice of tail-docking continued for centuries, until finally, the United Kingdom placed a ban on the practice, calling it a “cruel mutilation”. The only exemptions are for certain working dogs and dogs who need their tail removed for medical reasons.
I find it interesting that some dogs are born without tails, which is believed to be a genetic mutation called NBT or natural bobtail. My daughter’s dog, Lucy, an Australian Shepherd, was born without a tail. She has a nub of a tail that she wriggles like crazy when she’s happy. They call it the Aussie “wiggle-butt” and it’s something to behold; her entire body wiggles from head to bum.
What is a tail?
The canine tail is more flexible and more mobile than…
