Need opinions of Staffy pup without a tail.

We are considering getting our first Staffy. We saw a litter Sat. One of the pups did not have a tail. The breeder said that he thinks the mom may have accidentally bitten it off when she was cleaning the pup up during birth. I initially had my heart set on a black one, but when we were actually playing with the pups, the one without the tail was the most cuddly and sweet. She has been vet checked and there were no other problems. Do you think that it will be OK?

My Millie was born without a tail. She's the middle one in my avatar.

Millie was brought to the shelter with her siblings and mum at 5 days old. From her lack of tail it was clear something was wrong so when she was old enough she was x-rayed. These show that her sacral area is fused, twisted and lacking in bone density. At the time, the vet gave her a 50/50 chance of survival as it was possible that the rest of her would grow and her back end wouldn't which would have meant severely impaired quality of life.

Which is how come we have her. They wouldn't adopt her out as there was the risk she'd need to be pts. It was hard to find a fosterer because of that and the vet also advised hydrotherapy to help strengthen her, which not every fosterer wants to do. So we took her despite having 2 full on dogs already.

Fast forward a 10 months... Millie is now a year old, strong as an ox, and the quirkiest little dog I've ever met. She's faster than Chaos, our big staffie x, and plays very rough! We started off trying to protect her but it soon became clear that the others judged their play well and that she could more than hold her own. Now we just let them all get on with it!

Would I take her again? You bet! And would I take another wonky dog? You bet!

Back to you though. I personally think it's unlikely the mum bit this pup's tail off - there would have been a bleeding wound. For me it is more likely that this is a deformity. If that is the case, then it's up to you to decide how much you trust the breeder about the vet check, and whether you are prepared to take the risk that there may be something structurally wrong. I believe that, when it comes to personality, the puppy you see is the dog you get, so I'd certainly encourage you to go with that instinct, but it might be worth trying to knock the fee down, that way you've got the balance for your own vet assessment.

The fact of a lack of tail, though, is no problem. Ok, so you don't have a waggy tail to assess how your dog is feeling but there are so many other ways of knowing. Millie's interactions with other dogs seem completely unaffected, I've had no dog react negatively towards her because they couldn't read her properly. Dogs are far too good at subtle body language to need to rely on one thing. So don't let that bit put you off at all. Just go in with your eyes open about the possibility of this being a deformity that may (or may not) go further up the body.

If it helps at all, there are some pics of Millie here. No tail, but otherwise a fab little dog

https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/t63835-our-holiday-pics

LizP wrote:
Millie was brought to the shelter with her siblings and mum at 5 days old. From her lack of tail it was clear something was wrong so when she was old enough she was x-rayed. These show that her sacral area is fused, twisted and lacking in bone density. At the time, the vet gave her a 50/50 chance of survival as it was possible that the rest of her would grow and her back end wouldn't which would have meant severely impaired quality of life.

Could you tell just from looking at Millie that there was something wrong, beside the missing tail? This little pup acts and moves completely normal at 7 weeks old, just a little calmer and less wiggly than the others when we held her.

She sometimes looks a bit hunched in her back and she's got a unusual gait in her hindquarters if you're looking for it, but otherwise no, she looks normal. A little smaller than her litter mates, maybe, but it was really the tail that gave the game away.

I really don't want to put you off this pup - it'd be sad to think of her not getting a home because of her lack of tail - but I do think it's important to go in with your eyes open and for the breeder to be honest. But, if you think the risk is one you don't want to take, then I fully understand and it's best for you to make that decision now rather than down the line when you have committed emotionally as well as financially.

I can only echo the words Liz has said above. Having a Dog that is different can be fantastic in its own way. My Flo Is deaf but the fuss she gets as a result more than makes up for the lack of hearing and to be honest it doesn't stop her doing anything a normal dog can do (apart from hear us of course )

As Liz says, follow your instincts but also don't pay the full asking price so that you can get the pup checked independently.

Mine lost his tail because he was used as bait dog before he entered rescue. Sometimes people comment on it. He has about a 2 inch stump.

He is a very popular dog and has more human friends than I do!

It doesnt seem to bother him in any way, sometimes makes it difficult for me to read his body language when he meets other dogs.

All I can say is - It might be only small but it still wags!

Simon & The Tedster (Teddy)

Liz's post us good.

I take it you don't want to show your pup? A lack of tail would disqualify it.

Also, be aware Tha any veterinary care needed specifically for that would not be covered by insurance because it's a pre-existing condition.

I can't see it being an issue for health reasons, the only complication would be it is less able to communicate to other dogs, so will need extra socialization and training, but it won't be an issue really