What the four nations actually allow

Animal welfare is devolved, and since 2023 the four nations have genuinely diverged. This is the same practice compared across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with the primary source and a last-checked date against every cell.

Last reviewed 25 August 2026; the oldest cell on this page was last checked against its primary source on 22 August 2026. Every cell carries its own date and source below. Data: /api/law.json.

This is a description of the law, not legal advice. Every row links to the primary source and carries the date it was last checked. Check the source before relying on it — general licences are reissued each January and commencement dates move.

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Companion animals

Can a dog's tail be docked?

Removing part of a dog's tail is an offence across the United Kingdom, and all four nations allow an exception for puppies certified as likely to work. What that exception covers differs in every one of them, so the same litter can be lawfully docked in one nation and not in another.

England

Banned, with exceptions
In force from
6 April 2007
Instrument
Docking of Working Dogs' Tails (England) Regulations 2007, Schedule 1

Docking a dog's tail is an offence under section 6 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 except where these regulations apply. A veterinary surgeon may dock a puppy of not more than five days old on being shown evidence that it is likely to work in connection with law enforcement, lawful pest control or the lawful shooting of animals. Schedule 1 covers hunt point retrieve breeds, spaniels and terriers of "any type or combination of type", so a cross-bred dog can fall within the exemption.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Wales

Banned, with exceptions
In force from
29 March 2007
Instrument
Docking of Working Dogs' Tails (Wales) Regulations 2007, Schedule 1

Docking a dog's tail is an offence under section 6 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 except where these regulations apply. Schedule 1 names individual breeds of spaniel, terrier and hunt point retriever and adds "but not combinations of breeds", so a cross-bred dog is outside the exemption in Wales even where the same dog would be within it in England.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Scotland

Banned, with exceptions
In force from
28 June 2017
Instrument
Prohibited Procedures on Protected Animals (Exemptions) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2017, regulation 2

Docking a dog's tail is an offence under section 20 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006. Scotland allowed no exemption at all until these regulations came into force on 28 June 2017. The exemption covers spaniels and hunt point retrieve breeds and, unlike the rest of the United Kingdom, not terriers. Not more than the end third of the tail may be removed, the puppy must be five days old or less, and the veterinary surgeon must be shown evidence that the dog is likely to be used in connection with lawful shooting.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

Northern Ireland

Banned, with exceptions
In force from
1 January 2013
Instrument
Welfare of Animals (Docking of Working Dogs' Tails and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012

Docking a dog's tail is an offence under section 6 of the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 except where these regulations apply. The veterinary surgeon must be satisfied that the puppy is not more than five days old and that its dam is of a breed specified in Schedule 1 to the Act, and must be shown evidence that the dog is likely to work in connection with law enforcement, lawful pest control or the lawful shooting of animals.

legislation.gov.uk · checked 25 August 2026

How to read this

Status describes the position today. Anything proposed, consulted on or before a legislature is shown separately as a proposed change, and is never counted as law.

“Not recorded” means not recorded. Where a commencement date or an instrument has not been confirmed against a primary source, the cell says so rather than estimating.

Data: /api/law.json. Corrections with a primary source are welcome — a wrong cell here is worse than a missing one.