Docked poodle tails were a product of the Victorian era. The practice was not only decorative, but it also prevented these dogs from sitting on their own droppings and other bacteria. In this era, many children died before the age of five from diseases such as polio or cholera during times when clean water was unavailable for washing. The cost to have a dog surgically docked was much less than hiring a live-in servant who would have been responsible for tasks such as cleaning up after the animal, bringing in coal or wood for heat, and acting as a babysitter when parents had gone out for an evening...