Over the past twenty years or so I think there has been a trend to lengthen the undocked portion of a GSP's tail. An English Pointer with full tail running in an open field is a beautiful sight, as is the style when on point. But I am exclusively a GSP person and for my hunting I think a long tail would be painful for the dog. I have never seen a GSP with a long tail, but given the enthusiasm of this breed if one is allowed inside the house it is hard to imagine furniture surviving for long, let alone tail. (You know GSPs, if even their abbreviated tail is wagging and hitting something hard they will not move away to avoid the pain.)

Let me see, what else do we do that can be attacked? Tattoos, microchips, vacines - and we cut the dew claws too! All that pain ...