Dog Health Questions: Hunting with an undocked dog?

I own a Springer from working stock and recently, I've been doing basic gun dog training with her, she's picking it up quickly and doing really well.
I've just returned from training classes. The classes are for obedience and agility but one of the trainers has fully trained gun dogs that he competes, trains, works and demonstrates with, so he takes me aside to do gun dog work while the other dogs do the agility. Today I was asking about competing in field trials with her if she completes all her training and he said the only problem would be her tail, so now I'm looking more towards the YKC junior handler field trials because of her tail.
My question is, does anyone have any experience working an undocked dog?

Abused Dog Training - How to Train an Abused Dog

Recommended Answer:
Tail docking is the owner's personal decision. Tail docking has no proven uses with hunting. Really, I think a dog with an undocked tail would be easier to find in taller grass.

It's best to do that when the dog is young, a lot younger than 15 months old.
If I would do anything to my dogs, I'd remove the dew-claws.With a dog who's tail isn't docked, you'll just have to brush the tail.. which the dog should be brushed after a day out in the field to remove any burrs or anything from the coat.

Choosing Basics Dog Training Methods

• Dock or undock who cares. I hate docked tails...they look weird and unnatural and tails are there for a reason. Don't dock her.


• Well, i have a springer too. She was undocked to. until a realized it would be better to dock her. Docking was the best choice i ever made. Usually my springer would come home and i would have to clean her tail off and it was soooo annoying. You can hunt with a undocked dog its just difficult. So my suggestion is to dock her!


• Hunter Ethics..


• I hate docking, just do what you always do with a hunting dog, take it hunting.


• It has nothing to do with anything. In some countries tail docking is illegal. A field bred English springer spaniel in the US would generally have a very lightly docked tail anyway. The AKC standard is what the show bred dogs have. Ignore the whole docking thing.
  
  Check out: http://www.spanielsinthefield.com/ You should be able to locate a local/nearby field trial club.