I like a docked tail. It stands up straight and is very expressive. I don't know why people think it's not expressive. I found a docked tail to be intensely expressive because of the speed at which it wags. Straight up adorable. I even wrote a poem about my Doberman's tail. And the poodles have a rather long dock. I do not find it to be cruel if it is banded when they're 2 or 3 days old because the part of their nervous system is not complete until 14-21 days...the pain receptors that have to do with the spinal cord. I don't know that I'd go for surgical docking...probably more healing involved after. But banding is a simple procedure if done within the first few days as far as I've understood from my breeders. (Doberman and poodles) It is not going to hurt your puppy. I do not believe that there's pain from what I've been told by several breeders of traditionally docked breeds. I think my poodles look very balanced, happy, "expressive" and beautiful. And yep, if you like a pom pom....
That Dober Tail
A mile a minute it would go,
That Dober stub of a tail,
It didn’t sway in easy flow,
But things stayed on the table.
How expressive, that Dober tail,
Inside his mind I’d know,
Humor abounded without fail,
Back and forth, that Dober tail,
Wish he didn’t go.