Guess it depends on what you want the final product to be..
For larger blooms with long stems, then some dis-budding needs to be done. If you are looking for masses of blooms then leave them alone.
Some cultivars naturally grow taller, therefore staking is necessary, some don't.
I have tall ones and shorter ones, some need staking, some don't. I'm dis-budding on some so that I have longer stems and they will work nicely in vases. And to enter in the County Fair.
Do what you want-it's your garden.

I like your analogy to tail clipping. I leave mine "au naturel" - as GrannyMarsh says, it's a matter of personal preference, but I say size is definately not everything! ;)

Anna

Hi. This is my first year with Dahlias. I read all sorts of things about disbudding for one large bloom, which I tried on 2 of them. They look terrible and never bloomed. The other ones I disbudded only a couple sprouts and they have many tall beautiful flowers. For me, more is better! And it's true...the more flowers you cut off the more you get!