Are French Bulldog tails born that way or do they need to be docked?

The tail of a French Bulldog is inherent, and there is generally no need for tail docking. Purebred French Bulldogs have short tails naturally, with a thick base and a thin tip, presenting a spiral shape, looking like they don't have a tail. Most of the long-tailed French Bulldogs that require docking have less pure bloodlines. The artificial tail docking usually results in a tail with a flat tip, which is quite different from the natural short tail.

Usually, a dog's tail is docked about a week after birth. There are various ways to dock a tail, with the most common method being to block the blood flow, causing the posterior part of the tail to naturally necrose and fall off. This method takes a long time, but it is more convenient for most people. After the tail falls off, there is no wound like that of surgically docked tails. Moreover, it doesn't require many precautions, thus making it a commonly used method for docking tails.

In addition to this blood flow blocking method, some older dogs also choose to have their tails surgically docked. Surgical docking is faster and often used for dogs that have passed their developmental stage.

However, regardless of the method of docking, it is essential to pay attention to the cleanliness of the wound after docking to prevent infection. For young dogs who have their tails docked by blocking the blood flow, this is the age when the dog's mother helps them defecate. Long-term licking is very likely to cause infection, which is prone to repeated infections. Owners need to pay special attention to keeping the wound clean and dry. For dogs that undergo surgical docking, medication must be taken on time, and the wound should be cleaned and disinfected to prevent postoperative infection.