I do not understand why you want to dock your dogs tail. What kind of tail dose he have, one of the problems I am seeing is no tail which can be a health problem . Bulldogs are suppose to have some tail ( The proper tails two types are short hung low, heading down with thick root and fine tip one straight the other screwed, but no portion of the mmember should be elevated above the base or root. One of the things that was talked about at nationals last year was what has happen to the tail. Believe me I have dogs in my kennels that need tails This is one of the thing I am working on breeding in my line. If you will look at some of the great dogs from the past you will see tails the sandards haven,t changed. I think you are taking about a pet dog but leave his tail, a good tail is hard to come by.

I agree with melanie completely, a Bulldog has no cosmetic surgery and I would strongly suggest you not dock the tail. There is no reason to do this.

I'm curious as to why you would want to dock your bulldog's tail? Did you vet or breeder suggest it, or do you just think it will look better?

As a general FYI, bulldog tails are NEVER to be docked according to our breed standard. Our standard states the following regarding tails:

Tail -- The tail may be either straight or "screwed" (but never curved or curly), and in any case must be short, hung low, with decided downward carriage, thick root and fine tip. If straight, the tail should be cylindrical and of uniform taper. If "screwed", the bends or kinks should be well-defined, and they may be abrupt and even knotty, but no portion of the member should be elevated above the base or root.

You will notice that the tail must be "short", but it doesn't say how short. Most breeders seem to prefer a straight tail that is a few inches in length. Straight tails seem to have less problems than screwed tails (regarding cleaning and possible infection). Many breeder that I have talked to seem to agree that the tail should never be longer than the hock joint.

Please take the breed standard into consideration before making this decision. Bulldog tails should be kept natural, unless in the extreme case that your dog has a very tightly screwed tail (possibly inverted) with an uncontrollable infection. Please don't put your baby through an unnecessary surgery just because you think it might look better.

Pure bred Bulldog tails are NEVER docked. What you see is what you get. If there is a problem with an ingrown tail in an adult then the vet and owner may opt to have it removed for cleanliness purposes but never for the looks.