are you certain that you have an AKC ENGLISH BULLDOG, there are other bulldogs out there, IE: american bulldog, olde english bulldogg and a variety that is a mix to keep health issues down.
AKC ENGLISH BULLDOGS ARE NEVER DOCKED
sorry to hear if yours was : (

If your puppies tail was 1 1/2 inches at 11 weeks, then it was not a cork screw. There had to be other reasons....perhaps the "breeder" felt they were TOO long...

melanie & the webmaster are 100% correct. Bulldogs do NOT get their tails docked!

Both my bully's have screw tails. One is great and needs no maintenance at all. The other is so tight I can barely get the wipe in there to clean. It is not very comfortable for the dog when I am cleaning and there is a little bit of a struggle. I am finding it worse in the summer because he sits in his doggy pool and it gets wet the air can't get at it to dry it out. I have had to use panalog a few times to get it under control but usually just mild soap and water will do (and dry well). I will do everything in my power to avoid tail amputation even though it means I will be wiping bully butt everyday! I will definitely take more care in choosing my next bully and the tail that is attached!
Cindy, Rugby & Tonka

I FULLY AND COMPLETELY AGREE WITH MELANIE. A Bulldogs tail is never docked, never! That is wrong and not correct to do. Bulldogs have NO surgical cosmetic surgery! Webmaster

Our bulldog had a screw tail and we never had a problem. No one ever even suggested that we should remove the tail. I don't think I'd consider such a things UNTIL it became a problem. I'm wondering if some of these vets are just not very knowledgable about bulldogs.

Janis

Tails can be docked/removed but should only be done so for health reasons. Not for appearance or personal preference reasons. A show dog cannot have its tail docked.

Our dog had her tail removed but it was a screw tail and was already growing extremely tight to her body when she was only a couple months old. Our vet said it is a much simpler procedure, on both the dog and vet, to have done when younger instead of waiting until they are full grown. We waited until she was 5 months old and then had it done at the same time as her spaying, cherry eye and stenotic nares. The only thing that bothered her was that as her hair grew back, her butt itched and she wanted us to scratch it.

I wasn't crazy about the idea at first but I'm glad we had it done now. However, we only did it to save her from possible infection problems in the future. If your dog's tail is straight and/or not very tight, there is no reason to have it docked.

According to the breed standard, a screw tail is allowable and perfectly acceptable. Yes, the screw tails have an increased chance of becoming tight or inverted and difficult to keep clean. However, no reputable breeder should ever dock a bulldog's tail for precautionary reasons. I realize that you purchased your dog as a pet only, but it's still important to understand that the bulldog breed standard does not permit the docking of tails as other breed standards do (doberman pinscher, rottweiler, boxer etc). The only time I would suggest alterating a bulldog's tail is in the case of a tight, inverted, infected tail which required amputation for health reasons. However, I only recommend this as a last resort.

I absolutely do not agree with your breeder's decision to dock her puppies's tails, and I'm sorry she felt the need to do it. It's nice that you feel comfortable with her. Unfortunately, she doesn't sound very knowledgeable or reputable to me. I hope you don't take any personal offense to my opinion, as it has nothing to do with you or Harlee. I'm sure Harlee is a wonderful girl, and you obviously love her very much, which is the most important thing. =)

They were only cropped partially. Harlee's tail is about 1 1/2 inches long @ 11 weeks. Do cork-screw tails sometimes become inverted?

Todd...

Were her puppies' tails cropped partially or just amputated entirely? I definitely only know of AMPUTATING for health reasons... maybe there's just some confusion here in the terminology? =)

I'm ALWAYS cleaning Grover's screw-tail for fear that someday it might need to be amputated... it's too darn CUTE! =)

Julia

I have heard the same thing that a bullies tails should never be cropped, according to the standard.
I recently bought one from a breeder who told me all her pups had the cork-screw tails. She said that the cork-screw tail can become inverted and this is why she had them cropped? Does this sound right to you? I'm really confident in the breeder I got her from but after seeing your post, I'm not sure.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Bulldog tails are meant to be left natural... what you see at birth is what you get. The breed standard allows either a straight or screwed tail. Most breeders seem to prefer the straight tail type, at least few inches in length.

Please leave your puppy's tail the way it is. The only exception would be later in your dog's life, if he had a very tight, inverted tail that required amputation for health reasons.