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ToggleHave you ever wondered if the French bulldog’s tail is cropped or naturally born? French bulldogs are known for their distinctive appearance that makes them stand out from the crowd. Besides flat skulls and bat ears, they’re also famous for their naturally cropped tails. However, is it possible for Frenchies to have long tails too? Read on and find out the truth…
Why Does My French Bulldog Have Long Tail?
French bulldogs should not have tails. They have so-called tail pockets- hidden spots that require regular cleaning. If you’ve noticed that your furry gremlin smells bad, then the first thing you have to check is the tail pocket. Tail pocket on a Frenchie can hide nasty odor, dirt, and feces which may lead to an infection. First-time dog owners are usually not familiar with this French bulldog’s feature, so they become worried when they see the place around their dog’s anus is red, itchy, and swollen. To prevent your dog from this health problem, it’s important to clean his tail pocket daily.
In case you’ve bought a Frenchie with a tail, then your pet probably isn’t purebred. French bulldogs usually don’t have tails at all or have inch-long tails. It’s also important to mention that not all Frenchies have tails of the same length. Therefore, if your French bulldog puppy has a tiny tail, then you don’t have to worry. Your breeder should provide you with a pedigree certificate that will tell you if your dog is purebred or not.
Such official document also shows any recorded health certification, such as OFA. It will reveal you info about your furry friend’s history. If we have a look at the history of French bulldogs and their photos, we will realize that they actually had slightly longer tails. However, after many years of interbreeding with other small dog breeds, Frenchies got their today’s appearance. Unfortunately, these pooches were used in a cruel sport called ‘bull-baiting’, so their owners wanted to produce dogs with thicker and shorter tails to avoid injuries.
Tails in French bulldogs should not be able to rise above the horizontal, they should be thick and should cover the anus.
Is your French bulldog purebred?
If you own a rescued Frenchie or you don’t have any pedigree certificate, then you can always talk to your vet to do a professional DNA test. Purebred dogs are often higher in price since their breeders spend a lot of money on health checks, vaccination, food supplements, high-quality diets, and more.
Performing a dog DNA test is easy. They usually cost between 100-200 $. It allows a dog owner to learn about their puppy’s breed, ancestry, health, relatives, and more with a simple cheek swab.
How to avoid issues with a French bulldog’s tail?
As we already mentioned, Frenchies have so-called tail pockets that have to get a regular cleaning. You can perform this routine by using a baby wet wipe or a clean damp cloth. It’s the only way to avoid infections. An infected tail pocket on a Frenchie will be red, swollen, smelly, and will look moist. This condition is extremely painful, so it’s nothing odd to see your pet rubbing his butt against the floor to feel better. If you leave it untreated, the condition can only get worse and lead to a total closing of the anal opening and painful going to the toilet. Therefore, make sure your dog’s tail pocket always stays clean and dry. Unfortunately, in some cases, the vet can recommend you a tail amputation when the tail is tight and tough to clean.