Are any alterations done to French Bulldog puppies?
The answer to this question is NO. Their tails are naturally short: a stub, a corkscrew, a combination of the two, or virtually no tail at all. The only permitted alteration is the removal of the dew claws, but this is rarely done and not recommended.
It is generally done on a puppy at around 3 days of age, and since we do not place our puppies until they are in their 6th week, we do not have them removed. Like we said, we do not recommend having the dew claws removed, and they do not cause any problems as long as they are clipped regularly. If a client was adamant about having them removed, it would have to be done at the time he or she is neutered or spayed when they are under anesthesia, because of their age. Any other alteration than the removal of dew claws is considered a mutilation and is not allowed by the AKC for any of their sanctioned events.
Their characteristic “bat” ears are natural and will almost always go up on their own by 10 weeks of age (often much earlier as we’ve had Frenchie pups with completely erect ears at 3 & 4 weeks). If they are not up by 10 weeks, or showing definite signs of going up by even 7 weeks, they should be taped-up (trained) to ensure that your Frenchie will have the characteristic bat ears when grown (see “At what age do French Bulldog puppies’ ears stand up straight?”). But, fortunately, they will generally eventually go up on their own.
