Bobtail describes an animal with a short tail, either naturally or because the tail has been cut short. Some dog breeds like Old English Sheepdogs can be born with bobtails, while other dogs have their tails docked (shortened) when they're puppies. Cats can also have bobtails: the Japanese Bobtail is a breed known for its rabbit-like puff of a tail.

You might see a bobtail horse pulling a carriage in an old story, or hear someone describe a rabbit they spotted in the garden as having a cute bobtail.

In the Christmas song “Jingle Bells,” the line goes “Bells on bobtail ring,” referring to a horse with a shortened tail pulling the sleigh. The word can also describe the animal itself: “We adopted a bobtail from the shelter.”

Some working dogs had their tails bobbed to help prevent injuries while herding or hunting, though this practice has become controversial. Today, many bobtailed animals are simply born that way, carrying genes that naturally produce shorter tails.