Could someone please advise me of the best method for pruning dogwood. I
have followed the instructions in a gardening book and for the past 2 years
have pruned it back, in March, to about 4 inches from the ground. The
problem I have is that the new growth is very lax and needs to be tied up to
keep it reasonably tidy. I am sure that I have seen nice, bright red dogwood
with erect, stiff stems. How can I achieve this?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Les