how can we trim azaleas (former owners let grow to 8 ft) how far can we cut them?
This article should answer your questions. Be sure to wait till after it blooms to do any pruning or you will cut off the spring buds.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/azalea/pruning-azaleas.htm
My puppy dug up my azalea bush and my butterfly bush destroying the roots. Is there anything I can do to get it to survive and produce more roots? Should I add root tone and replant these plants? should I bring them indoors to keep the cold from hurting them? Would they have a better chance? Both are small plants.
Your best bet is to just replant and feed them, protect them from the cold and hope for the best. Patience may be in order here, too. These articles may help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/care-of-damaged-plants.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/dealing-with-uprooted-plants.htm
I haven’t changed the way I care for it now it is losing all its leaves. Help please. Two photos one with the flower is just a week ago.
Some azalea varieties drop lower and inner leaves as part of their natural cycle, and some are deciduous. Check your growing conditions in the article I've linked here.
It's possible your plant has developed root rot. You may want to unpot it, check the roots and trim off any that don't look firm and healthy, and repot it in a slightly larger pot. If you've checked the leaves and stems carefully for pests and it appears fine, you'll probably see it perk back up in the spring with fresh leaves. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/azalea/growing-azalea-houseplants.htm
My bushes were planted on the North side of my place and I've read that is wrong.
Actually, the North side of your house is a good spot to plant, since it won't get as much direct sun. This is preferred over a spot with more light.
Pruning should occur right as the old blooms fade, and before the new buds set. This is, usually, right before July, in most places.
Here are some articles that will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/azalea/pruning-azaleas.htm
t it's name is as we have not lived here long, but it is petite (barely 2 feet high) and has white flowers. Are azaleas grown on root stock, in which case these presumably need to be taken off, or is it just the plant growing up?
Some varieties send up new shoots from the base of established plants. I would prune off those suckers. Also, it could be a grafted variety.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/azalea/pruning-azaleas.htm
https://www.rhododendron.org/v47n3p136.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/azalea/pruning-azaleas.htm
Was perfectly ok a week before given some feed. One week after feed leaves drooping top of branch and the rest have fallen off, so I can see through plant whereas I could not before. I gave it a bit more water a few days ago but it has not revived. The bark is still green further down. Please help, I don’t know what is wrong. Thank you in advance.
Azaleas don't really need fertilizer, so it may have been overfertilized, which results in a burn. The only thing you can do is keep flushing it with water to reduce the salt buildup.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/what-is-fertilizer-burn.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/azalea/fertilizer-for-azaleas.htm
It's not just one variety, it's many varieties. At first I noticed one bush looked 'funny' over the winter and then as they started out of hibernation, I saw more branches on more bushes... and now I have a half dozen completely dead bushes. I have attached a picture of what might be the cause. Is there something I can treat them all with?
It sounds like you have a case of dieback. It's hard to imagine why all varieties are dying, and it makes me think it may be related to your soil. Here's our article about azalea dieback, as well as an article from the University of Florida that may be helpful:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/azalea/azalea-branches-dying.htm
https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/lawn-and-garden/florida-azaleas/
I'm also going to include an article from Clemson University that lists disease reistant cultivars:
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/azalea-rhododendron-diseases/