How a shrub responds to that pruning will depend on the type of shrub and it's general health.

and you usually do not cut to ground level ... its usually 3 to 6 inches ... so that dormant buds on those stubs.. can trigger and start fresh growth down low ..

its the basis of rejuvenation pruning ...

ken

hit the video button.. and perhaps some of the presenters will discuss such

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffcm&q=rejuvenation+pruning&iax=images&ia=images

Typically for caning shrubs, you DO cut back to the base (root crown) the oldest canes or those that no longer have vigorous growth. That encourages the growth of new canes....which emerge from the root crown, not from dormant buds on old canes. FWIW, rejuvenation (aka renewal) pruning is most applicable to only caning shrubs. Not the same process at all when dealing with shrubs that emerge for a single stem/trunk!

GG. I've been mindful on looking at older canes, and in this scenario for example, I spied older cane with 2 adjacent basal buds right above the soil line. So I snipped the cane that was deadcenter of the two. I've noticed similar snipped/dead wood from stuff cut from prior years so I'm just wondering does said -pruned- cane that is taking up space right on the soil line- in the grand scheme of things eventually decompose.

If you identify the kind of shrub you are asking about it will become possible for other participants to respond to your concerns in the most useful way. With as mentioned this aspect being a critical point. Otherwise certain kinds such as Spiraea japonica are actually best managed by cutting everything down to stubs early every year (once specimen is sufficiently established) whereas many others grow in such a way that various versions of less severe treatment are the protocol. When a fully expressed, attractive specimen is the goal (too often it is not, unfortunately - hence the founding of the Plant Amnesty membership organization).

Just wanted a general overall wiki on pruning woody shrubs - nothing specific. I've always pruned out winter kill and anything that did not look healthy. What's new on my radar for example, the one cane I spied 2 adjacent buds at the base on this, it's my understanding that its good for the shrub to get rid of the -old- and let those 2 take it's place in the same physical space. Which is what I did...I cut the existing one out to let those new growth grow in it's space.

However, when I look at things before leafout, I still see cut stems from yesteryears on the base right around the mulch line and was coming to GW for clarity that in time...those little stubs will just decay and things may/will grow in the area where those existing little nubs that I see remain

In my experience the old stubs of caning shrubs can be easily pulled out after a couple of years so yes, they do rot.