The French Bulldog breed, often known as Frenchies, are a miniature, fun loving descendent of the Toy Bulldog who has an infectious personality and adorable love of life.
After bull baiting and dog fighting was outlawed in the 19th century, the population of Bulldogs started to decrease, which led breeders to create a small dog breed that would suit as companion dogs instead. By breeding Bulldogs with ratters like Terriers, their pursuit led to the now extinct Toy Bulldog.
Toy Bulldogs became popular among lacemakers who would keep them on their laps to keep them warm. During the industrial revolution, some of these lacemakers from Nottingham travelled to France and they brought their Toy Bulldogs with them. The small breed quickly became very popular among the French which led to a regular import of Toy Bulldogs that the English thought were too small or had minor faults like ‘bat ears’ that stood up too much.
Breeders in France soon had their own breed of toy Bulldogs that were defined by the breed standard of the all-important 'bat ears'. At that time this breed was called the Bouledogues Francais which, when they became popular in the UK years later, became the French Bulldog.
With their bat ears, small but powerful muscular body and their flat wrinkly face it’s fair to say that the Frenchie is an odd-looking dog breed, but they are beautiful in their own unique way. Any owner will testify to not being able to leave the house with their Frenchie without regularly hearing exclamations of ‘aww’ and ‘look at its cute squishy face’.
French Bulldogs are a very popular breed and that popularity only seems to increase year on year which means you can expect to pay more for a Frenchie than you would for some other breeds. It’s also highly likely that you’ll be put on a waiting list.
With any popular breed like the French Bulldog, it's imperative that you only purchase or adopt from a reputable breeder or rescue centre who has all the necessary certification and can provide full health records for the dog.
The French Bulldog is an incredibly affectionate breed who at one minute will be fooling around on the floor and the next will happily lounge around snoring and grunting in their bed or on your lap.
They thrive on human contact and they’re very loving with their family, but they can be territorial with other dogs and particularly possessive of their humans.
Frenchies can make excellent watch dogs and, although they don’t bark overly much, they will alert you of any approaching strangers. There’s no need to worry though, they’re mostly all bark and no bite.
Despite their love of life and their mischievous nature, they can be very stubborn which means they will often completely ignore your commands and they may even snub you sometimes when you’re wanting some attention.
Their stubbornness means their owner needs to be consistent, firm and patient with training from an early age. Luckily, they’re intelligent and eager to please, so as long as you keep the training entertaining, they should respond well.
One thing to be wary of is they have quite a high prey drive which means they will chase just about anything that’s smaller than them. This poses a risk if you prefer to walk your dog off the lead or you don’t have a secure garden. The greatest risk you have is them running off after a bird and across a road. There are a few ways that you can minimise this risk which are to keep them on their lead at all times during a walk, only take them to enclosed areas or somewhere far away from roads, or you train them to recall.
As they’re a small breed who doesn’t require a huge amount of exercise, they can cope well with living in a small environment which means they can thrive in apartments or small houses.
They’re little pocket rockets who will succumb to sudden bursts of energy, but they only require 30 – 60 minutes of exercise a day. This makes them a good option for anyone who isn’t overly active but can commit to 1 walk a day.
Their love of humans means they suffer from separation anxiety, so they don’t respond well to being left home alone. If you can’t commit to being at home with them all day, or you can’t make other arrangements whilst you’re at work, then they’re not the breed for you.
Like other Bulldog breeds they’re brachycephalic which means they have a short face. This makes it difficult for a Frenchie to pant efficiently which is one of the main ways a dog can reduce their body temperature. This inability to effectively cool down means they’re not well suited to hot climates and their exercise should be reduced during the hotter months of the year.
Frenchies aren’t good swimmers, which you need to be aware of before introducing them to your house if you have any body of water, like a pond or pool, in your garden. You must also consider this when choosing where to go for your walks and if your favourite park has a lake you would be wise to keep them on a lead or steer clear of the water.
Generally, they’re good with children, so they can make a wonderful edition to a family, but they should be supervised with all dogs as they can be territorial and possessive.
The French Bulldog has a very manageable short, smooth and fine coat that doesn’t require too much grooming other than the occasional brush to keep the coat healthy.
Under their coat their skin is loose and wrinkled, particularly on their head and shoulders. To avoid bacterial infections, it's important that you regularly clean and dry the skin between the folds when you bathe them.
To make life easier for both of you, begin grooming your Frenchie at a young age to get them used to being handled and standing on a table. This will make grooming and veterinary examinations much easier throughout their life.
As with any dog breed, you must also regularly take care of their teeth, gums and ears.
Brush their teeth at least two or three times a week to remove tartar buildup and bacteria. If you can, brushing their teeth daily is even better to prevent gum disease.
Trim their nails once or twice a month, but always bear in mind, if you can hear them clicking on the floor, they’re too long and should be cut immediately. Not only does trimming the nails keep their paws in good condition, it also protects you and anyone else when they jump up.
French Bulldogs are a brachycephalic breed (flat faced) which can lead to certain health problems linked to respiration and overheating, so you must take precautions to make sure they don’t overexert themselves.
They can also be prone to back problems, so it’s important that you don’t let them jump up or off anything like furniture or your lap. This can be difficult with such an excitable breed, but it’s something you really need to discourage to reduce the risk of them causing any damage to their back.
If not fed and exercised properly they can put on weight quite quickly, so it’s important that you follow your vet’s advice and the food manufactures guide for the portions to feed your Frenchie.
Hip Dysplasia is an inherited condition that means the thighbone doesn’t fit snuggly in the hip joint.
The symptoms are generally pain and lameness which will vary in severity and can be present in one or both rear legs.
Sadly, it’s not uncommon for the disorder to lead to hip replacement.
Make sure you ask any breeder if the puppy’s parents have been tested and cleared for Hip Dysplasia. If they have not, or the issue is present in one or both, find another breeder.
Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) is a relatively common disease that is described as when the discs in the spinal column bulge or burst into the spinal cord. Affected discs then press on nerves, causing pain, damage and potentially paralysis.
There are multiple symptoms of IVDD, some more severe than others. They range from unusually unwillingness to jump, crying out in pain, pain and weakness in rear legs, and muscle spasms.
If you know your dog’s breed are predisposed to IVDD, it is very important to take precautions, the most important being discouraging jumping, and keeping their weight down.
IVDD can be diagnosed by a full neurologic exam which will locate exactly which disc is damaged. Special X-Rays may also be suggested, but these don’t show the spinal cord, so a special dye is used. MRI or CT scans may also be necessary.
Treatment depends on the severity of the issue. If the spinal cord is badly damaged, surgery will be needed. For less serious cases, treatment can be purely conservative such as steroids and anti-inflammatories.
Dogs suffer from allergies in much the same way that humans do with the three main types being food, contact, and inhalant.
As the saying goes – prevention is better than a cure.
Treatment for food allergies is as simple as eliminating certain foods from their diets.
Contact allergies can be anything from shampoos, to flea powders, and other chemicals. If you notice your pet has had a reaction, try a new product with different ingredients.
Inhalant allergies are caused by airborne allergens such as pollen and dust. This is a difficult one to avoid, but you can try to do so with vet recommended medications and environmental changes.
Hemivertebrae is a condition where a dog has one or more deformed vertebrae. Deformations may be fused or wedge-shaped vertebrae leading to a twist in the spine.
Although exact numbers are unknown, the condition is fairly common among short-nosed (brachycephalic) breeds with screw tails like French Bulldogs.
The effect of hemivertebrae will depend largely on which part of the spinal column is affected, if the spinal cord is compressed, or if the condition causes weakness in the spinal column.
Possible symptoms include pain, which can range from minor to severe, weakness of the hind legs, incontinence and even paralysis. The rate at which the symptoms develop can range from weeks or months, to even just a matter of days.
Treatment will be dependent on the severity of the condition. For dogs who are only mildly affected, anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed, but for those with severe signs, a surgery called a hemilaminectomy will be needed to relieve compression on the spinal cord.
Patellar Luxation is a relatively common problem that occurs when the patella is not properly lined up. This causes the Femur (thigh bone), Patella (kneecap), and Tibia (calf) to slip out of place. When this happens, the dog will generally skip or hop.
There are four grades, ranging from I, an occasional luxation causing temporary lameness in the joint, to grade IV, in which the turning of the tibia is severe, and patella cannot be realigned manually.
The constant rubbing caused by this issue can lead to arthritis, a degenerative joint disease and severe levels of Patella luxation may require surgery to avoid further issues and pain.
Von Willebrand’s Disease is an inherited blood disorder that hinders the bloods ability to clot.
The main symptom is excessive bleeding after an injury or surgery. You will find that a wound just simply won’t stop bleeding like it would on a normal dog or human.
Other less severe symptoms are bleeding gums, nose bleeds and bleeding in the stomach or intestines.
Sadly, there’s currently no cure and a blood transfusion from unaffected dogs is the only treatment.
Generally, a dog with this condition can live a normal life, but you will need to pay closer attention and take precautions to limit the likelihood of injury.
Most often discovered in very young puppies, a cleft palate is when the tissues in the mouth haven’t fused properly in the womb, leaving an opening between the mouth cavity and the nose.
A cleft palate, if left untreated, can allow food and liquid to enter the nasal cavity which can lead to serious complications such as choking.
Symptoms of a cleft palate can be quite severe, including aspiration, pneumonia and even death if it is not detected early on. Other less severe symptoms include stunted growth, coughing and infection.
Diagnosis is very straightforward and generally only requires a visual check of the mouth and nose by your vet.
Treatment varies depending on the severity of the cleft, and the age of your pet.
Young puppies with the disorder must undertake a feeding and care regime recommended by your vet prior to surgery taking place. Their feeding will often be through a tube which will need to be done every 3 to 4 hours for up to 3 months, or until the puppy is old enough for surgery.
Surgery is the only way to fix a cleft and, depending on the severity of the cleft, multiple surgeries may be necessary. Post op care will be needed, but the pet will usually reach full health unless there are further complications.
Elongated Soft Palate is a condition that is present from birth and is relatively common in breeds with short muzzles (brachycephalic).
The soft palate is the soft tissue at the back of the roof of the mouth. An elongated soft palate is when this tissue grows too long and blocks the entrance to the windpipe.
Symptoms include difficulty breathing, gagging, vomiting and snorting and can often be worse in hot weather.
Treatment for the condition will depend on the severity, but surgery will be required in most cases. The surgery involves removing the section of the soft palate that is blocking the airway. Thankfully it is a relatively simple surgery that takes little time to perform.
Occasionally, if the condition isn’t serious, your vet may only recommend that you take conservative measures like keeping your pet’s weight down and monitoring exercise to prevent the condition causing any issues.