Breed Info
The French Bulldog is a companion dog. The breed is small and muscular with heavy bone structure, a smooth coat, a short muzzle and trademark “bat” ears. Prized for its affectionate nature and balanced disposition, they are generally active and alert, but not unduly boisterous. They are well sociable dogs, that are easy going and curious. This breed is most definitely well liked by many and highly popular.
Frenchies do especially well with children. They are not considered "nippers" and enjoy all the affection they can get. If a French Bulldog can get cuddles, they are all for it! And just a reminder, like with any other breed, always supervise your children with your frenchies.
The French Bulldog breed hates to be alone. They will not do well going long periods of time without you with them. You can expect them to chew if kept home alone often, and have potty accidents. Frenchies do best in the company of you to ease their anxiety. If you cannot be with them, crate training them might be yours and their best bet! Your furniture can stay in tact, and your mind can stay at ease. ; )
French Bulldogs make excellent watchdogs and will alert their people to approaching strangers, but it's not their style to bark without cause. They are not yappers by any means and will watch out for you, although your pup may choose to keep sleeping and continue snoring! Such silly pups!
French Bulldogs don't need much exercise as they do not tolerate it well. All they prefer is games of fetch inside the home. They do not need daily walks and do well for apartment living. I would like to caution that this breed does NOT do well in heat whatsoever! I recommend not leaving your frenchie outside in temps above 80 degrees. This breed doesn't do well being outside for long periods of time. Besides, they will be inside dogs, right? : )
Personality
This is a smart, loving dog who wants and needs to spend lots of time with his people. A fun-loving freethinker, the French Bulldog takes well to training when it’s done in a positive manner with lots off food rewards, praise, and play. One thing I can say about this breed and stand by, is they are complete goofballs! They will go out of their way no matter how silly it is. They are such positive animals and they will easily bring you up if you’re ever having a bad day!
Health
Even if bred correctly, Frenchies can occasionally have eye conditions such as cherry eye, juvenile cataracts, or entropion. They are more prone to skin allergies and autoimmune skin disorders based off of their environment, diet, etc. A responsible breeder will take advantage of available tests to screen breeding stock for conditions that can affect the breed. As in these tests below:
When it comes to water or swimming, French Bulldogs have a heavy front end, they can’t swim well and can easily drown. They should stay away from full bodied water. Flat-faced breeds don’t handle anesthsia well as they are more sensitive. They also cannot handle hot or humid climates because of their more narrow nostrils and narrow tracheas and are hard to cool down as the long nosed breeds. Do not let your pup run around outside above 85 degree, only allow potty breaks.
Care
French Bulldogs care is fairly easy as long as you keep up on their health and keep it tip top! They have fairly low energy levels, although some may need a bit more play time than others and can use daily short walks or play times in the yard. Many French Bulldogs enjoy playing but I’m sure would rather just cuddle on your lap with you! ; D
Feeding
As you may assume, French Bulldogs require an amount based off of size of frenchie, age, and caloric requirements. Most recommended diet to feed your frenchie is a raw diet. Less amount of allergies, gastrotestinal problems, less shedding, etc. But, a high quality dog food can be just as good if you do your research on them. Feed as your vet requires, or from the requirements on the back of the dog food bag. Take into consideration that frenchies are more prone to allergies and tend to have sensitivities to certain ingredients in dog food. Pay attention to your pup for any irritations.
Grooming
French Bulldogs are fairly easy to groom and need only an occasional brushing to keep their coat healthy. They are average shedders and will only need a bath occasionally depending on how messy your pup likes to get. Begin grooming your frenchie at a young age and teach your puppy to stand on a table or floor to make this experience easier on both of you. When they are a puppy, always trim their nails and keep them short, that way they can get used to you handling them closely and their paws as well.