French Bulldogs ~ FAQs

French Bulldog Frequently Asked Questions

Here you will find some answers to some of the most asked questions about french bulldogs and about our practices and policies. As time goes along, more will be added.

History - Where did French Bulldogs come from?

In the 19th century, the Bulldog was fairly popular in England, especially around Nottingham. Some of these Bulldogs were quite small, weighing less than 25 pounds.

When many of the lace workers of the region went to France for work in the mid-1800s, they took their toy Bulldogs with them. The French women, especially, were attracted to these little bulldogs, especially those with erect ears (a common but disliked feature in England). Dog dealers brought more of the clownish little dogs to France, where they soon became the rage of Paris. The dogs were dubbed Bouledogue Francais.

French breeders sought to consistently produce the erect 'bat ears', much to the chagrin of English breeders. By the late 1800s, the breed had caught the attention of the upper class and had moved into some of the finer homes in France. Around this same time, American visitors to France brought several back to America and began to breed the dogs in earnest. Amid continued controversy over which ear type was correct, an American club was formed and, in 1898, it sponsored one of the most elegant dog shows (just for French Bulldogs) ever held. The gracious setting attracted wealthy spectators, and the Frenchie soon conquered America.

Their popularity among high society soared, and by 1913 they were among the most popular show dogs in America. The breed has since been passed by many others in popularity, but it still boasts some of the most elite and ardent fans in dogdom.

What are the Physical Characteristics of French Bulldogs?

French Bulldogs are short and close to the ground, with a compact body. They have erect, round-tipped ears that sit high on the head, and round, dark colored eyes. The head is square, and the nose and muzzle are very short. The lips droop down past the chin, so they look like they are frowning all of the time. The coat of the French Bulldog is short and smooth.

The French Bulldog is categorized as a brachycephalic breed, which refers to the short muzzle and “smashed” face. These dogs are more prone to breathing problems because of this, and they will snort and sneeze frequently. The skin is loose over the body and there are wrinkles present on the forehead and down the back. In its natural state, the tail can have a screw like appearance or it can be straight, but should not be curly.

What is the usual French Bulldog Temperament?

French Bulldogs make one of the best companion dogs in the world. They are small, easy to handle and are generally well behaved around new people and other animals. Frenchies have a reputation for being mischievous and clownish, stealing attention whenever and wherever possible. This little dog adores people and craves constant attention and companionship. They don't need a lot of exercise, but love to chase balls and play (indoors or out) during the day, and at night are more than happy to curl up and relax on the sofa. This breed makes an excellent companion for single people, but they can fit in well with families of all sizes and ages.

Keeping more than one French Bulldog can greatly ease the dog's stress when left alone each day if the owner works.

What Care and Maintenance is needed for a French Bulldog?

French Bulldogs need a couple of 15 minutes walks every day to maintain their physique, and a few sessions of playing ball to keep them entertained. Their size and activity requirements make them good apartment dogs, but they are just as happy in a big home or on a farm with lots of wide open space. Frenchies don't care so much about the size of their home, as they do the size of their owners heart. French Bulldogs should not be exercised too hard in the summer months, as they are prone to heatstroke. Swimming pool owners should be alert – this breed can not swim and falling into a pool could be life-threatening to a Frenchie.

French Bulldogs are easy to groom at home, as they don't require clipping of the coat. Brush weekly to keep the moderately-shedding coat looking shiny and healthy. As a puppy, it is important to handle the Frenchie's feet as often as possible. They don't wear down their toenails naturally, so monthly clippings are a must. If the dog does not like to have his feet handled, this can require trips to the vet's office on a regular basis. They only need to be bathed as needed, and most owners can do this in the kitchen sink or a bathtub, with little fuss from the dog.

Regular cleaning of your French Bulldog's ears and teeth are a necessary part of ensuring your French Bulldogs overall health. Regular maintenance and care can prevent many more serious conditions that can be painful, life shortening, heartbreaking and expensive!!!

If his ears are dry, a dab of vasaline rubbed into the edges will help sooth and heal the skin. This remedy can also be applied to a dry nose.. We consider grooming your French Bulldog to be an excellent opportunity for bonding, training and intimacy.

When bathing, take care not to get water into their ears, as an infection can develop.

Since the French Bulldog is mainly a house pet, you will need to trim their nailsat least once a month. It's good to start a nail-trimming routine early-on so that your dog becomes accustomed to your handling its paws.

We advocate the "free feeding" method for feeding your French Bulldog. The smaller the dog, the more sensitive their metabolism. They require consistent small meals throughout the day, to keep their glucose levels in their body on an even keel. We recommend feeding a quality dry kibble only; soft food greatly contributes to dental decay in this breed. Dry kibble should be absent of corn, wheat or gluten. As you raise your French Bulldog from a puppy, monitor their body weight and simply change the recipe of the food to match their life stage.

Like all dogs, French Bulldogs appreciate "treats." Be careful, though, in your selection. The following treats, in small quantities, are useful as rewards when training: Freeze dried beef or chicken liver, any whole food vegetable snack (as in not heavily processed)like sweet potato, yams etc.... However, do be careful not to over-indulge with snacks, as overweight is a health-hazard for dogs in general. Treats should ONLY be used as a reward for performance/learning/training, and should comprise no more than 10% of their daily ingested calories.

What Special Medical needs do French Bulldogs have?

While French Bulldogs have fewer genetic defects than many breeds, no breed is perfect. The average life expectancy of the French Bulldog is between 10 and 12 years. This is comparable with the median lifespan of most purebred dogs (10 to 13 years), and most breeds similar in size. Potential hereditary defects and disorders more commonly found, but not necessarily found, in the French Bulldog are as follows: Allergies, Brachycephalic Syndrome, Follicular Dysplasia, Elongated Soft Palate, Hemivertebrae, Invertebral Disk Disease, Stenotic Nares.

Do you have "Teacup" or "Mini" French Bulldogs?

Technically - NO. The term "teacup" is a subjective term used in advertising and to describe a small dog. There are two weight classes of French Bulldog: 19 - 22 pounds (9 - 10 kg) and 22 - 28 pounds (10 - 13 kg).

The Dwarfism genes are a heavy influence so I will point out - There will always be a small percentage of Frenchies that mature both below and above these weight classifications, and are just as purebred as thier siblings!

Be wary of the possibility of a scam or increased health issues with any frenchie that is advertised as "Teacup" or "Mini".

How much / How often should I feed my French Bulldog?

Our French Bulldog and FrenchBo pupies are Fed a good quality grain free Kibble, We feed Adult Salmon and Sweet Potato.(it is suitable for all life stages) this kibble has no corn, wheat or glutens, and has added Pro and Pre Biotics!

This is free feed available 24/7 for the pup as well as fresh water. Grain Free Salmon and Sweet Potato Kibble can be purchased at Costco, under the Natures Domain label. We also supplement our kibble with 1) Dog Bloom 2) Brewers Yeast 3) coconut oil powder.

The overall weight and age of your French Bulldog is what determines the amount of food required.

Do French Bulldogs shed?

Like most dogs, French Bulldogs will shed a greater amount of fur during the spring and summer months when their winter coat is no longer needed. French Bulldogs tend to keep their fur throughout the winter for an added level of protection against the cold temperatures. Once winter is gone and the temperatures begin to rise, the shedding will start again. Keep an eye your French Bulldog towards the end of the winter season to see when they start shedding.

Here are some of the tried and proven ways to reduce a French Bulldog's shedding:
The first line of defense you have against a shedding French Bulldog is proper grooming. Brushing a French Bulldog's coat will naturally work to remove loose fur that would otherwise fall on the floor or your furniture. Ideally, you should use a very fine-bristled comb that's capable to attractive excess fur. The Shed Ender, Furminator and FurBuster are all excellent choices that specifically target excess fur.

* In addition to brushing, you should also be bathing your French Bulldog occasionally as part of their overall grooming routine. Brushing will likely get "most" of the loose fur off your French Bulldog's body, but some of it will inevitably stay on until it falls off somewhere inside your home. Bathing them, however, will help wash away any fur that was missed when brushing. The bottom of your bathtub might have a nice pile of fur afterwards, but that's better than it ending up on the floor of your home.

* As previously mentioned, French Bulldogs tend to shed more during the spring and summer months, so you'll want to focus your grooming efforts during this time of year. This doesn't necessarily mean that they won't shed during winter, but if they do it will be significantly less. It should go without saying that vacuuming and cleaning your home more frequently will you cope with their shedding more easily. Try to get into the habit of vacuuming at least once a week. You might be surprised to see just how much fur is picked up off the floor when vacuuming.

* Keeping some snuggly blankets on your furniture ( small ones, easily washed) will also reduce the amount of fur on it. If that's not enough, you can go one step further by using a lint-roller on it. Just run the lint-roller across the surface of any furniture to instantly remove pet fur.

Will my French Bulldog need to be bathed?

Keep in mind, some dogs LOVE having a bath, and some do not. With a little patience and persistence, most French Bulldogs will learn to enjoy and comply with being bathed and groomed.

We recommend allowing your new French Bulldog to settle into its new home for a few days before you start bathing them.

Is crate training cruel?

No. Dogs are den animals by nature. If their crate is accessible to them at all times, you will find that they go in it when they want to sleep or get away from any commotion that may be going on. The crate is not to be used for punishment and should not be used to lock your French Bulldog in it for long periods of time. They should only be used for short periods of time - for example, going out to dinner.

Why do you advise against early spay and neuter for your French Bulldogs?

Think rationally. How would removing a child's reproductive organs before puberty affect their growth, maturation, and development? Puberty and sexual maturation is imperative for bone, brain and organ development. The same is true for your dogs and cats.

What do I need to do to Purchase a French Bulldog Puppy?

1.) Complete The Required Reading Pages 2.) Complete The Telephone Interview OR VISIT IN PERSON WITH US, 541-459-5951 (business cell#) 3.) Complete The Puppy Application Form 4.) Sign up for the Early Notification List (we will need to provide you with the actual link to sign up) 5.) Watch Our Live PuppyCams Page.

Will my French Bulldog be housebroken?

We have developed a system where we begin training our puppies as soon as they are weaned. We train them to use a dog litter box with pine pellets in it for their elimination needs. Many French Bulldog owners have found this to be very handy if their lifestyle deems that their puppy cannot go outdoors for a variety of reasons (living in a big city, traveling, predatory wildlife, etc.) The longer the puppies are with us, the more consistent they are with using the litter box. If you are interested in learning about the system, please visit our page on litterbox training and set up and don't hesitate to discuss it with us.

What Registry do you use for your French Bulldog Puppies??

Our French Bulldogs come with Full AKC ( American Kennel Club ) Registration, as stated on this website. There are MANY Companies nowdays that establish a dogs record of birth and parentage, AKC being the oldest.

The papers mean that the parents of your French Bulldog are registered with the AKC and that the puppy is registerable.

When considering a registered French Bulldog, AKC will be the registration it will need if you plan to enter your new dog into exhibitions and competitions.

These certificates ensure that the dog is a purebred; however, please note that just because a dog has papers, doesn't mean it qualifies for exhibitions and competitions. Also, papers do not necessarily insure that the breeding French Bulldogs were well cared for or that they were free from genetic defect.

Papers may not be important to you, but meeting the breeder and seeing the conditions in which the dog was raised is. You should also expect to see the parents (or at least the mother) of the puppy you are thinking of buying so that you can verify that the parents are sound and of good temperament.

How big will my French Bulldog get?

Our goal is to breed French Bulldogs that mature between 20 to 30 pounds, though we do occasionally have puppies that will mature smaller and larger. Size ranges on the French Bulldog breed of 12 to 35 pounds, and all are purebred.

How old does my French Bulldog have to be before coming home?

We send our puppies home with their new owners no sooner than 10 weeks of age.

Will my puppy have all of its vaccinations?

All of our puppies will have all of their vaccinations and wormings, as age appropriate, prior to being placed in their new homes. You will also receive their immunization record indicating which vaccines have been given, and the dates for completing and Vaccinations or wormings that will be needed.

Do you ship or are you able to deliver my French Bulldog to me?

Yes; however, We do not ship our puppies cargo. We do offer either ground or air transport by a professional transporter that will fly in cabin with your puppy to your nearest international airport or drive your puppy and deliver to your door ( in most cases).

The additional charge for this service varies, (depending on Mode of transport) from $150.00 to $400.00 (western states by ground) or $550.00 to $650.00 (all of USA, by Airline).

We no longer offer shipping or delivery to Mexico or Canada, we can however arrange transport to a USA destination this side of the border and provide you with the paperwork to transport your puppy over the border yourself. We do apologize for the inconvenience, but it is due to the additional fees of air travel outside of USA borders and Border / custom agent harassment of our transporters.

What happens to the breeding Moms and Dads of your French Bulldog puppies?

Our Breeding Adults are Spayed/Neutered and up to date on Vaccinations, Rabies, Wormings, AND Dental, as noted on adoption paperwork. Adults available range in age, from 3 years to 9 years, generally speaking. Once we have decided a French Bulldog adult will be retired, they are spayed/neutered, for the females usually at the time of thier last litter c-section.

Can I see all the areas your dogs and puppies live?

Yes, We are happy to have you visit and tour our property and all the areas we care for our dogs and puppies.

What kind of Vaccinations do you give/ recommend for your puppies?

We give and recommend a Modified Live Virus type - "5 way" Vaccination. It is referred to as a 5 way because it has 5 diferrent types of vaccines in it. They are: Parvo, Distemper, Hepititus, Parainfluenza and a resperatory infection vaccine. The resperatory vaccine is basic and if you travel or go to puppy classes, we also recommend the addition of a corona and bordatella vaccination.

Please keep in mind that the same amount of vaccine that is given to a 100 pound dog is given to a 25 pound French Bulldog. As a result, there can be a larger number of reactions and even deaths in smaller dogs versus larger dogs.

One vaccine that we do NOT recommend is the Lepto vaccine. It has caused a number of recorded deaths in toy breeds. We recommend that they are spaced out at 3-4 week intervals. The Rabies vaccination is required by law, but only needs to be given every three years after the first Annual booster.