French Bulldog: Comical, Curious, Clever: Complete Breed Profile

By Janice Jones     |Last updated 07-22-2021

A French Bulldog is both an adorable fur ball and an amazing companion.  If cuteness and best friend are on your “must have” list,” then you can get the best
of both worlds with the Frenchie. This breed is really good at sitting
around and being cute.

With their pushed in face, adorable snorting, and their
bubbly personality, they is irresistible. It is not a surprise
that these adorable companions are in the top three most popular dogs in New
York City.

Frenchies love to be pleased. Probably more than they like pleasing
others, but they are still a wonderful companion.

French bulldogs are not just cute on the inside; they are
also extremely cute on the outside as well. They are very sturdy and stocky
little guys, but not really that proportionate. They have massive heads
compared to their tiny and weak hips.

With that being said, they have a short
head compared to the length of their cranium, but it does not make them any
less cute, it just causes some health problems. Due to these fur babies being
very top heavy, they cannot swim.

They’re more anchor than buoy, so keep that
in mind when your Frenchie is by any water.

One of the French bulldogs’ most notorious characteristic,
are their tall, erect bat ears. The early breeders liked their ears floppy and
droopy, but nowadays every Frenchie will have the perky bat ears.

Another unmistakable
characteristic is, of course, their cute little face wrinkles. This is a
characteristic that everyone knows and loves when it comes to any type of
Bulldog.

As long as you keep the wrinkles free of moisture and clean, you and
your Frenchie will be as happy as can be.

History

Despite their name, the French bulldog actually comes from
England. During the industrial revolution, English artisan workers, especially
lace-makers, wanted small companions around to improve the quality of their
lives.

They turned first to a dwarf version of the English bulldog, and then
crossed that with the Pug and the Terrier. This adorable mix was a success and
it is what makes up our favorite adorable little French bulldog.  

To understand just how the breed developed its
uniqueness, one needs to look at what was happening in England two hundred
years ago. 

Some English bulldog breeders chose to alter the breed to a
bigger, heavier version.  Others decided
to cross them with terriers creating the bull and terrier breeds that were used
for dog fighting. 

Still others chose to
create a smaller toy bulldog with upright ears, round foreheads with a little
terrier personality mixed in.  These are
the dogs that became popular with the lace makers.

During the start of the Industrial Revolution, these lace
makers immigrated to France and took their little dogs with them.  They soon became very popular with the French
and at this point they were called Bouledogues Français. 

Since the English did not like the breed, the
French took over, perfecting it and making small changes to the breed’s
appearance. 

Americans traveling to France fell in love with the breed
and brought them home to the United States. 

By the beginning of the 20th century, the Frenchie was very
popular in American, but lost ground after World War I and for the next 50
years, the Boston Terrier probably took the French Bulldog’s place in
popularity. 

Much of this was due to the
difficulty of mating and whelping French Bulldogs.  They became so rare that it was reported that
on 106 French Bulldogs were registered in 1960.

It wasn’t until after the 1990s that their popularity came
back.  Ranked at number 58 in the AKC
registration statistics of 2002, they are now (2016) number 6.  A far cry from 1960!

Personality

Dog Breed Ratings Got You a Little Confused?
Here’s a little help in understanding them

• Playfulness:   Most Playful = 5    Least Playful = 1
• Affection:  Most Affectionate = 5   Least Affectionate = 1
• Friendliness Towards Strangers: Most Friendly = 5  Least = 1
• Good With Children:  Great= 5    Not Good with Children = 1
• Good With Dogs:  Great = 5   Not Good Around Dogs = 1
• Good With First Time Owners:  Fine=5  Not Appropriate = 1
• Exercise Required:  Extensive Daily Exercise = 1  Minimal = 1
• Ease of Training:  Very Easy = 5     Difficult = 1
• Watch Dog:  Excellent Watchdog = 5  Minimal = 1
• Grooming:  Time Consuming = 5   Minimal = 1
• Shedding:  Heavy Shedder = 5     Minimal = 1
• Cold Tolerance:  Well Tolerated = 5   Poor Tolerance = 1
• Heat Tolerance:  Well Tolerated = 5  Poor Tolerance = 1

The French bulldog is a companion dog. This means that they
work extra hard to make and keep a special bond with their owner.

They require
close contact with humans and love to be around people, especially families.
These furry friends are very playful and alert, without being yappy or loud.

Frenchies will definitely let you know when the mailman is approaching, but
they are pretty calm and sedate most of the time, as long as they do not feel
like they are in danger.

Like many toy breeds, the French bulldog is very playful,
curious, and overall just a hilarious dog.

They are extremely comical and can
keep you occupied for hours. Just make sure they are not unsupervised while
being outside because they over heat very easily.

Frenchies were originally
bred to improve the quality of people’s lives, and they certainly continue to
live up to that standard today.

The Frenchie needs very little exercise, and that is why
they do great with apartment and small place dwellers. Your little guy will
never bite, but they are very stubborn and can be hard to train.

A few commands
can be taught, but do not expect your Frenchie to be able to learn all the
commands that say, a Border collie could. 

These dogs are bred to be the boss of the house, but do not let them
take control of you because with any dog, that could lead to a potentially mean
dog. Make sure you let your Frenchie know who’s boss, and maintain that
alpha-dog mentality.

Grooming

If grooming is not your forte, you are in luck with this
very easy to groom dog. Since French bulldogs’ hair is so short and fine, they
do not need more than the average bath every now and then.

They are moderate to
average shedders though, so a routine brushing to remove excess hair will never
hurt. They will also need the normal nail clipping, ear cleaning, etc.

The main
focus when it comes to grooming would have to be those adorable little face
wrinkles. Although they are very cute, they can cause the Frenchie a lot of
discomfort if not kept clean.

Dog wipes can be used to wipe out the folds, but
as long as you keep them clean and free of moisture, your furry friend will be
as happy as you are.

Health Concerns

Like all dog breeds, the French Bulldog is prone to some issues that have a genetic link.  The chance that your dog will have one or more of these problems is low, but before deciding on a breed, it is always a good idea to research the health problems that can occur.  

Ask your breeder if she/he has had any issues with her own dogs and breeding stock.  Most reputable breeders will be honest about her line and will give you information on any testing she has done on the parents.  Run, don’t walk away from any breeder that tells you all of her dogs are fine.

Brachycephalic Syndrome

Reproductive Issues

Megaesophagus

Cherry Eye

Luxating Patella

Obesity

Hip Dysplasia

Problems with Anesthesia

Did You Know

Did
you know that Leonardo DiCaprio, Reese Witherspoon, David Beckham, Ashley
Olsen, Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, and Martha Stewart all own French Bulldogs?

French
Bulldogs have earned the nickname “ Frog dogs” due to the way they lay with
their back legs splayed out behind them.

Additional Information

Breed
Club:

French
Bulldog Club of America

http://www.frenchbulldogclub.org/

Breed
Rescue:

http://www.frenchbulldogrescue.org/