Breed Profile: French Bulldog

By: Keri Weyenberg

To those unfamiliar with the French bulldog, to see one walking down the street it might look like a pug crossed with a large eared bat is headed your way, but to the owners and enthusiasts of this big dog in a little body, those smushy faces couldn’t get any cuter.

As with most breeds, to understand the personality of a dog, it helps to know where they came from. Despite being called French bulldogs, their origins can be traced back a couple hundred years to Merry Ole England. The strong, tall, Old English bulldog was popular then for bull baiting, and while some breeders continued to create bigger fighting dogs, others took a more diminutive approach, breeding their dogs with terriers to decrease their size.

These smaller Bull Dogs became popular with the working class and when the Industrial Revolution caused many of the small shop owners to close, they took their trades and their dogs and headed to France. The French became taken with the breed and began to create a breed standard for their newly dubbed Bouledougues Francais, that included dogs with bat ears and those with smaller’ more popular rose ears.

It wasn’t long before the Americans fell for those adorable faces, but preferred the bat-eared variety. International conflict occurred when the rose-eared dogs were given preferential treatment at the 1896 Westminster causing the Americans to create the French Bulldog Club of America and create a breed standard that did not include the rose-eared variety. The Europeans resisted and the American fanciers held their own bat-eared only show. Today bat-eared dogs are the standard.

The French bulldog, also called Frenchies or Frog Dogs (due to they way the like to lay with their back legs extended and not because of any lingering animosity towards the French), have seen their popularity rise and fall over the past hundred or so years. Currently their popularity has skyrocketed. In 1990, there were 632 dogs registered with the AKC. In 2006, it was over 5,500.

As with any breed that’s experiencing a wave in popularity, there are concerns about the breed’s welfare with bad breeders and puppy mills out to make a profit. With this dog’s background and body type, a lot can go wrong unless the breeder is truly concerned about the health and well-being of the pups.

Their scrunched faces can lead to breathing difficulties and issues like elongated soft palates and crowded nasal passages. Frenchies can also be prone to allergies from both their food and the environment that can be exacerbated by the respiratory structures.

The compactness of their bodies can lead to spinal issues and there is growing concern about degenerative myelopathy, an autoimmune disease similar to multiple sclerosis. A good breeder cares more about the health and her animals than the profit and won’t breed dogs that have health or behavior issues.

Speaking of behavior, you’re probably wondering what kind of personality a dog that looks like it belongs on a lap but is descended from bull-baiters has. As Kathi Luljak, volunteer coordinator for the French Bulldog Rescue Network and owner of three Frenchies says, “they’re big dogs in little bodies.” They’re outgoing, love new people and usually very affectionate. “ They are the consummate human companion,” but she warns, “Like any Bulldog, they can be a bit stubborn and require some persuasion to have them agree to go along with what you’d like them to do.” Meli Bowersock , a volunteer for the FBRN agrees about the Frenchies personable nature “they’re great dogs with a clownish nature, really a people dog.”

While some Frenchies like having dog friends, others not so much. They also can have a strong prey drive, so small animal and cat owners need to be cautious. What about the kids? Again it depends on the dog, some love ‘em, some don’t. Owners also need to be cautious, as Frenchies aren’t quite as sturdy as they look and could be injured by a child’s rough play.

As far as lifestyle, Frenchies are pretty low key. They make excellent apartment dogs (how often do we get to say that) and don’t require a ton of exercise to keep them happy. In fact strenuous activity is not recommended for theses little guys because their respiratory design doesn’t let them cool off as well as other breeds.

Owners have to be especially cautious about protecting their pooches on hot days, as they can easily over heat. No long walks in the hot midday and NO leaving him in the car… although that’s true for any dog.

Don’t think a quick dip in the lake will help cool them off either. It’s highly recommended that French bulldogs wear life vests whenever they are around water as their body design makes for better sinkers than swimmers.

While they might not need a long jog or a big yard, they do need plenty of attention. “They are a highly sociable dog so leaving one alone for hours is not an ideal situation for them,” advises Luljak. For her, Frencies were love at first sight. “I mean those faces – how can you not love them? And then you get to know their earnest ways and desire to please and there’s just no reason to consider any other breed.” Enduring looks are also what lured in Meli. “I’ve always had English bulldogs, but was looking for something smaller, and when I saw those bat ears...” She was hooked.

If Frenchies are for you, it can’t be emphasized enough to do your research and find a good breeder. Then be prepared to wait, a good breeder could very well have a waiting list for her pups. Breeding Frenchies is no easy process, often requiring veterinary assistance and those bully heads mean that they often require birth by cesarean sections. As it says on the Rescue’s website: purchase in haste, repent in leisure. Check out the French Bulldog Club of America website, www.frenchbulldogclub.org, for a list of breeders.

There’s always the option to rescue as well. The French bulldog Rescue Network’s website, www.frenchbulldogrescue.org, has all the information and applications and pictures of adorable pups needing homes. Look local though as they will not ship dogs. If you are not sure if the Frog Dog is for you, there is plenty of breed information on the site, links for even more info and as Luljak, the volunteer coordinator stated, volunteer applications! What better way to get to know a breed then to work around the dogs and the people who love them?

Keri Weyenberg has had the good fortune to have spent the majority of her life in the company of canines. She currently shares her home with Sophie, a Golden Retriever, and Rufus the rebel beagle.