new member, hello everyone

Hi everyone, just registered today and figured I'd introduce myself(ourselves). My wife and I are adopting a female frenchie, Fiona, in early Sept. from an experienced, responsible breeder (XXXXXXXXXXX. Jeannine has been super!) Before she comes to our home, we are trying to learn as much as possible. We are very experienced dog owners (responsibly bred and trained working labrador retrievers, i.e. search & rescue dogs, narcotics detection dogs, hunting labradors, etc., for 20 years). Attended numerous training courses, handler courses, field training seminars, etc. This will, however be our first frenchie. What is the most important thing I should know in going in, as a new owner? We have been looking a pet insurance, is it necessary? All the info. we are reading about the various breed health problems is making us somewhat nervous but we knew that after researching the breed. Any other tips, suggestions, etc. are greatly appreciated. Thanks, and looking forward to learning from , re.

Sounds like you and your wife are quite experienced.


Opinions will vary, my input is to expect Fiona to be within two feet of either you or your wife every second of the day...

and between the two of you when you hug.

Welcome! I had to edit your post as breeder names are not allowed to be used.

As mentioned, Frenchies are typically velcro dogs, they will constantly want to be with you. They can also be stubborn when potty training so consistency is the key. A high quality kibble or raw food will be well worth the expense in the long run. I have pet insurance and have submitted over $22,000 in claims and have been reimbursed 90%. Some people either just put money into a savings account or have a credit card just for vet bills.

HI and welcome. I think it is both smart and commendable that you are attempting to learn as much as you can BEFORE bringing the dog home, despite being very experienced dog parents already. That's awesome!

My Frenchie is my first - I've had other brachycephalic breeds before (Boxers and a Pug). I agree with what has already been said regarding being an attached "velcro" dog. Mine needed a potty training refresher when we adopted her at age 1. I am lucky that mine is VERY food motivated and was easy to retrain - only took a few days for her to "get it" and not an accident since, but I know others have adult Frecnhies who sometimes go in the house.

Mine has a myriad of health issues that are (for the most part) handled with probiotics and a raw diet. Mine does not enjoy other dogs, so walking is a chore. She also is a barker. It can get quite annoying. But she is pretty cuddly and listens very well mostly. You should be aware of back/spine issues that may or may not arise. Many owners try to limit or altogether forbid jumping on and off couches and beds and carry the dog up and down stairs.

Smushy-faced dogs (brachycephalic) do not do well in extreme hot and cold temps. Clean out those facial folds on a regular basis. My favorite thing about mine is she actually watches tv. It's pretty hilarious. She will sit up on the floor or couch and just stare, moving her eyes back and forth at whatever is happening on the screen.

In my opinion, they are very fun dogs but sooooo expensive to maintain.

Hello,

It sounds like you are doing things the right way. I, personally, would not have a Frenchie without pet insurance. Frenchies are wonderful, but they can run into issues from time to time. With the rise in popularity of Frenchies, I think buying from a responsible breeder is more important than ever as you don’t know pedigree and/or genetic makeup of dogs bred by backyard breeders.

It sounds like you have lots of dog experience, and I think that, coupled with your relationship with the breeder, set you and Fiona up wonderfully. I am in a very similar situation to you in that I have lots of experience with dogs, mostly Frenchies, but ended up getting a new breed for me, Rottweiler, this past year. I spent months doing research beforehand and found a breeder that I could really work with. Things are going great thus far, and I suspect you will have similar success. I think you are going to love Frenchies and Fiona is going to greatly benefit from living with such a responsible owner. Good luck and make sure you post pictures.

And a harness is better than a collar.

Congrats on your new pup. Sounds like you are getting prepared which is good. As long as your pup comes from a good reliable ethical breeder who has an excellent blood line, and breeds to AKC standard, you should not have many health problems. We have 5 at the moment, and have had more in the past. We also used to breed them, and I also show them. We have never had pet insurance on any of ours. The problems come from people just breeding anything or breeding for color, (blues, lilacs, merle, black and tan, etc.) Feed your pup a good quality food three times a day until around 6 or seven months of age, then switch to twice a day and also switch to adult food at that time. Have plenty of fresh water available 24/7 to the pup. The myth of restricking water before bedtime to help with potty training is just a myth, and is unhealthy for the pup. They will potty train when they get older and some can be a little stubborn, but keep at it.

davidh said:

Congrats on your new pup. Sounds like you are getting prepared which is good. As long as your pup comes from a good reliable ethical breeder who has an excellent blood line, and breeds to AKC standard, you should not have many health problems. We have 5 at the moment, and have had more in the past. We also used to breed them, and I also show them. We have never had pet insurance on any of ours. The problems come from people just breeding anything or breeding for color, (blues, lilacs, merle, black and tan, etc.) Feed your pup a good quality food three times a day until around 6 or seven months of age, then switch to twice a day and also switch to adult food at that time. Have plenty of fresh water available 24/7 to the pup. The myth of restricking water before bedtime to help with potty training is just a myth, and is unhealthy for the pup. They will potty train when they get older and some can be a little stubborn, but keep at it.

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Great advice!!!

Potty training --- took my guy two full years before he finally got the program :facepalm:

2bullymama said:

Great advice!!!

Potty training --- took my guy two full years before he finally got the program :facepalm:

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Loki still gets a treat for pooping outside (he will be three years old in two days).


Sure, it's "unnecessary", but my wife and I get such a kick out of him excitedly, bursting through the doggie door to get us to follow him back outside.


He has trained us well.

mattcantwin said:

Loki still gets a treat for pooping outside (he will be three years old in two days).


Sure, it's "unnecessary", but my wife and I get such a kick out of him excitedly, bursting through the doggie door to get us to follow him back outside.


He has trained us well.

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I still give treats too!! The race to the treat jar is too much fun


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Hi! Which pet insurance do you have? I'm looking to get pet insurance for my frenchie.