I know nothing about Frenchies. Where do I start?

[dcdoglover]

Hello all! I am new to this forum and completely new to French Bulldogs. I came here as a way to seek information and learn all I can about the breed. I would appreciate any advice from seasoned Frenchie owners!

A little background information...

I have always been a dog lover since I was a child. Growing up I had a lab mix. When I was twelve years old my mom bought me a German Shepherd. She was my best friend and made me fall in love with the breed. She passed away in 2013. I do hope to get another German Shepherd one day, but that will have to wait for a while. In 2014 right before we got married my husband and I rescued an Akita and named him Artax. He is currently our only dog, but we also have a cat who is about six years old named Kokoro. Our Akita and cat are very good friends, often sleeping together and playing together.

So what brings me to Frenchies? My husband. He is obsessed with them. He has been asking for one for years now (since we began living together before marriage) and even texts me pictures of little French bulldogs about once a week. If he sees one in the street he lights up like a Christmas tree. My husband never grew up with animals and is fairly new to dog ownership, though I have taught him well with my German Shepherd and now our Akita and you could say he's turned into quite a nice dog lover. If I add one more big dog to our family (those are what I like) he's probably not going to take it well.

What I want to know is if French Bulldogs are the right breed for us? Our current animals are friendly towards other dogs, but what are Frenchies like? We live in an apartment in Washington, DC a block from a park. What kind of exercise do they require? What health issues plague them? If I decide to go forward with getting one what should I look for in a breeder?

Ideally I'd love to surprise him with a French bulldog next Christmas (2015) or for his birthday in 2016, so I have plenty of time to research and find the right breeder. I know surprising people with dogs as presents is generally frowned upon but since I know he already wants one and since I'd be a primary care taker too I don't see an issue with it this time.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[MaplesMommy]

Frenchys are awesome. I love the breed and I could not imagine my life without one anymore.
They are hilarious! They make the funniest faces(like this one

or this one

just as examples ) and sounds that only Frenchies can make.They were bred for companionship so they love people and need human contact.
My Maple girl loooooves other dogs,cats and all people.Children,elderly,disabled; she loves them all. This breed is usually really friendly and outgoing towards people and other animals. But of course it also depends on how you raise and socialize the puppy.
When we found our kitten at 3 weeks of age we brought her home and Maple immediately took her in. They have been best friends ever since and the cat has been growing up thinking she is a dog herself lol

 

[Tgirl]

Hi and welcome. This site is full of fantastic information. Just browse around and you will be filled with Frenchie info in no time.

 

[blushy]

There is so much to learn, and some just comes from experience, and even the most quality frenchie can come with hefty vet bills and health problems.

I asked my hubby for a 2nd frenchie to be sitting under my Christmas tree Christmas morning. Not happening but that just shows that they are the most lovable dogs, and as soon as you bring one into your life? You won't do without.

From my personal experience I can say they need loads of attention as was mentioned above. Just search through the "pics" part of this forum and it will become ever so apparent. I'm a stay at home mom with a 3 1/2 year old, and our FRENCHIE is crate trained for when we are gone, and she gets really desperate for snuggles if we are out running errands a bit too much that day.

Frenchies can be compared to a Boxer in a large dog (so I've been told many a time and read many a time, also been around boxers and I agree, playful cuddly souls they share).

They are extremely intelligent too, they can just be stubborn. Isabelle is eager to learn luckily, but she has a stubborn streak when she wants what she wants...

No dog my baby Isabelle has been around has liked her. (Families dogs) they are all mean and non-socialized though, but isabelle loves them none the less and tries desperately to win them over. Luckily none of them are aggressive, just rude to my poor baby haha!

And again, as said above, just browse this site, being new to Bulldogs, and frenchies myself? I learn more and more everyday!

Plus brownie points for wanting to surprise your hubby with a frenchie. You guys sound exactly like us except we both desperately wanted a frenchie and sent eachother pics almost everyday. It was like a frenchie photo war.

 

[Cbrugs]

I got my Frenchie last summer (2013) and I love him soooo much! Frenchies have silly personalities and will make you laugh and smile every day. As others have said, they do thrive on human contact. Mine will be 2 in April and weighs 30 pounds but he must be on top of you if you on the couch and he needs a nap. I did not crate train but Jax is left along during the day while everyone is at work/school but he is confined to the kitchen. They tire easily so don't need much exercise and they do not tolerate hot days well. And while Frenchies are smart, they can be beyond stubborn. I probably give in to Jax more quickly than I should but he is just too cute!

One health issue that I deal with is allergies. Not all Frenchies have them and I don't know if there is a way to ensure you don't get one that will have allergies. Some Frenchies have food allergies, mine has environmental allergies so he is allergic to practically everything outside (grass, trees, shrubs, weeds, etc.). He is on a daily pill as well as allergy shots twice a month.

 

[shortstuff]

Oh man, where to start! Bisou is my first Frenchie and my fiance and I are absolutely smitten with her and with the breed. We have a six year old shepherd mix as well who has been the BEST big sister. She's been super tolerant of Bisou's puppy antics, and likewise has been a great teacher to her. As everyone has said, Frenchies are extremely social dogs and Bisou is no exception to this! She loves everybody and everything, and will try to make friends with anything that moves. Even though my fiance works from home and spends all day with her, she is a mama's girl and follows me around like a shadow. Bisou loves to snuggle and always wants to be near her people.

What are Frenchies like? AMAZING. Really, that about sums it up! They are the funniest, silliest, most loving dogs I've ever met. I would encourage you guys to search for meet-up groups, clubs, breeders, owners, etc in your area and start meeting the breed. The more time you spend with them and the more stories you hear from owners, the more you'll learn about them. I would bombard every Frenchie owner I met with questions, and now I get the same whenever we take her out!

Frenchies are perfect apartment dogs as they don't require much exercise. They can overheat in the summer pretty easily and get winded quickly when playing. Our apartment has a yard so she doesn't need walks, but we play with her inside a lot. She loves chasing the laser pointer, so we get her to zip up and down the hallway for 5-10 minutes and she's pooped. Shasta and Bisou roll around and play a few times a day, and we try to take them for walks when we can.

As far as health issues, I can't speak much for them because we've been very lucky with Bisou. She doesn't seem to have any of the "typical" issues, though she's only 9 months old and this may change. Allergies are the most common, and many Frenchies need to be on a raw diet to deal with their various protein allergies. Many Frenchies need to undergo soft palate surgery, although I recall a member on this forum recently noted that some pet insurances will cover this surgery. They may have back/spine and hip problems, and they may get cherry eye.

I also can't speak much for what to look for in a breeder since I got Bisou from an owner who couldn't take care of her anymore, not from a breeder. There are lots of threads on this forum regarding this though!!

Looking forward to helping you learn more about this awesome breed and for photos of your pup when (not if!) you get one!

 

[Frenchie Mommy]

[MENTION=1059]dcdoglover[/MENTION] I just got our second Frenchie last week from a reputable breeder. I live in Northern Virginia. I have always had dogs, but this is the best breed in my opinion. Knock on wood as my oldest Frenchie...Wyatt doesn't have allergies and the new baby so far doesn't...again..knock on wood. You can't go wrong getting one. They are great for apartment living but do require human companionship a lot. Good luck!!!


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[davidh]

Frenchies are awesome companions, and if you get one from a reputable breeder with a good bloodline, the chances of health problems go way down. we don't have any problems with ours. Once you have a Frenchie, you will always want one around. Good luck with your search.

 

[Jakeyjake]

You will not regret getting a frenchie! We are in love with the breed. The sweetest, funniest dogs. They do not require a lot of exercise but enjoy a good walk. Both of mine have allergies (environmental) and one is on allergy shots and the other has to take cyclosporine because they are so bad. They are not big barkers, which I love! Good luck to you in your search for your new baby!