right breed for me?

[LivK]

Hello everyone!

I've been lurking around this forum for a little while now-- the conversation and information is fantastic! I do not own a French bulldog (yet...) but my husband and I are seriously considering adding one to our family. We have one dog now-- a spayed female powderpuff Chinese crested named Stella. She's sweet and very attached to us-- obedient but independent-thinking (almost like a cat), very low key but gets frisky for short periods of time. I work from home, and she's very used to just hanging out with me all day. She's pretty submissive but she does live up to the crude name for a female dog at times. She can be a bit of a diva around other dogs, but she's not confrontational and is low energy. We think adding a very low key male Frenchie would decrease the chance of any conflict.

We have one small daughter and plan to have more kids in the future. But we'd like to add another dog to the family now, instead of waiting until there are lots of little ones running around to add a puppy!

I'm wondering if you all think a Frenchie could be a good fit for us. Research and meeting dogs can only tell us so much! We're a laid back couple, and don't require much of our dog. We like that she's trustworthy off leash, but that's not really necessary for us. A dog that is moderately obedient is OK. Stella is somewhat independent, in that, she can entertain herself pretty well. She won't sit in front of us waiting to throw a ball for her, like a Lab or golden might. But she will sit with us and generally hang out where we are in the house. We like that. Our daughter is very gentle with Stella (who's less than 10 pounds) so I'm confident we can teach her and any future kids to be gentle with a much-sturdier Frenchie. We aren't super active-- we maybe do a light walk each day and maybe a short hike on weekends every once in a while. By no means am I a fastidious housekeeper-- so some shedding won't bother me.

Our "ideal" dog would be portable (<30 lbs), interested in hanging out with us and going for walks but not hyper, OK with kids, and just generally lovable. We'd like to get a puppy so that we can hopefully encourage it to be gentle with Stella and our kids. We plan to let a breeder point us towards the most easy-going, laid back, "boring" puppy in the litter-- that's how we chose Stella and she's the perfect speed and personality for us! We of course think Frenchies are adorable, and from what we've learned, they sound like a good fit for our family.

Are there any other factors we should consider? Cautions you would give us? Or advice in finding a pup who will fit into our family?

 

[Cbrugs]

Frenchies are known to be stubborn. If Jax does not want to do something, he won't. When we first got him I actually thought he was deaf because he was "hearing" me call his name but in actuality, he chose to ignore it. Jax is definitely not the most obedient dog. I read in a book about Frenchies that if you want a well trained, obedient dog - don't get a Frenchie. That is not to say they can't be trained, some are probably more difficult than others. Jax will sit, stay (for a very short period) and come when there is a treat involved. I do not trust him to be off a leash unless he is in a fenced off area. Frenchies like to go for walks but they can't walk miles and miles and they overheat fairly quickly so you don't want them running around on a hot day. Personally, Frenchies are everything but boring and they do love attention. Another thing to factor in is they can be very expensive to care for. Aside from food costs, Frenchies can have allergies and other medical issues. Jax has many environmental allergies and is on daily medication as well as weekly allergy shots and it is not cheap. I can say that Jax makes me laugh and gives me great cuddles every day and I wouldn't trade him in for anything in the world!

 

[eeturk]

Frenchies are known to be stubborn. If Jax does not want to do something, he won't. When we first got him I actually thought he was deaf because he was "hearing" me call his name but in actuality, he chose to ignore it. Jax is definitely not the most obedient dog. I read in a book about Frenchies that if you want a well trained, obedient dog - don't get a Frenchie. That is not to say they can't be trained, some are probably more difficult than others. Jax will sit, stay (for a very short period) and come when there is a treat involved. I do not trust him to be off a leash unless he is in a fenced off area. Frenchies like to go for walks but they can't walk miles and miles and they overheat fairly quickly so you don't want them running around on a hot day. Personally, Frenchies are everything but boring and they do love attention. Another thing to factor in is they can be very expensive to care for. Aside from food costs, Frenchies can have allergies and other medical issues. Jax has many environmental allergies and is on daily medication as well as weekly allergy shots and it is not cheap. I can say that Jax makes me laugh and gives me great cuddles every day and I wouldn't trade him in for anything in the world!

This is an EXCELLENT post. Covered everything I was going to say.


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[LivK]

Frenchies are known to be stubborn. If Jax does not want to do something, he won't. When we first got him I actually thought he was deaf because he was "hearing" me call his name but in actuality, he chose to ignore it. Jax is definitely not the most obedient dog. I read in a book about Frenchies that if you want a well trained, obedient dog - don't get a Frenchie. That is not to say they can't be trained, some are probably more difficult than others. Jax will sit, stay (for a very short period) and come when there is a treat involved. I do not trust him to be off a leash unless he is in a fenced off area. Frenchies like to go for walks but they can't walk miles and miles and they overheat fairly quickly so you don't want them running around on a hot day. Personally, Frenchies are everything but boring and they do love attention. Another thing to factor in is they can be very expensive to care for. Aside from food costs, Frenchies can have allergies and other medical issues. Jax has many environmental allergies and is on daily medication as well as weekly allergy shots and it is not cheap. I can say that Jax makes me laugh and gives me great cuddles every day and I wouldn't trade him in for anything in the world!

Thank you for your insight! By "boring" I just mean the most relaxed and low key pup... I've heard most people describe puppies as either "exciting" (high energy) or "boring" (lower energy)-- I think the low key dogs are anything but boring!

The cost is something we'll have to consider seriously. Stella is very healthy by nature, so we're not used to high vet bills!

 

[MaplesMommy]

Frenchy's are awesome. I looove the breed and will probably continue to at least have 1 all my life. They are so funny;little clowns. Just watch some videos on youtube,they make the most hilarious sounds and faces
They loove people and are social. Of course they can be stubborn but I must say that Maple was easily trainable. She knows all kinds of command . Even though she is very active she is very,very gentle to our bearded dragon or when we found out kitten at 3 weeks of age.
Of course every Frenchy is different and it depends on their personality,energy and how you raise them.
Also some of the health issues can be prevented by choosing a quality breeder that tests sir and dam and also what you do once the pup is at your house : Nutrition,medication etc etc.

 

[MamaAndi]

I have to throw my two cents in there. My Stella is 2 now...so she's in that naughty teenager dog phase but she is a total butt 75% of the time. I love her to death but she is terribly stubborn and very aloof. I think of her as a cat in a dogs body. She is super active too, more terrier than lazy bulldog it seems.

That being said...she is just one of many frenchie personalities. Some are totally sweet and laid back but you do get your crazies too...I guess we just hit the jackpot with her! LOL

 

[Jakeyjake]

My Stella will be one on Oct. 31st and she is full of energy too. She loves to play fetch and I get a break when she plays tug of war with her brother. We walk her twice per day and she plays with Jake to drain her energy. It's rare for her to cuddle with us. She is also very independent and would rather lay at our feet than in our lap. She is very sweet and and we love her so much, but her personality is soooo different than Jake's who is very laid back. He is a big cuddle bug and loves to sit with us wherever we are. You can easily carry him laying on his back like a baby, and Stella would scratch you to death if you even attempted! The two are perfect for each other though and compliment each other well. We are lucky in that regard. Vet bills....another story. I think my vet just remodeled his hospital since we got Stella! Ha-Ha!

 

[blushy]

Okay so I'm a new Frenchie owner, and a long time obsessor (as of most of us first timers are).

My experience so far in the almost 8 months of owning a French Bulldog puppy.

They are endlessly loving.
My Isabelle loves everyone and anything that comes her way (besides other dogs near her crate while she is in it, which we are working on!).
She is fast to learn with bribery (food).
And she is the biggest snuggle you could imagine. I know a lot of dog research indicates your dog laying on you means they are claiming you? Frenchies must be different because she does not even blink an eye if my 3 year old joins her on the lap sitting session.

After owning one, and the more I learn, the more I know that I will never be without a Frenchie ever again.

Although, the vet bills are inevitably going to be high.
Isabelle developed Cherry Eye while we were on vacation in Virginia Beach (FIRST EVER FAMILY VACATION I MIGHT ADD) and that was $500 and SO nerve wrecking since she had JUST been spayed, and after the eye surgery she had to wear the cone of shame for 2 weeks. TWO WEEKS. What?

So, if you have the time to dedicate to training, and lots of snuggles, and possibly some expensive vet bills that may (and will) occur, I would say GO FOR IT. It's worth it!

 

[LivK]

Okay so I'm a new Frenchie owner, and a long time obsessor (as of most of us first timers are).

My experience so far in the almost 8 months of owning a French Bulldog puppy.

They are endlessly loving.
My Isabelle loves everyone and anything that comes her way (besides other dogs near her crate while she is in it, which we are working on!).
She is fast to learn with bribery (food).
And she is the biggest snuggle you could imagine. I know a lot of dog research indicates your dog laying on you means they are claiming you? Frenchies must be different because she does not even blink an eye if my 3 year old joins her on the lap sitting session.

After owning one, and the more I learn, the more I know that I will never be without a Frenchie ever again.

Although, the vet bills are inevitably going to be high.
Isabelle developed Cherry Eye while we were on vacation in Virginia Beach (FIRST EVER FAMILY VACATION I MIGHT ADD) and that was $500 and SO nerve wrecking since she had JUST been spayed, and after the eye surgery she had to wear the cone of shame for 2 weeks. TWO WEEKS. What?

So, if you have the time to dedicate to training, and lots of snuggles, and possibly some expensive vet bills that may (and will) occur, I would say GO FOR IT. It's worth it!

Thanks [MENTION=894]blushy[/MENTION]! Isabelle looks so cute-- frenchies sound like such a good fit for us!

 

[davidh]

Frenchies are awesome, but far from laid back until they get to about age 4 years, then they will settle down a bit, but still love to play, and have your attention. You might want to look at rescuing an older Frenchie to get one that is laid back some, but I'm not sure a Frenchie pup would be a good fit. They are loving, loyal, full of spunk, bullheaded, and play really rough when they are young, not to mention bite and chew everything. Like I said, once they get around 4 they start to settle down a bit.

 

[Squishy Walnuts]

Wally grew up with Uma, who is a terrier, so he adopted her activeness but he can't keep up with her no matter how much he tries. Wally is verrrrry enthusiastic most of the time and absolutely loves attention and getting pets/cuddles. When he's sleepy he's very laid back but when he's awake he is wide awake!

They are expensive dogs if you get one by a reputable breeder, which I hope you do, or you can rescue one that needs a forever home. An older Frenchie would be more laid back than a puppy. They are not jogging partners but they do love walks.

Wally has never been aggressive to any person or any dog, except for the one time a dog bite him on the head at a dog park but I don't blame him one bit for that. He's a great watch dog, which is what I need when my husband works late nights. They are extremely loyal but they can be hard to train because they are so darn stubborn.

 

[LivK]

We're actually very open to an older dog- from a rescue or retired from a reputable breeder. But we have not been able to find a Frenchie near us that is good with other dogs and very good with kids. We have a young daughter and plan to have more children, and we have one dog already, so an adult would definitely need to be OK with dogs/kids. Most Frenchies for adoption seem to be dog selective and/or not good with kids. I know even a puppy could grow up to not be good with our current dog or our children, but the chances are better that we could set some groundwork that would help everyone get along. So that's why we're thinking of a puppy!