The French Bulldog was bred originally in England as a toy version of
the Bulldog. He was taken to France by lacemakers and was refined into the
breed as it is today. He became a fashion accessory of the working class
of Paris.
The Frenchie has a bright, alert expression. He is fun-loving, willing to
please and enjoys family life. He is not a yappy dog but will bark to sound
an alarm against intruders.
The French Bulldog has much less body bulk, exaggeration of wrinkles and
bowing of legs than its English counterpart. The head is large and square.
The skull is level between the eyes. The muzzle is short and broad. The
breed's hallmark is the bat ears which are medium sized, wide at the base,
rounded at the top, set high and carried upright and parallel. The drop
off (stop) between the skull and muzzle is well defined, causing a groove
between the eyes. The upper lip hangs well over the lower jaw. The lower
jaw is deep, square, broad and upturned. The bite is undershot. The nose
is short, wide and black. The neck is thick and well arched with some loose
skin at the throat. The body is short and well rounded weight a deep, broad
chest. The topline roaches slightly over the loin then tapers toward the
tail. The legs are strong, muscular and straight. The hind legs are longer
than the forelegs. The feet are moderate in size. Correct gait is a double
track. The French is born with a bobtail that may be either straight or
screwed. The coat is short and smooth. Coat color ranges from brindle to
piebald to black. Fawns and creams are acceptable in North America and Britain
but not in continental Europe. Average weight is between nineteen and twenty
pounds. Average height is twelve inches.
Name withheld by request of the U.S. writes:
Great companion.
I have had the pleasure of sharing my life with three French Bulldogs.
They are very affectionate and love everyone p; even strangers and children.
Frenchies are generally easy to housebreak. They respond very favorably
to food when in the training phase. They love to greet you when you come
home, play for short periods, and then are ready to settle down next to
you or on your lap. Their main goal in life is to please you. They do
not respond well to harsh reprimands and get their feelings hurt if you
are not happy with them. They do not tolerate hot weather, nor can they
swim. The only negative I have about the breed is that they can suffer
from quite a few health problems: hip dysplasia, luxating patellas, respiratory
problems, vertebrea problems, and cataracts p; as they are considered
dwarfs and have many problems associated with dwarfism. It is common to
sometimes wait up to a year for a puppy; especially if you are looking for
a particular color, sex, etc. Frenchies generally have small litters, usually
one to three, and most always require a c-section. Therefore, they are
expensive to breed; hence their purchase price is higher than most dogs.
Even with all of that said, they are definitely worth every penny. I work
a full-time job and the highlight of my day is to go home to my three Frenchies.
Name withheld by request of Switzerland writes:
Simply the best.
We have a six-month-old Frenchie girl, our first French Bulldog, and
we just love her to bits. Before her we had a wonderful Boxer who died last
April, and we decided to go for a smaller breed, but still a flat-faced
breed, as we find them very loveable and so cute to look at. She is everything
we could have hoped for in a dog p; intelligent, fun-loving, clean,
loveable, a real clown. I don't think I would ever want to be without a
French Bulldog in the house after having discovered this truly remarkable
breed. Our little dog is just perfect, and she brings a smile to everyone's
face who sees her. She comes everywhere with us: restaurants, hotels, public
transport and is very sociable indeed. If you are considering this breed,
don't hesitate!
candacepsmith@yahoo.com of Harrisburg, PA writes:
Adorable, compassionate, animated clowns that live to please their owner!
A Frenchie is a wonderful, compassionate dog who is eager to please
his or her owner. They are not an active dog that has great endurance for
extremes in weather. This does not mean that they do not enjoy being outside
or playing. It simply means that they are very sensitive to hot, and cold
days. Frenchies love to play fetch, and toss and chew toys on their own.
They can be extremely bright or a little slow. It depends on the Frenchie.
They are extremely sensitive. They can be extremely jealous of other dogs
and children if not around them often. This does not mean that they will
hurt them, it just means that they have to adjust to the new situation.
Overall, if you are looking for a true companion that will want to be by
your side 24/7 and do nothing but love you for you, a Frenchie is the dog
for your family. Frenchies are small, sturdy dogs with big hearts that entertain
you from morning til night. Before buying make sure you do your research
and contact a number of breeders before deciding which Frenchie is for you.
scobden3@optonline.net of Greenwich, CT writes on 2/2/01:
Thoughtful and cute.
I have owned many dogs over the years, of several different breeds/mixs.
I have also been a foster mother for GSD's in training for guide work. In
particular, I have always appreciated the "presence" of my shepherds.
Well bred GSD's are so tuned into people, that they can almost anticipate
your needs/moods. So, as you can imagine, when I found myself becoming obsessed
(no pun intended) with French Bulldogs, I really wondered what I was getting
myself into. I really did my research and traveled far to find the right
breeder. My little dog in now nearly 8 months old. I am consistantly amazed
by his calm "presense", responsivness and focus, even as a baby.
I bought him because I think Frenchies are about the cutest things I've
ever seen, and ended up with a whole lot more!