French BullDog: History, Temperament, Exercise

(Frenchie)

Group: Mastiff, AKC Non-Sporting

AKC Ranking: 36

Also Known As: Bouledogue Français, Frenchie, Frogdog

About French Bulldog

Origin The French Bulldog was originally developed in England as a miniature version of the English Bulldog. Description This is a sturdy, compact, muscular, pear-shaped little dog with large, erect, rounded, bat ears, round dark eyes, a flat, powerful muzzle, a pug nose, a rounded forehead and a square flat head. The height at the withers should be approximately the same as the length from withers to tail set. The skin is soft and fairly loose, making the dog very pleasant to pet. The tail is either straight or cork-screw.

Coat

The short, soft, coat comes in brindle, fawn, white and combinations of brindle or fawn with white.

Height: 12 inches (30cm).

Weight

There are two weight classes of French Bulldog: 19-22 (9-10kg.) pounds and 22-28 pounds (10-13kg.).

Personality

The French Bulldog is a clean, enthusiastic, pleasant, playful, sweet, hilarious, affectionate companion. It is bright, easygoing, curious and alert. The Frenchie gets along fairly well with older children, strangers and other animals (often dogs), but he often bonds strongly to one person. This breed needs companionship and will not thrive without it. This breed may drool and slobber. This little dog is also a ruthless hunter of mice.

Living Conditions

They prefer cooler climates. This breed is good for apartment life. They can be fairly active indoors and will do okay without a yard.

Training & Excercise

The French Bulldog needs to be taken on a daily walk. It should be provided with extra care in hot weather. They love to run and play for hours. They are fairly willful, but can be trained if the owner is patient. They respond to patient, consistent training that excludes hitting or harsh jerking.

Grooming

This average shedder needs very little grooming. Regular brushing should suffice.

Health Issues

French Bulldogs are prone to eye and respiratory problems (specially if overweight). They may wheeze, snore and be gassy. Frenchies can suffer from Von Willebrand's disease (VWD), a bleeding syndrome similar to Hemophilia in humans which can impede their clotting. In conjunction to this, French Bulldogs may also suffer from thyroid condition, Brachycephalic syndrome, resulting in elongated soft palate or cleft palate.

Life Expectancy: About 10-12 years.

Breed Club: www.frenchbulldogclub.org/

Rescue Link: www.fbdcarl.org/