The French Bulldog is a companion dog. The breed is small and muscular with heavy bone structure, a smooth coat, a short face and trademark “bat” ears. Prized for its affectionate nature and balanced disposition, they are generally active and alert, but not unduly boisterous.
In general, they are an animated dog – in terms of their interactions with their humans and other dogs. They can be precisely like a pesky little sister one moment, but a cuddle-bug the next.
Their unique facial structure lends well to their ability to read their moods by just looking at their face. Most are very expressive in how they carry themselves. They are always happy to see you and new guests in the house.
While not generally the best alert / guard dog, they do tend to think that they are big dogs trapped in little bodies. As such, they have little fear when meeting new playmates. It’s this reason that they adapt well to having larger, or smaller animals in the same household.
This is a breed that has been met with such a huge level of popularity that it has caused factors similar to what happened with Dalmations and 101 Dalmations to be present. There are large numbers of breeders that breed simply for money – not health, or structure.
Because of this, a large number of the breed’s inherent health issues are being carelessly bred to a more problematic state.
If you do not purchase a pup from us, that’s fine – we can part as friends, but please make sure that you request a DNA health report on your specific puppy. DO NOT take the word of a breeder that says that the parents are clear – the puppy should be as well. Some genetic conditions do not manifest, unless both parents present the condition. Other genetic conditions only require that one parent have that trait – much like how potential colors are determined when a breeding pair is chosen. Request a DNA health test from a reputable source for your individual puppy. Your vet bills will reflect your choice here.
Billy goats… plan and simple. They will eat near anything. Sticks, leaves, grass, weeds, rocks… yes… rocks. Baseboards, table legs, whatever they can get ahold of, if they are unattended.
Read the FAQ about what to feed them – hint… not cheap Ole Roy 😉
Surprisingly, very little. Most do not shed, but very little. Fluffies do need brushing and the occasional “sanitary” trim around their hind-end – particularly, if they are very fluffy. Overall, they do seem to enjoy a few swipes of a brush, if for no other reason than to have you touching them, or to maybe cure an itch that they couldn’t quite reach.
It’s not “really” a grooming thing, but get their nails trimmed, or dremeled regularly. If the breeder didn’t have their dew claws removed (another controversial topic), they can curl back and cause irritation. The same can be said for their normal claws. If you have one that likes to jump on you (many are surprisingly quite bouncy), you will be thankful that you kept their nails trimmed.
So, housing can be a touchy subject for some, but we believe that all dogs should at least *be* crate trained.
We do this for the animal’s safety, while we are not there to supervise and intervene when it gets into something that could potentially hurt it, other animals, or personal belongings.
Recall that dogs, yes, frenchy’s are dogs… 😉 Are den-based animals. They feel most secure when they are in their own safe-space.
Heaven forbid that you are even in a situation where there is a need to evacuate and your animal is required to be in a crate, while you are in an evacuation facility. If your dog is not acclimated to having their own place of safety, it could wind up hurting itself trying to protest.
Particularly as puppies, having a safe place for them to rest and eat, without competition from other dogs, is a huge psychological stress relief for many.
Lastly, your personal belongings will thank you haha. We have a female, that in her younger years ate our baseboards, bottom of the counters, doors, drywall and anything else that she could get ahold of. We had about $3000 in repairs that we had to do, when we sold that house. When any animal gets bored, it can get anxious and “act out”, or perform destructive behavior.
Some are good with soft, comfy beds in their crates, others will shred a $65 bed in seconds… Each dog has their own personality… likes and dislikes… I still scratch my head on this one 😉
Most all dogs, when properly acclimated to a crate – not as a disciplinary response, but as a learned routine, prefer the safety and comfort of their private space when they are ready to go to bed. Teach them young and you will thank us later.
