French Bulldog

French bulldogs were originally bred to be great companions, and their small build makes them ideal pups for all homes. The French bulldog is a medium-sized, non-sporting dog, featuring uniquely shaped ears commonly referred to as “bat ears.” While other dogs have a rounded scalp, the skull of these dogs lies flat between their ears instead.

These dogs are muscular, but their small bodies are compact. They have a short coat and come in various colors, which predominantly include brindle, white, blue, black, and fawn. Some of them have a genetic condition called Merle that creates an interesting pattern on their coat.

3 Pros and Cons of Owning a French Bulldog

To understand what any new pet owner is in for, here are a few pros and cons of owning a French bulldog:

Evolution and Origins

The history of the diminutive bat-eared canine begins with its bulldog forbears, which were originally bred for bull-baiting, but the ancestors of French Bulldogs were later developed as companion animals and exhibited at shows. 

The smallest of them all became favorites of lace machine operators in the 19th century and made the move with them to Northern France, where their skills were still in demand in the wake of the Industrial Revolution, which swept Britain.

It wasn’t long before those squishy faces, rambunctious personalities, and those cute ears won the hearts of the French, too.  These little bulldogs soon became a fixture in the brothels of Montmartre, where ladies used them as icebreakers when entertaining visitors.

From there, their charm spread, through the Russian Imperial court, to individuals of means, and subsequently, across the Atlantic, and all over the world. Currently, these adorable, willful furballs are one of the most popular canines on the globe.

Size and Weight

These dogs are medium-sized and come in a variety of colors like fawn, brindle, white, blue, and black. Both females and males are about 11 to 12 inches in size. Meanwhile, the females usually weigh around 16 to 24 pounds, while the males typically weigh around 20 to 28 pounds.

Common Health Issues

These dogs are prone to a lot of health issues, though some of the most common include the risk of heatstroke, regular allergic sneezing fits, ear infections, and breathing problems.

More specifically, some of these dogs are born with a cleft palate. Due to the detrimental effects that a cleft palate can have on breathing and eating alike, many puppies born with this condition are euthanized.

Intervertebral disc disease is another concern for these dogs. It occurs when the inner disc protrudes into the spinal cord’s nerve tissue. Dogs experience substantial pain and inflammation in the spinal cord with this disease, and pet owners might need to raise their dishes for food and water to a higher level to avoid putting more pressure on their spine.

Overall, some of the issues that they suffer from include:

• Chronic allergies
• Cleft palate
• Heatstroke
• Intervertebral disc disease
• Eye infections
• Ear infections
• Breathing issues

Temperament

As per temperament, they are even-tempered house dogs, requiring a considerable amount of attention at home for their emotional and intellectual health. They might even compete with other family members for your attention and can be quite demanding, showing a jealous nature.

If the dog is excited, it may also bark excessively, but they use their other sounds to show their excitement as well. Otherwise, these dogs are happy in any kind of house setting and usually do not require a large yard. These dogs are almost always happy to accompany you on a long walk. French bulldogs are considered to be one of the best dogs for city living.

They also do not require excessive amounts of food and need minimal grooming. However, these dogs do snore and would almost always love to be inside the house, trying to grab all the attention that they can.

How to Take Care of French Bulldogs

Before keeping any pet (especially the French Bulldog), you need to have an idea about what to do to take care of them to keep them well-fed and in good health. Here are a few things that you should know about taking good care of the French Bulldogs.

The Best Dog Food for French Bulldog

You can feed your dogs some high-quality dry dog food. In total, they should only need about 1.5 cups of food a day, split among three meals to prevent overeating and digestive issues. The meals can also be reduced to two a day, as long as they still get the same amount.

Though owners should always be cautious about the human food that French Bulldogs consume, it is safe to feed them fully cooked chicken, brown rice, peas, oatmeal, and flaxseeds. This breed often suffers from allergies, but luckily, there are many limited-ingredient dog foods available to help out dogs with allergies. With any breed that is susceptible to so many different health issues, it’s important to find quality dog food that provides your dog with complete nutrition.

Maintenance and Grooming

These dogs are usually low-maintenance dogs, and their short coats do not require a lot of grooming. They don’t even need regular haircuts. To remove loose hair, they should be brushed periodically and bathed every month or every other month.

These dogs also need regular nail trims and teeth-brushing sessions. Their wrinkles need to be cleaned regularly to avoid infection or bacterial buildup.

Training

While these dogs can be easy to train, they can still be very stubborn. However, if trained with a positive attitude, they can achieve great results. French Bulldogs are usually quick learners. Maintain a calm disposition during training for the best results.

Exercise

These dogs usually need a minimum of one hour of exercise each day, but that doesn’t have to be set up in just one session. They can do very well with short walks spread out across the day, but pay attention to how much they are exerting themselves. When the warmer months come, they may experience issues with breathing.

Puppies

Puppies are to be taken care of in a similar manner to how you would take care of an adult. However, you would need to split their meals into three to four small meals throughout the day, unlike an adult.

Puppies should start being trained while they are still young to improve their obedience as they get older.

Children

These dogs do very well around children. They are friendly and make great companions. They thrive on the human contact that they get in the family and get especially excited around children.

Dogs Similar to French Bulldogs

If a French bulldog is not a good match for your home, many other breeds can find their way into your heart. Here are some of the dogs that are similar to them:

• Boston Terrier: These dogs are very similar to the French Bulldogs (as evidenced above). However, they also have a few differences in terms of how they walk, how much they bark, and how dense their coat is.
• Golden Retriever: These dogs are friendly and affectionate, much like the French Bulldogs. They also need a lot of exercise, but they have a social nature that makes them a great family dog.
• Havanese: These dogs are native to Cuba and have soft fur. They socialize a lot and are usually easy to train (like the French bulldog).