French Bulldog Information
French Bulldogs are truly unique animals and therefore have many unique needs.
Because of this there are several areas owners must be aware of & take care & precautions where needed.
The Traditional show 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.
Unique breeds our puppies for their health and temperament. Longer noses which improves their over all breathing and allows them to be more active. Longer tails which improves their spine, Overall our puppies are healthier and more athletic. These features mean our puppies have minimal soft palate issues, less nasal nares and less chances of spinal hemivertibrae. Our passion for these amazing dogs makes us want to improve their quality of life which hand in hand will improve their longevity.
CHILDREN FRIENDLY
In our experience, we have found Frenchies to be a perfect dog for the whole family. Their size is not too small and not too large, making them suitable for the whole family. We do always suggest that supervision of children with any dog is a must.
ADORE PEOPLE
If you want an outdoor dog who can be left alone for days at a time, the Frenchie is not the breed for you.
EXCELLENT HOUSEKEEPER
The alert nature of a Frenchie often makes them suitable as a family 'watch dog' alerting to unusual noises or people, however, it's not generally their style to bark without cause.
EXERCISE
French Bulldogs do not need a lot of exercise, but they do need daily walks to keep them at a healthy weight.
11 - 14 years
28 - 33cm at shoulder
7 - 13kgs
PERSONALITY
This is a smart, loving dog who wants and needs to spend lots of time with his people. A fun-loving freethinker, the French Bulldog takes well to training when it’s done in a positive manner with lots of food rewards, praise, and play.
CARE
French Bulldogs do not need a lot of exercise. They have fairly low energy levels, although there are exceptions to every rule. To keep their weight down, however, they need daily exercise through short walks or play times in the yard. Many French Bulldogs enjoy playing and will spend much of their time in various activities, but they are not so high energy that they need a large yard or long periods of exercise.
GROOMING
French Bulldogs are fairly easy to groom and need only an occasional brushing to keep their coat healthy. They are average shredders. Begin grooming your Frenchie at a young age and teach your puppy to stand on a table or floor to make this experience easier on both of you.
WEATHER
French Bulldogs can find it difficult to regulate their body temperatures & can be vulnerable to the elements. They are highly susceptible to heat, heat exhaustion & dehydration which can result in death. It is extremely important that if your Frenchie is outside that s/he has plenty of cool water & shade.
We HIGHLY recommend a shell pool half filled & placed in the shad to keep you pup cool when you're not at home. Alternatively, the best option would be to keep him/her inside with the air conditioning on during the hotter months. Spending time ensuring your puppy is crate trained can be a hug adavantage when leaving him inside with the comfort of air-conditioning.
** Do NOT exercise your Frenchie in the heat of the day. If the concrete feels hot on your hand then it’s too hot to walk your dog. **
​
During the colder months your little one can find it difficult to keep warm. So during the cooler months make sure you little one has a nice warm area to sleep in. Some people like to invest in beds that have an inbuilt warming blanket, or you can keep your pup stylish with some nice jumpers/hoodies. Remember if you go for walks have a weather proof dog coat to help keep them warm.
WATER
French Bulldogs are not well known for their great swimming ability, most frenchies are not very capable swimmers. Due to this be very cautious with your new puppy around water.
To start with you may find they are not comfortable around water, but encourage them to play whether it is in a little pool, river or the beach. But if you are going to take your little one into deeper water we recommend a doggy flotation jacket that helps keep them afloat.
JUMPING
French Bulldogs have a very unique body structure & because of this the weight of their body is distributed more heavily on certain parts/joints of the body then most breeds.
Because of this we strongly advise you DO NOT allow your Frenchie (at any age) to jump on or off couches, beds, chairs or any elevated surface. Allowing this can cause damage to their joints & effect their physical growth.
ALLERGIES
French bulldog’s skin can be sensitive. Due to this your pup’s skin may become irritated by certain plants, grasses, grooming products. Regular inspections of your pup’s skin (especially around the belly) will give you an indication if something is causing a reaction.
If an allergy occurs, you will notice redness on the skin to the extreme of welts may appear.
If you notice any redness on your little one’s skin, keep your pup inside until it settles & then try to establish what is causing the irritation. If the irritation is severe visit you vet as soon as possible to look at allergy testing & treatment.
GENERAL HEALTH
It is important to remember that the French Bulldog, like any breed, has specific health issues that they are more prone to then others. Just because we list these here does not mean that your Frenchie will acquire any of these illnesses or injuries. We simply want to make you aware & educate our owners on what is common within the breed.
Luxating Patellas (dislocating knee joints) & sub luxation of the hip. Both of these conditions can occur &/or are aggravated by jumping off elevated/unstable surfaces & furniture. This is why we advise you do not allow your pup to jump from heights to prevent this condition from occurring.
CHERRY EYE
This is where the gland in the 3rd eyelid slips out of place & becomes inflamed.
Cherry eye is not a life threatening condition, but, if left untreated it can cause irritation and issues later with your pups sight.
OVERHEATING
As mentioned, French Bulldogs are unable to regulate their temperature. Due to this they can easily overheat & death can occur. So please ensure during warmer months you take necessary measures to prevent this from happening.
BREATHING
French Bulldogs tend to wheeze, snort & snore due to their general conformation.
DROOLING
Some French Bulldogs may over salivate, causing them to drool. This may be from various situations- hunger, excessive exercising, stressed.
SKIN
Depending on the colouring of your Frenchie you may need to be careful with regards to protection when in the sun. Frenchies with lighter coat colours e.g. pure white, can be more vulnerable to sunburn. Studies have shown a third of canine tumours can be traced back to sunburn. The main areas that need protection is ears/muzzle/nose (areas that are pink) & with the lighter color Frenchies & their short coats protection should be considered for the whole body.
It is advised not to use normal sunscreen as it has ingredients that are toxic to animals, there are canine sunscreens available which you should be able to source from a good pet supply store.
​HEMIVERTEBRAE
Hemivertebrae refers to incompletely formed spinal vertebrae. This is a common malformation seen in French Bulldogs. The spinal vertebrae are not completely formed until 7-9 months of age thus your puppies first score may overestimate the prevalence of hemivertebrae at this point of time. We believe in strengthening the health of the breed and our breeding program which selects against hemivertebrae should be effective in reducing their prevalence. Scoring your puppy will assist Unique French Bulldogs evaluate Sire and Dam’s suitability for breeding. Dogs which produce puppies with high hemivertebrae scores will not be bred from again.
While most hemivertebrae cause no problems, a hemivertebrae causing spinal deviation, (typically kyphosis) has more chance of being associated with spinal cord compression. Spinal vertebrae protect the spinal cord. Damage to spinal cord can present as pelvic limp weakness urinary incontinence and hind-limb muscle wasting. Investigation of spinal found hemivertebrae causing ventral deviation was associated with neurological defects in dogs presenting for veterinary treatment. French Bulldogs with kyphoscoliosis (deformed spines often caused by hemivertebrae) have shown a higher incidence of vertebral disk extrusion. Reducing the incidence of these specific spinal deformities should result in more robust breed.
HOW TO REDUCE RISK
French Bulldogs are a domestic breed that is classified in the non-sporting group. They have been susceptible to joints, spine and patella problems and it is therefore advisable to not allow your French Bulldog to jump on and off furniture or in and out of vehicles as it can compromise their spines and joints.
​