Enthusiastic, curious and buoyant, these dogs are considered as an ‘easy care’ breed. Frenchies are very playful but a simple play in the yard won’t be enough for them as they are very adventurous too. A daily walk should keep this breed happy, however energy levels can vary. With the right amount of exercise and mental stimulation, these dogs can be great for apartment living. As long as the Frenchie believes he’s not the alpha, he will play well with other dogs, people, other animals and often children. If they are left untrained they can be very stubborn and become aggressive without leadership and may develop small dog syndrome where they believe they are the pack leader. Frenchies respond well to calm, confident but firm training.
The Frenchies grooming is considered as ‘easy care’ as a regular brush will do for these dogs as they have a short, smooth coat. They have many different coat colours which are brindle, brindle and white, cream, cream and white, fawn, fawn and white, fawn brindle, white, white and brindle, white and fawn, black, black and fawn, black and white, fawn and black, fawn brindle and white and grey and white. They have a small under bite and ‘bat ears’ which stand upright. Their skin is loose creating wrinkles around their head and shoulders. There can be a few health problems to keep any eye out for with the Frenchies.
The main health concerns with Frenchies are joint diseases, spinal disorders, heart defects and eye problems. The way the Frenchies are designed can often give them respiratory issues as well, making them wheeze and snort. This makes it difficult for Frenchies to handle the heat, as it becomes harder for them to breathe so it’s best to keep them out of the extreme weather. They also struggle with swimming so it’s best to keep an eye on them near water. The average life expectancy for a Frenchie is 10-12 years.
Frenchies originated in 19th Century Nottingham, England. They were created by Lace Makers who wanted a miniature English Bulldog as a ‘Toy Bulldog’ which was the Frenchies first name but they quickly became very popular in France, giving them the name French Bulldogs. The Englishmen weren’t very happy with this name however it has stuck with the breed.
These excitable little dogs have become very popular recently and can play for hours on end if you let them! However they are also happy to just have a cuddle on your lap as these super sweet dogs are just happy to be with you!