Frenchies.NYC
New York Breeder
Breed Info & General Care
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.
Frenchies get along well with children, and they're not so tiny that they can't live in a household with a toddler.
If you want an outdoor dog who can be left alone for long periods, the Frenchie is not the breed for you.
French Bulldogs make excellent watchdogs and will alert their people to approaching strangers, but it's not their style to bark without cause.
French Bulldogs do not need a lot of exercise, but they do need daily walks to keep them at a healthy weight.
Get to Know Your Breed
TEMPERAMENT
The French bulldog loves a good time! The breed is playful, and its fun-loving temperament has led it to be called “the clown.” Frenchies love their owners and their families. The dogs are natural pleasers and will enthusiastically interact with their owners too. They aren’t boisterous, however, and adapt well to any given situation. Even and carefree, they make wonderful family companions.
Their desire for attention is a craving and not a demand. They especially love it when their human siblings wrestle with them. Afterwards, they love it, too, curling up on a nice lap with a box of tasty treats nearby.
Despite their fun disposition, Frenchies can be willful brats sometimes. Training them takes a firm hand. Kindness goes a long way when it comes to training them too. They like to make their own rules and then change those rules when they see fit, a mischievous twinkle in their eyes!
Despite this sometime stubbornness, Frenchies truly need the companionship they’re renowned for giving. Leaving them alone for extended periods is never a good idea. The dogs could develop anxiety from the separation. Because they identify so strongly with their families, Frenchies also develop a strong territorial sense. They could react negatively to other pets in “their personal space.” This territorial nature is one of the reasons that we aim so powerfully to socializing the dogs we provide before allowing them to be adopted.
ENVIRONMENT
Frenchies don’t like heat at all. Small apartments are good environments as long as they are air-conditioned. Hot weather or too-warm environments could cause heat exhaustion and collapse. These are life-threatening conditions for Frenchies, so it behooves owners to keep a close eye on their furbabies during the summer months.
EXERCISE
Romping with their human siblings is usually enough exercise for a Frenchie. Short walks are good too. Usually, a half-hour is more than enough. Owners, however, should watch out for the signs of exhaustion, which might appear as early as 15 minutes into a walk. When a Frenchie shows the first sign of exhaustion, the owner must give the dog a rest period. If on a walk, then the owner must either wait for the dog to recuperate or carry the dog back home.
GROOMING
French bulldogs require only minimal grooming. A quick brush once or twice a week is usually enough. Owners should pay attention to the loose folds on their faces and clean them when necessary. Baby wipes make a great cleaning cloth because they are hypoallergenic and mild. Owners should also check their dogs’ ears for detritus or mites. Most pet stores have ear cleaning material on hand.
Frenchies shed only a little because of their single coats. So, even impeccable housekeepers will have little problem with their fur. When it comes to oral health, if owners brush their dogs’ teeth weekly, then that will do. Clip their nails every other month or so. That’s about all there is to it! Frenchies do like their cuddling better than their grooming.
Frenchie Care
Bringing home a new puppy is very much the same as bringing home a new human baby. The house must be ready, and you have to have the right supplies.
POTTY TRAINING
The change in scenery will be tough and confusing for the puppy. After all, the puppy has never been to your house before! The puppy won’t know the environment, other pets, or even you yourself. Patience is all-important. Your puppy won’t be able to follow commands at the very beginning. The first thing you will have to do is to take the puppy outside every three hours to make sure it knows the way to go to go potty.
Make sure the routine is just that: routine. Always use the same door. If you have to take the puppy outside on a leash because you live in an apartment, always put the collar and leash on the same way. That way, the puppy gets used to the process. Aside from every three hours, you will also have to take the puppy outside after nap time, after drinking a lot of water, or after finishing a meal.
Any new food in the tummy will exert pressure, and the puppy will need to eliminate. After the routine is set up, the puppy will learn, and you will have fewer accidents. The puppy may not want to go out, however. Remember, they’re stubborn sometimes. Treats, baby talk, and even just picking them up and taking them outside might all be necessary to get them to go.
Remember, always supervise the puppy if there is standing water nearby. Mindfulness saves lives. Once the puppy does the “potty” thing correctly, reward the success with positive praise. If you happen to have another dog who already “knows the drill,” then that will make the potty training bit much easier and quicker.
DIET
You must feed your dog healthy and nutritious food. Whether you choose dry, wet, or both, it should be only of highest quality. We, for example, use Royal Canine French Bulldog Puppy dry dog food. They need puppy food, too, because their teeth are still growing and are small an ineffectual.
Dogs with the jaw shape like this have trouble eating most kinds of food. They can’t chew it, so they wind up swallowing it instead. That’s not good. The Royal Canine is great because the consistency is such that Frenchies can eat it.
You also have to remember that the French bulldog is renowned for its godawful farts. The right food will mitigate this somewhat, so it’s important for your olfactory nerve to have the right food. We feed our puppies three times daily after 12 weeks. Sometimes, if they’re particularly active, we feed them four times a day. The normal portion size is a half-cup. If your puppy is small, or they seem hungrier than usual, then you can give them a little more. Because they’re still growing at eight weeks, they need a lot of food. We want them to eat well. After six months, it’s best to reduce the feedings to twice daily.
BOWLS AND DISHES
Elevated dishes are the best because Frenchies are so top-heavy. With regular bowls, they might tip over or forward and be unable to eat. So, the higher dish alleviates that problem. Feeding time must be quiet time to keep the dog’s mental health in good shape. If you have more than one pet, then it’s a good idea to separate them to eat.
Feeding time should be relaxed. This also applies to the times right before and right after your dog eats. Like their bigger English cousins, French bulldogs love to “chow down.” They eat very fast and might choke. So, it’s a good idea for you to watch your Frenchie during meal time. Because they eat so fast, they might also overturn a normal bowl. That’s another reason the elevated bowl is the correct choice. Be sure to use stainless-steel bowls. They’re nonporous, don’t accumulate dirt like plastic, and are dishwasher safe on any setting.
TOYS
Shoes are a favorite toy. Keep yours out of reach! When the dog is teething, nearly anything will provide relief. Nylabone bones are our solution of choice. They must be too large to swallow accidentally and small enough for the Frenchies to be able to chew them. We don’t recommend rawhide or greenies. The rawhide could break apart and choke the dogs. Squeaky toys, fluffy or otherwise, are great. When you get a puppy from us, you’ll get a selection of toys that the puppy likes.
BEDDING
Puppies are prone to accidents as young as they are when you adopt them, so a soft, fluffy bed that can be washed in the washing machine makes a great deal of sense. Certain stores sell beds that are too big for washers, so be sure to check labels to see if the bed you’re getting is going to fit in your washer.
CRATE OR NO CRATE?
The answer is: It depends. What’s worked for us over the course of years is that the dog will give you the answer. If your dog has been housebroken and understands how to behave, then you likely won’t need a crate other than for sleeping. If not, then the crate will be a safe space for the dog. Remember, it’s not a punishment.
With puppies as young as you are adopting, they will eat almost anything you drop under the bed. Depending on what that is, it could lead to a substantial vet bill. The crate will provide safety and keep your dog from eating anything that could kill it.
When you have a party and don’t want your dog, or dogs, underfoot, then crating them is a great idea. They’ll feel safe when properly crate trained, and you can give them their favorite toys to play with during the party. If you have a pool, then crating your dog will save its life.
The crate doesn’t even have to be a “crate.” It can be a playpen, but as soon as the puppies get old enough to climb, the playpen will no longer work. Training your puppies for the crate is also good for your mental health. You won’t have to worry about the dog eating something or doing something that could kill it,
Summary
Having a dog is a big responsibility. You have to feed it. Walk it. Care for it. Take it to the vet regularly. Socialize it. It should only and forever be a forever thing. You don’t leave it behind when you move because, “Oh, he’ll be OK.” We screen our customers to make sure they’re a good fit for a dog. We love our dogs and the puppies we provide. They’re part of our family, and when you adopt them, we want them to be part of yours. They shouldn’t be a present. They shouldn’t be given to someone who has neither the inclination nor the skill to raise the dog properly.
We like to focus on the service we provide too. From using our home to raise our puppies to seeing to your needs and wants, we strive to make you feel at ease with the whole process. If you’re uneasy, then the dog you adopt will be too. That’ll be bad for the whole “having a dog” process. Once your dog leaves our home, it’ll need stability, understanding, and love. To find out more about us and our dogs, get in touch with us!
Breed Standard
According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), the French bulldog should be muscular and have heavy bones. It should be active and intelligent. The dog must be compact and not lanky, and its body should be well-proportioned. It should appear alert and curious, showing interest in its surroundings. More than most breeds, there is a great deal of variance between members of the breed even those that have the same color coat.
They must weigh 28 pounds or fewer. They are lapdogs and must show that temperament. Their large square faces and famous bat ears must meet certain proportions. Males and females both have their own standards in this regard. The tail must either be straight or screwed.
The ears must not be too close together, and they must also be on top of the head. The ears must be rounded, broad, and elongated. We almost never make any surgical alterations to the puppies, the only exception being removing the dew claws during the pup’s first week. Even then, it’s only by approved special request.
Skin at the throat should be loose. The neck should arch and be solidly thick. The dog’s chest must be broad and full. The belly should be tucked up. The French bulldog is a cobbie and has short, muscular, and wide-apart forelegs. Frenchies weigh more than they look like because of their solid little bodies.
The French bulldog’s neck must be well-arched, thick, and have a collection of loose skin at the throat. The hind legs are strong and muscular. They must also be longer than the forelegs, which elevates the loins above the shoulders.
The coat is smooth and must be short and moderately fine. The colors should be brilliant. The dog’s skin must be soft and loose, particularly around the head and shoulders. The trademark wrinkles must be noticeable.
The AKC recognizes a great number of colors and patterns. We breed the dogs to have the largest variety of colors and patterns that are safe to maintain while also keeping the gene pool healthy. These include rarities like blue, chocolate, and blue-fawn. Although pied coats are recessive in this breed, we strive to achieve at least 25% pied colors with our puppies’ coats.
The AKC accepts all brindled colors. In fact, the only colors that the AKC does not accept are pure black, liver, or mouse. There is a great amount of controversy over what “liver” and “mouse” are. Even the experts disagree. It is, therefore, our considered opinion that the AKC is trying to keep certain colors out of its competitions. These include recessive colors that the breeders try to create. It is at least possible that the AKC erroneously thought that these colors were dominant and would overshadow all other hues. They traits are recessive, however, so there is no danger of that happening. It is unknown at this time if the AKC will change its guidelines now or in the future. We’ll be sure to work with you to determine the color of puppies you want.
