Photo courtesy ofRenee Rettick |
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| Breed: French Bulldog |
| Also Called: Bouledogue Francais |
| Height: The French Bulldog is about 10 inches tall. |
| Weight: The French Bulldog weighs between 22-28 lbs. |
| Colors: The French Bulldog can be all brindle, fawn, white, brindle and white, and any color except those which constitute disqualification. All colors are acceptable with the exception of solid black, mouse, liver, black and tan, black and white, and white with black, which are disqualifications in shows. Black means black without a trace of brindle. |
| General Appearance: The French Bulldog has the appearance of an active, intelligent, muscular dog of heavy bone, smooth coat, compactly built, and of medium or small structure. Expression alert, curious, and interested. |
| Temperment: The French Bulldog The French Bulldog is well behaved, adaptable, and comfortable companions with an affectionate nature and even disposition; generally active, alert, and playful, but not really boisterous. Good with children. The French Bulldog requires plenty of companionship, so it should not be an outside dog, as it prefers to live inside with the family. |
| Care: The French Bulldog's coat is smooth and short and easy to keep clean. They need a daily rub down of their coat with a rough cloth, and their teeth and nails should be tended to regularly. |
| Health Concerns: Cleft palates and hare lips are the most common defect seen. Anasarca (walrus/fluid) puppies are seen occassionally but not very often, the incidence of spina bifida is very low. Breeders often supplement the bitch during pregnancy with extra folic acid (Vitamin B6) and zinc to reduce the chance of having defected puppies. Abnormalities of the vertebrae are also seen in short backed brachycephalic screw tailed breeds. Defects in the lumbar area where there is a definite kinking or twisting on the spine ususually have the most detrimental effects on a puppy. It is advised to X ray the spines of French Bulldogs prior to breeding to at least know what level of hemivertbrae is present so that the breeder may screen out those dogs with severe defects. Puppies can be checked from a young age of 6-8 weeks old if a severe defect is suspected. For breeding purposes, an X ray around 12-15 months would be a good time to check the dogs. Other concerns are due to the French Bulldogs short nose, they should not be subjected to strenuous exercise any time of the year. During the summer months care should be taken to avoid the heat. When near water, the French Bulldog should be carefully supervised because the front of their body is awfully heavy for their small size and the dog may drown easily. The strength of the dogs bone structure and the fact that they have generally good ligament strength makes them quite a hardy breed. They are unlikely to break bones or injure themselves, even though they play fairly hard. |
| Training: The French Bulldog is fairly stubborn when it comes to house training, however they can do it with some perserverance by the owner. They need to be trained quite early and with a firm hand. The French Bulldog is easily spoiled rotten! |
| Activity: The French Bulldog needs minimal exercise. Such as walks and games of fetch. |
| Life Span: The French Bulldog lives an average life of 10-14 years. |
| Litter Size: The French Bulldog has an average litter of 2-5 puppies. |
| Country of Origin: The French Bulldog originated in France or Spain. |
| Brief History: There have been artwork and skeletal finds in ancient Peru that resemble the French Bulldog. The Indian dog from Peru is called the Chincha Bulldog. In 1937 Professor Richard N. Wagner and Max Hilzheimer studied Peruvian mumified dogs and excavated skeletons. They found that the Chincha Bulldog’s skull had many similarities to the skull and anatomy of the French Bulldog and dated to a time of around 1100 to 1400 AD. About the only difference the scientists could find was that the cranium of the Chincha Bulldog was pear shaped, not spherical like the French Bulldogs skull. During the Industrial Revolution (circa 1850-1860) in England, many lacemakers left Nottingham due too the decrease in work. Nottingham was known for its British Bulldogs including the toy or miniature bulldogs. Many of these small dogs were taken to France by workmen because of the dogs’ size, companionship and because they were good rat dogs. Living conditions were cramped for these workers and the miniature bulldog was thought to have been crossed with terriers and pugs. This is where the French Bulldog is thought to have evolved. Lack of records has frustrated researchers of this breed. The French claim the breed as theirs, but still others disagree. French Bulldogs are a descendant of small bulldogs, but it is not known whether they were from France or Spain. Britain accepted the breeds club membership in 1912. |
| Registries: AKC, ANKC, CKC, FCI, KC (GB), UKC |
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