Does anyone here have a French Bulldog

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Now my kids are getting a little older and easier we've really started thinking seriously about a dog. Over the years we've discussed it on and off but the time has never been right. French Bulldog has always been the breed that seems to suit our lifestyle and tastes the most.

Has anyone got experience of the breed?

I'm a stay at home mum, kids are twins of 3 (at nursery every morning) a son of 4 and another son of 8. So I'm up and down the road to the school three times a day. We have relatively small garden but have rolling fields at the end of our road, less then a minutes walk away.

I was going to wait until 'retirement' to get a dog but after being seriously ill earlier this year and nearly passing away, I need to start thinking about living for today incase their isn't a retirement for me. Not wishing to sound morbid, but I have a 50% chance of my brain tumour coming back, so my mortality is more relevant to us then before (I've just turned 29 for reference so retirement would be a long time off.)

When my twins start school full time next September, I intend to work from home running my partners business so will be around most of the time.

Obviously there will be times I need to go out. What are this breed like at being left? Or should I think about getting two dogs from the get go so they have company? I remember being a child having a dog who used to sit and the window and cry everytime we left the house, it was heartbreaking and that's my biggest fear!

I've only recently started looking into seriously getting a dog so would appreciate any tips or advice!

My friend has a couple of these and they're the quietest, most laid back dogs I've ever met! Not the type of dog I'd go for personally, as I'm not keen on short nosed, noisy breathing type dogs (I'm sure there's a technical term for them but it evades me!), but they seem lovely little things from what I've seen.

My son has one. He is adorable. Doesn't bark and just wants everyone to be as happy as he is. A real people pleaser. Only needs short walks, and happy to snooze at length. I luff that dog. He snores and farts though.

Well the obvious response is are you looking for a fashion accessory or a dog ?

Go look up your local dog rescues, animal charities etc & find the perfect dog that you can feel good about.

Fwiw, you're looking at spending around £2,000, that breed won't enjoy the long walks & most likely it'll have health problems due to poor breeding choices.

My only experience of the breed is from a veterinary point of view and I couldn't in all conscience recommend any of the brachycephalic breeds. The number of health issues associated with their appearance is appalling. Sorry to be the party pooper but I strongly feel that it is immoral to continue breeding and buying these dogs knowing that their physical conformation will make them suffer.

Hi. A friend has one. She is very cute and friendly, but has separation anxiety and was very difficult to toilet train. She's about a year old and I don't think she's there yet. We looked after her for a day, but she also wouldn't walk the length of herself. This could be just my friend's Frenchie though, as I think she's a bit spoilt (baby substitute ... for now anyway!).

Oh, and so sorry to hear about your health worries

I knew there would be one that piped up about a fashion accessory. I might as well add a "fashionable" dog to my collection of children who I parade around as accessories too! My children's school is a mile walk there and back so we're not talking great romps here. May I add that we've been talking about this breed for around 7 years, when I think chihuahua's were the trend setters dog of choice. So thanks for the opinion on my moral compass oxford wish my life was as worry free as having the trendiest dog I could find!!

If I didn't have young children I would consider a rescue dog, but i will be getting a dog from a puppy, thanks for the unasked for advice.

Thanks to all other posters for their helpful responses. They do sound perfect temperament wise, I could imagine my boys loving a dog that pops off a lot, we could all do with a laugh around here.

Thanks for the advice toboldly I'll look into that further. I had read up about them having a 10+ life expectancy so thought they must be relatively healthy. We have already discounted an English bulldog and dachshund because of health issues within the breed.

And thanks for your kind words dieu it means a lot!

This page will give you an idea of what health problems they can suffer with. Some the parents can be tested for before they're bred from but far more can't be tested for, especially those which are related to the conformation of the breed.

A lot of the potential health issues are not necessarily going to affect their lifespan but can have a massive impact on the dog's ability to live a normal life.

Also bear in mind that insurance for a Frenchie will be much more expensive than for less exaggerated breeds and it's really advisable to have the very best cover available for them.

I would consider the health issues on a par with both the bulldog and dachshund, unfortunately - and the last KC health survey showed average life expectancy was down to 9 years (in contrast to the 12-16 figure claimed on the breed club's website!)

Have a look into BOAS and hemivertebrae as a starting point, an inevitable consequence of breeding for flat faces and shorter backs.

Fashion accessory comment really not relevant - there is nothing wrong with buying a pedigree dog, IMO, as long as it is a healthy one from a sustainable process. I've given a lot of time to rescue dogs and am the stereotypical crazy dog lady but even I'm not daft enough to think that a rescue dog is the answer for every situation.

Thanks toboldly I'll take a look into those issues but it sounds as if it may not be the one if it's on par with the two breeds we'd discounted.

Thanks also lettuce I'll take a read of that now. I didn't think of that in terms of quality of life. And we definitely have paid enough medical bills for myself this year, could do without a huge insurance for a dog each month.

Looks like it's back to the drawing board again. Big thanks to all with their helpful advice!

If you decide against a French Bulldog how about a Border Terrier? It would love the fields and walks to and from school.

dont french bulldogs only live about 8 years?

You can get plenty of pups in rescues but if you want to go via a breeder have you considered border terriers ? Also it's not the best idea to get 2 pups at the same time ,even from different litters it will make training much more difficult.

X post !

I have a French bulldog.

She is a rescue (have posted here a few times about her)

She is the most chilled out loving dog I have ever known. I have a ds who is almost 11 mo, she is so gentle with him. She doesn't bark and is very chilled out.

Unfortunately because of how awfully she was treated before I had her she has multiple health issues. I got her when she was around 9 mo although we couldn't be sure of her age and I was told that she would only live until around 2 years. She is about to celebrate her 4th birthday .

I cannot comment on their general health as I have the sickest one of all but afaik they do have lovely temperaments.

I was going to suggest a boston terrier- looks kind of similar, more leggity plus I really, really want one but their stats look TERRIBLE according to that site

whatever you do, though, op- get a dog. And don't be put off by sanctimonious dog peeps. I love your attitude, and wish you all the best with your health from now on. Dogs are awesome

(I can wholeheartedly recommend staffies- we got ours when my twins were 3- but I don't want to derail your thread into a Staffy GOOOOD/Staffy BAAAAAD bunfight)

French bulldogs are generally a delight personality-wise.
Dog people on this forum can be frankly scary.
I reckon that what you want, a good-humoured, steady and versatile dog can be achieved in a number of ways and will be a pleasure and asset to your family.
While the brachycephalic types are very sadly created with awful physical abnormalities and it seems a pity to support their breeding, there are better and worse breeders, there are breed crosses, and there are breed rescue centres.
I wish you the greatest of good luck with your health, your family and your lucky future hound.

I'm a vet and unfortunately as a breed Frenchies do suffer from their fair share of health problems. I wouldn't say they are short-lived overall though, I equally see plenty who don't have any major issues and who live normal lifespans, it's the luck of the draw really. Fab little dogs though, they're real clowns and in 9 years of practice I've yet to have one in that had anything other than an A* temperament. There is a French Bulldog Health Scheme and good breeders will have certificates for their dogs to show they have been health tested.

If you're looking for an 'easy' breed that wants minimal exercise I wouldn't suggest Border Terriers, they're great but are active little dogs and very much typical Terriers with plenty of 'go'. A Boston Terrier could be an option as they are not true Terriers, despite the name; if I see them it tends to be for eye problems, ulcers etc. A friend owns one and he's a great little dog, very easy to have around although he's not the sharpest tool in the box

What about Whippets? Lovely dogs, very gentle, generally great with kids and don't require enormous amounts of exercise. Or a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel - again though with this breed it's especially important to find a top notch breeder who does all the required health testing.

Whatever dog you get, two puppies at the same time is not recommended. Even if you are a really experienced dog owner/trainer with unlimited time on your hands, two pups can often go very wrong. Be wary of any breeder who is willing/eager to sell you two puppies at once.

I have a border terrier and he would be pretty happy with a mile to and from school three times a day plus a bit of a run around the fields at the back of your garden. The rest of the time he would happily spend asleep (preferably on top of or next to you), or playing with the children.

I know everyone recommends the breed of dog they have, but I did a lot of research before getting my border, and he seemed to fit our requirements, which sound not dissimilar to yours: family-friendly, not as big as a labrador, lively but not as demanding of walks as a spaniel, and generally a healthy breed.

DS would have loved a French bulldog (we had just moved from Tokyo where they have been massively popular for ages), but after reading about the health issues and need for C-sections etc I decided I really didn't want to go down that route.

Hi OP

So sorry to her of what you have been through health wise.

I don't own a French Bulldog however we have recently become the very proud owners of a Pug, I believe there are quite a few similarities between the two breeds, not least that they are of course flat faced (bracychalic).

As a few PP have rather aggressively pointed out, brachy breeds can of course develop breathing issues. However the vast majority will not and those that do can generally be helped by surgical means if their quality of life is suffering. This is where having good pet insurance comes in.

We pay £31 per month for our insurance and are expecting that to increase year on year, would this be manageable for you?

We researched the breed and in fact most Pugs live around 12/13 up to 15 years so to my mind they cannot be that 'unhealthy'. Definitely not worse than many other pedigrees which don't have squashe faces but do a whole range of other nasty hereditary illnesses. As others have said if you do decide to go for it the KC have a a list of assured breeders who will have needed to demonstrate they are undertaking all the necessary genetic and health tests, done responsible matings etc and will have had high welfare standards to adhere to ( most seem to bewithin the home environment) we chose an assured breeder and one who also had a busy family with young kids as we wanted our puppy to have some experience of the sort family life we had! I would recommend looking at the list.

We chose our Pug for the breed characteristics, we did not want a 'fashion accessory', nothing we have is for fashion purposes, however we did want a dog who had been bred to be a companion animal, not want to 'work', not need ( although daily walks can be enjoyed) hours of exercise or be really highly strung. I believe that the Frnchies are also purely companions and as such is likely to cope better with family life, little people etc. I know one lady who keeps them and she cannot speak highly enough of them!!

Anyhow good luck with your search and I really hope you find a lovely dog for you Family. Ours has really brightened up our lives .

We have a frenchie. He has such a great character, loves to play almost constantly, loves to please but loves a good nap as well. From about 10-12 weeks he was reliably toilet trained, able to tell us that he needed to go outside. He can be fairly stubbon at times but training really pays off.

Yes they can suffer health problems, best to find a good breeder who does all the relevant health checks. We pay£30 per month for insurance.

When we first got him it took a few weeks to teach him that it was ok for him to be left (we crate trained) now he is happy to be left for a number of hours...hes usually alseep!

Also they are very sociable with animals and people. Loves to play with the small children in the family.

He walks anything from a quick half hour walk twice a day or a long walk through the countyside. Either way he is just as happy!

Insurance quotes are another good barometer of the likelihood of health problems.
The breeds with higher premiums are the ones that the insurance companies know will have a much higher likelihood of having high vet bills.