Pug/French bulldog?

[OhHolyFuck]

Have finally moved into a place where I can get a dog and love both these breeds, want to do research first though so has anyone owned either and can give me their experiences?
Thanks

[CBen92]

We have a french bulldog and she's amazing, so funny and loving. You must ensure that you pick a reputable breeder as this breed can have problems if they aren't breed standard, ie breathing and overheating problems but I would recommend the breed as they're great company

[Sitdowncupoftea]

I have a pug hes almost 13. He's had no health issues nor toilet training issues. They are quite a lazy breed and quite happy just laid about or rather he is now due to his age. They don't require a great deal of exercise. I got mine via a KC registered breeder many years ago. I would not buy a pug from anyone other than a KC registered breeder. My pug looks a lot different to a lot of the pugs people have now which I presume is down to their poor breeding. Hes had a couple of teeth removed but thats due to old age. He hasn't had any breathing or skin conditions. My advice is do not go to back street breeders go to the Kennel club breeders.

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

Honestly, I wouldn't touch either breed with a bargepole, purely because of the health issues. I've seen young dogs of each breed unable to keep up with playing with my own (similarly sized, long nosed) dog as they just get out of breath / tired. I think it's incredibly sad.

Likewise, hearing some of them audibly breathing is just awful. If a human was breathing like that, you'd be straight down to A&E.

A couple of years ago I did hear that Frenchies were horrifically expensive to insure. Out of sheer curiosity, I got a quote from the same insurer as my dog, and the only details I changed were the breed of dog. For my dog, the quote was £50pm. For a Frenchie, it was £250. Five times higher. This was PetPlan with a London address, but the difference is eye-watering.

[GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman]

OP, if you are dead set on one of these breeds, see if you can find a breeder who is breeding for a longer muzzle and more open nostrils. The CRUFFA FB page might be somewhere to start.

As PP have said, both breeds are beset with serious health problems.

[Hungrypuffin]

OP, look at this photo. The right-hand skull is a normal dog skull; the left-hand is a brachycephalic breed. That photo brings home the deformities that have been purposely bred into these dogs. They have the same number of teeth and the same amount of soft-palate tissue in their mouths as their long-nosed cousins, but nowhere to put them. The excess soft tissue means that it is permanently exhausting to breathe. Imagine holding a drinking straw in your mouth and only being allowed to breathe through it and you’ll get some idea. The malformation around their eye sockets means they’re prone to their eyeballs popping out and often have to have surgery to be able to close their eyes properly. The size and shape of the skulls means that bitches often need caesareans to deliver their pups.

Personally I think breeding these dogs should be illegal in its current form. Pugs didn’t use to look like this; look at Victorian photos and they had much longer noses. We have progressively bred them this way. It’s why getting a “good breeder” ultimately still isn’t enough. Your dog still has a skull like this and you’re still encouraging the demand for a deformed creature. There are other dog breeds out there with lovely personalities which don’t have these health problems.

[dodgeballchamp]

I’ve got a rescue pug and I love him to bits, he isn’t typical of pug temperament, he’s very subdued and nervous I think due to lack of socialisation by previous owners. He moults EVERYWHERE, he stinks, he’s had eye ulcers and his teeth are bad as due to the flat face they’re prone to overcrowded mouths. He snores and snorts and struggles for breath when he sleeps. Honestly, as much as I love pugs, I wouldn’t get a puppy. I don’t think it’s ethical to breed a dog that, because of “breed standards”, will unavoidably have a lot of health issues. Rescue a pug if you really want one but be prepared to shell out a lot on vets bills.

[karmasic]

I always assume people who buy Frenchie or Pug puppies are selfish arseholes who are cruel to animals.
(I'm sorry, I am not trying to be horrible - but it is a belief I have and lots of my dog owning friends have).

I get enormous pleasure from seeing my young active dog running around in the fields and woods for sheer joy. A pug/Frenchie can't do that. It must feel like they are being water-boarded the whole of their lives. The thought of that makes me feel sick.

(My dog is great company too, in fact I wish she would leave me alone sometimes! )
You can love any dog, why choose misery rather than joy?

[NannyPear]

This thread was started 4 years ago so I wonder what OP did in the end. It's interesting reading though, as I expected a lot more "don't do it" responses at the start but it's clear why there aren't as many. 4 years ago these breeds (especially Frenchies) were becoming popular all of a sudden. Fast forward a few years and, while still popular, I spend a lot of my time as a vet with owners of young to middle age Frenchies with breathing problems and severe skin disease who are regretting their choice of breed. I imagine there would be more negative responses if this thread was started in 2020.

The latest obsession seems to be miniature daschunds. In 4 years time I expect to be treating a lot who have already had spinal surgery.