The truth about French bulldogs

[Muminabun]

I just wanted to share my experience for anyone thinking of getting a frenchie as they are one of the popular breeds at the moment.

I got my puppy from rescue centre. I have had lots of other dog breeds in my life but not frenchies. When I researched the breed I feel the info is out of date as it is pre the breeds intense popularity and therefore intense breeding of the breed, which I believe has led it to collapsing.

Frenchies used to be quite a sturdy healthy breed but now I would say the number one issue that owners experience is that of chronic, long term, multiple allergies, needing ongoing medication (apoquel, cytopoint injections monthly £75) special diet, cotton bedding, supplements, pet friendly cleaning
, medicated shampoo (malaseb bath is £40 prescription only from the vet) etc etc.
The ear infections can also lead to the need for Teca surgery (inner ear ablation). I know a lot of frenchie owners and pretty much all of them are itchy and have recurrent ear infections.

The insurance costs me £123 per month, nuff said...

The breathing issues they have can often be solved by Boas surgery however this sometimes doesn’t work and it is major painful surgery for the dog and very expensive.

Lots of frenchies are not reliable on housetraining due to being a stubborn breed and many of them have spinal issues which not only gives them an uneven gait (which means jumping is not recommended) but also means they don’t always get clear warning when they need to go so accidents are inevitable.

They have poor temperature control which means you basically live with a reptile who needs a constant temperature in a narrow range. Cool mats in the summer, coats in the mildest winter weather.

Frenchies can play rough with other dogs and children, couple this with their stubborn personality and the fact that they are spoiled and you can get a lot of frenchies that are explosive and bite. They are not easy to train so a lot are coming into rescue very reactive to other dogs and unreliable around children.

The separation anxiety is normally quite bad. I am a home body and I do the school run twice a day. If I leave him I need to make sure he is enclosed and has no access to chew anything.
They tend to be lifelong chewers.

Frenchies are very slow to mature typically being fully mature between 2 -3 years old. This means that an outwardly healthy puppy will not show signs of back and disc issues until they are older, allergies, breathing issues etc.

They are also heavy shedders.

If you have deep pockets, home a lot and dog experience and you are rescue minded I would encourage you to rescue one of these dogs. They are very cute and adorable but the above is sadly a reality for this breed now.

2010: 2204 French bulldogs registered that year in UK
2020: 39,266 French bulldogs registered that year in UK

Lucky to have you OP.

I reported an advert last summer, breeder north England. Litter of French bulldog pups. £18500 each. No that's not a typo. Was also selling the mother for £15000 as proven. Still staggered by it now.

In my small cul de sac where I live containing 22 houses there a 5 houses with a French bulldog each. My area is totally full of frenchies almost every dog you come across in my area will be a frenchie. They definitely have become the new staffie. I also know of many households that are breeding them as the latest money spinner often charging over £2k per puppy. God only knows how overwhelmed our local dogs home is going to become with these dogs when people cannot cope with all their health problems.

What a great post!

I remember seeing a French bulldog for the first time in France when a girl. He fascinated me. I used to go often to the same place and and looked ‘healthy’ compared to many now but still died at a very young age.

I also don’t understand why people would breed a Merle dogs - I always thought they were seen similar to the runts of litters - another dog remembered from my childhood!!

Yes, your post doesn't shock me unfortunately OP, I work in a vets. Every time one of these dogs comes in for surgery there are sighs all round as we try our best to keep these genetic nightmares alive under anaesthetic. Actually once they're under they actually breathe great as they have a breathing tube, it's on recovery that many of them try their best to die as their airways close up. I won't say what I think of people who own these dogs (not those that have rescued obv) as it wouldn't be very professional.

Horrifically they have become fashionable in the Middle East. Their life expectancy in the heat is low and people dump them when the vet bills come in and they can't be transported out by air to cooler climates by rescuers.

My 2 year old Frenchie is beautiful. Yes had boas and medication for allergies- he lives a happy life 🐾 💗 and is adored by dogs and their humans

One of a number of breeds that we have ruined. Continual breeding/purchasing of them is morally wrong, I believe. It's not fair to breed an animal that is barely fit for life, regardless of how cute you think it is or how much money you can make from it (the universal you - not specifically you OP, who is one of those just trying to help with the fall out).

I agree there needs to be stricter legislation about the types of dogs you can breed, based on the long term health of them.

My 2 year old Frenchie is beautiful. Yes had boas and medication for allergies- he lives a happy life 🐾 💗 and is adored by dogs and their humans

Oxymoron.

Dogs of two years old should not need corrective surgery and medications - that's a sure sign that a breed should end. It's not normal, it's not good for the dogs or the people who own them.

The only folk who benefit from dogs like yours are the breeders (greeders) and the vets.

It can’t be right to buy a puppy knowing full well that it can’t breathe properly and will more than likely need surgery.
I saw a two frenchies at a fun dog show- the owner was saying how adorable the snuffling noises were-I pointed out it’s because they can’t breathe properly.Think it’s time that any more breeding is outlawed

Also Frenchies with extreme screw tail often have deformed vertebrae in their spines meaning they can be in permanent pain, which might be the cause of aggression.
Another potential cause of pain is all the squashed up ear mechanism in the middle and inner ear, resulting in permanent ear ache.
Also imagine a face full of teeth with only about a third of the space to fit them in. So add in possible dental pain too
It’s desperately sad.
General advice if you don’t take out insurance, is to start with a lump sum in a savings account 1.5 times what you paid for your puppy, then add to it each month.

My friend has one and everything you say OP is true. For the life of me I cannot understand why, without ever having owned any pet before, she got a frenchie. She is constantly stressed and skint because this poor dog shouldn’t even exist. I understand they cannot breed without artificial insemination or give birth naturally so require CS. It’s a dreadful inditement on the human race. I hope the breed is banned soon for their own poor sake.

Thank you for telling the truth. All the frenchies I know also have had so many problems. Adopt from rescue yes but really a stop should be put to breeding more it's cruel and shouldnt be allowed Adopt don't shop !

Thank you for posting this, OP.

I was boggled by the comment upthread of a FB's vet bills coming in at about 20k over a lifetime. We recently had to PTS a large dog who had lived into his teens. Including neutering, a significant op for an injury, a small op for another injury, removal of a lump and painkillers in his later years, but excluding vaccinations, his total vet bills came in at about 2k, plus the cost of PTS. That's a normal dog. That's what you expect.

Interestingly the Netherlands has introduced things like minimum nose length as requirements before they can be registered for breeding. It’s an attempt to move away from the extreme flat faces. No sign of the KC here introducing a similar scheme.

My son's girlfriend has a Frenchie. Her brother is a breeder and is a decent guy.
The dog is a beautiful example of the breed and is lovely. I know he does have back problems from time to time but apart from that he is perfect.

I see so many of these dogs when i am out with my dog and they come in all shapes and sizes. Some of them do not look like a Frenchie at all and some of them are really odd looking. It is a real shame that this breed has been exploited, but there are some good ones which have been properly bred; unfortunately they are so expensive and this is where you get the indiscriminate breeding and the many faults they incur along the way.

Having said this I see lots of breeds which have been done to death so Frenchies are certainly not in a minority

I have 2 frenchies. My boy had slight allergies until I changed his diet but my girl is perfect.
No issues with her at all (touch wood)

I know the breeder very well. Both my dogs were conceived naturally and self welped which I believe helps a lot.

I should state that my breeder is trying his best to get the breed back to how they should be. My bitch doesn't have the flat face, like all of his pups.
Unfortunately not all breeders do this. The market is flooded with frenchies at present because people are trying to make a quick buck.

@skintasabint

I should state that my breeder is trying his best to get the breed back to how they should be. My bitch doesn't have the flat face, like all of his pups. Unfortunately not all breeders do this. The market is flooded with frenchies at present because people are trying to make a quick buck.

And dachshunds, and cockapoos and the rest...........

@Anordinarymum I think people are breeding all dogs for a few quid. Times are hard for a lot of people.

I was talking to a taxi driver and he said a lot of ex drug dealers have moved away from selling drugs and into breeding dogs. The popular ones are XL bully's

[quote skintasabint]@Anordinarymum I think people are breeding all dogs for a few quid. Times are hard for a lot of people.

I was talking to a taxi driver and he said a lot of ex drug dealers have moved away from selling drugs and into breeding dogs. The popular ones are XL bully's [/quote]
Yes,I have heard this too.

Dbrother is fascinated with french bulldogs. I'm a massive dog lover and a biologist by profession, so I'm trying so gently steer him towards healthier breeds.

My childhood dog, who was PTS this June at 15 1/2, was a Lhasa Apso. I now see Lhasas in brachycephalic dog lists, but some 17 years ago when we began researching the fact that had us going for a Lhasa over the Shih Tzu was the longer muzzle.

She was generally a very healthy dog, even though she came from a puppy mill, as we later came to find out. It was as she became elderly that her origins came to bite us:
Patella luxation required two surgeries at 12 and 13. The other knee gave out at 15, when surgery was no longer recommended. She also had a dislocated hip diagnosed at 15. Poliarthritis diagnosed at 15, too.
Either pain management or just bad genes led to Cushing Syndrome, also at 15. Not treated because treating Cushing's would make the arthritis pain worse.
Itchiness treated with cytopoint, twice a year, from age 13.

She had a really good life, and a really shitty 3 months before she was PTS. Looking at the list, some could have been avoided by going to a good breeder who did OFA scores.

What really kills me, though, is breeds that begin getting sick as puppies or young adults. Requiring surgery or similar. Those three shitty months I had with Ddog were nervewrecking, and I still blame myself for the relief I felt once she was gone.

Why pick a breed you know you will need to actively keep alive from puppyhood?

I know a few people in my village,who have bought french bulldogs,, and two families dogs,had lots of health problems with their dogs within a year, and lost the frenchies to ill health in that time. I used to see one of the dogs,, and it was always snuffling and had problem with breathing, and always seemed to have eye problems, I used to feel really sorry for them in such a state.

It’s awful isn’t it. Not the same but my sister in law rescued a little pug dog. She was so cute and a very funny ‘character’ of a dog, but listening to her pant and puff away was horrible. At first sil thought it was because the dog was a little bit too fat (she was too fat when she was rescued) but she did lose a bit of weight and was still like to. If I compared her to my staffy rescue it was like comparing apples and oranges in terms of quality of life.

“My son's girlfriend has a Frenchie. Her brother is a breeder and is a decent guy.
The dog is a beautiful example of the breed and is lovely. I know he does have back problems from time to time but apart from that he is perfect”

@Anordinarymum but he has back problems- he’s not a perfect dog- he’s not healthy. Deformed vertebrae are linked to their screw tail.