Will my Frenchie really only live til 6 years ?

[Jessiesthedog]

I spoke with a breeder today who suggested my girl would live til 6 max. I was quite taken a back

I don't understand the love for flat nosed breeds, they are rather ugly dogs, not cute at all. Dogs should have long noses (and tails).

I had two of these flat-faced cats - the breed was called an Exotic. They were house cats, and both rescues. I was looking for a house cat and they were the only local ones available. Lovely cats, but oh my goodness, their flat faces caused them issues. Lots of snorting and yucky eyes, and their eating was disgustingly messy. They've both passed now but the flat faces were definitely problematic.

I have no doubt your dog is absolutely lovely and adorable. And no doubt you love them very much. But if they are a frenchie do they really never snuffle rather that breath clearly?

*breathe not breath

'She was going to be born whether I took her or not'.

Well yes. But if people didn't buy these breeds, breeders wouldn't breed them. Supply<demand.

These dogs are bred to resemble humans effectively which is why many other dogs don't know what they are.

They suffer because of our selfishness.

It's the information age. Ignorance is a choice.

I used to work at a doggy daycare centre and the Frenchie’s were bullied by the other dogs (usually placid dogs) who were unsettled by the strained breathing, we had to ban the Frenchie’s for their safety.

I’m not a fan of flat faced dogs but there is a Frenchie who lives nearby who I see when I’m walking my dog and he runs up and down the heath after his ball for ages and doesn’t seem to have any problems breathing , so there are some decent ones .

@NameChange232 They have so many issues which can easily be fatal which is why they don’t live long.. they are very susceptible to heat stroke for example as they can’t effectively pant.

One of the most distressing things I’ve ever seen. Not a Frenchie but a bigger flat faced breed (British Bullldog?) , collapsed on a pavement, the owners frantically trying to keep the dog breathing.

OP, all you can do is keep your dog as healthy as you can. A good diet, don’t let your dog get overweight, keep their teeth clean ( Google plaque and effects on the heart in dogs) and love your dog for as long as you have them.

I can understand your upset hearing your dog may have a short lifespan. The ethics of breeding these dogs is of course an important point and you only have to see the vast numbers of puppies bought during lockdown to see the average owner puts very little thought into purchasing their pet.

That aside, you clearly care for your dog and there’s nothing you can do apart care for them as best you can. Many do have short lifespans but there are some that don’t. I would enjoy the time you have op.

Sadly the horse is real and comes from a line of horses all chosen to deliver more and more extreme versions of the concave shape.

And then entered into shows in which it competes against other horses with similar shaped heads.

They might not be very common like that - but they are very expensive because of it and we know from dog breeds, that how this shit show starts.

We must always consider if the form we find cute is really the most functional for the animal.

It's not good enough for the animals we love to be 'ok'. They must be healthy and healthy means able to run easily, able to be comfortable in normal temperatures (for the location they are kept), able to breed naturally, eat and digest naturally, stand comfortably and sleep lying down without risk of asphyxiation.

We already ask for so much compromise from our pets. We shouldn't ask for too much. For them to live a half life, held back by the physical form we have imposed on them. That's unfair.

Compare these photos side by side and you’ll see how deformed a frenchie is……

Wow, it's shocking really
It has no snout whatsoever

There are some awful posters on here.

my Frenchie has no breathing issues, as confirmed by every vet that has ever given him a check up. No other health problems either. Used to go to doggy daycare and never had an issue there

I thought maybe you were a little naive but now you've called everyone a cunt for telling you some home truths, you clearly just not very nice

These "wonderful dog-loving" breeders are having a good crack at ruining German Shepherd dogs too. Showline ones now are bred to have super short back legs so that they have a sloping back as it's , I don't know, pretty or something I guess. That GSD winner of Crufts a few years ago was a disgrace. Could barely walk. And yet people continue to blame "backyard " breeders. They aren't the ones doing this.

All breeders breed for money
There's no other reason
Empty the rescues first

@Jessiesthedog ‘she was going to be born whether I took her or not’ is pretty short sighted, surely you’re not that naive?

The fur coat already existed whether I bought it or not; the ivory ornament was already made whether I bought it or not… demand creates supply, you are very much part of the problem here.

I'm not even a dog person but that's actually really upsetting.
It's really cruel.

Hi OP

it sounds like you love her

maybe a vet visit to have a general exam and identify if there are any issues with her yet or looking like they might be soon which are common to frenchies?

I have a rescue frenchie and she runs like a whippet and for miles on the beach.

People comment on it as she flies past them, ears flat to her head, chasing her tennis ball.

She is a leggy, slim version and very petite, neat and needs 1 to 2 hours walk a day.

I got her thinking she'd need less walking than our last rescue, a spaniel. There's not a lot in it!

She was badly socialised, so agree with pp and the fact other dogs can't work them out.

But assuming every frenchie is a wheezing, tortured soul and every owner an arsehole is unfair.

Don’t know how people say they are ugly

Yes, the GSD is another sad example.

A beautiful dog trapped in a body that is not right. To see a GSD with strong legs and a straight back line is increasingly rare.

Sometimes I think we humans cannot be trusted with anything.

It breaks my heart to see how these"flat faced" breeds suffer. We had one staying at our house in the summer for a day or so with its owner.Its breathing was so loud and laboured, that my cats (not normally bothered by dogs in the house) were alarmed by the noise!
I've been at the vets and thought that the bulldog sitting nearby was snoring it wasn't it was merely breathing!
I hate the thought of any animal uneccessarily suffering. I don't see Frenchies or Pugs as cute either and I wonder why people do?

Don't fret OP. Please don't think you're living on borrowed time, your wee dog could be with you for another 10+ yrs! No one knows when they'll lose a pet. Yeah it may not help having a short nose breed.
I got a persian when she was 2. The breeder couldn't breed from her, so I got her. Would I go out and buy a persian.....no. My breed of choice is a ragdoll (I have 4) I don't like how her nose is between her eyes but I give her a good home and I love her. Do I think she struggles to breathe....yeah I do but I didn't breed her, I happened on her by chance. She is my first and last. Also for the record I'm in the veterinary field and I know of many vets and vet nurses who have frenchies.

Yes, it should be illegal.

Ditto cavalier King charles

Ditto dachsunds

Ditto anything that isn't as nature intended to the degree it can't live a pain free, long, happy life.