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

You bought a brachiocephalic dog.

Jesus christ, @Survey99 the OP didn't invent the breed FFS.

The longest a dog lives (on average is 12 years) Its tragic Frenchies only live on average 4.5 years, but many buck that trend.

Not being able to breath properly doesn't mean they have distressed lives if they have loving homes and they aren't overwalked and kept cool in summer.

There's no need to attack OP

I can assure you, she’s not breathing perfectly well. But keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better.

All you can do at this stage is regular vet checks and make sure you keep her at a healthy weight and fit to reduce any stresses on her breathing and heart. I’d also make sure she is kept up to date with kennel cough jabs to reduce the risk of any respiratory infections. If she ever does get coughs I would go to the vet early (whereas my lab I would treat at home initally)

I have seen some nice examples of the breed, where the nose is slightly longer, they will be the ones with the longer life expectancies. Unfortunately most with the hyper exaggerated short faces will have drastically shortened expectancies.

Not being able to breath properly doesn't mean they have distressed lives if they have loving homes and they aren't overwalked and kept cool in summer.

Not being able to breath properly is a distressing way to live, regardless of what steps are put in place to minimise the suffering.

I'm equally perplexed that some people think the dog in the photo you posted is NOT ugly!

Horrible deformed looking thing.

Poor little things, and hideous too.

@skyhighomen

Not being able to breath properly doesn't mean they have distressed lives if they have loving homes and they aren't overwalked and kept cool in summer.

I love dogs. So any dog "not being able to breathe properly" is distressing to me. Whether they are in living homes and kept cool in the summer or not.

This is so so sad. I knew they had limited life spans, but 4.5-6 years? Really? If so, that's just is awful. They're still babies at that age! My two pinschers are almost 17, and still run around like loonies most of the day, despite going grey and a bit deaf, they race eachother around like greyhounds off the lead, and are so full of energy. I would never choose a breed with a short life expectancy, as it would be awful to see a dog decline and die while still so young.

Not being able to breath properly doesn't mean they have distressed lives if they have loving homes and they aren't overwalked and kept cool in summer.

That doesn’t make sense! Not being able to breathe properly is….distressing!

@Jessiesthedog it must be upsetting for you but I don’t know why you didn’t know this before buying her. How old is she?

Yes sorry but I think they are ugly too. Same with pugs. But I have a Lab and a lovely straight-backed Dutch Shepherd so little squashed face dogs just look wrong to me.

Mumsnet hate frenchies

Saying your dog would have been born with or without you, ignores the fact that if people didn’t buy these dogs then there wouldn’t be money in breeding them and so there wouldn’t be so many.

Always to see brachy breeds struggle with things that should be part of the joy of being a dog. The one over the road from us can't even run for a short while offlead without sounding like it's about to keel over. They're just not fit for purpose.

Hahahahaha you have literally no idea. This response just proves how naive you really are

As hideous are some of the posters on here who are just downright rude.

OP you are doing your best for the dog and no one can blame you for the issues the breed has. Your dog may buck the trend and live longer than average.

My DD is a vet and sees plenty of older dogs whose owners won’t pay to treat them for arthritis, dental issues etc so they live a longer life of misery and pain. Some owners actually laugh in her face when she suggests spending money on surgery or even pain relief.

If your dog is happy and healthy at the moment take each day as it comes. No one can predict the future. Your dog is cherished and has a great life.

This

I think Frenchies are ugly dogs to be honest and I really don't get peoples obsession with them pugs are also ugly. I'm not a fan of flat faced dogs at all. Dogs with a long nose are much more adorable. I know a breeder of frenchies and many of the pups didn't even survive puppy hood and died within the first 3 months of life through seizures etc. They've finally seen sense now and decided no more litters as only 1 puppy survived from the last litter.

Ever heard of supply and demand??

If people didn't buy these "designer" dogs people wouldn't breed them. Well done for contributing to the continuation of the breeding of deformed dogs.

Same goes for Persian cat owners.

Mumsnet hates people that claim to be dog lovers whilst perpetuating the breeding of deformed fashion-accessory dogs who can’t live decent lives. I’m good with that, any actual dog lover would be.

Not being able to breath properly doesn't mean they have distressed lives if they have loving homes and they aren't overwalked and kept cool in summer.

I have a loving home, I'm not overwalked and I'm kept cool in summer as much as possible. I'd still be pretty miserable if I was unable to breathe properly.

All because their squished noses look cute.
Am I the only person who doesn't think it looks cute at all? I think it looks horrible and deformed.

Many ignorant posters on here, maybe research what are the top three worst breeds for health issues and the frenchie isn’t one of them.

No, I don't think they are attractive dogs at all. I don't really get the appeal of these ugly little toy breeds tbh. Not my thing at all. But I'm a gun dog kind of gal. Give me a spaniel, lab/retriever any day. I like my dogs healthy and active (also these small 'trendy' breeds always seem to have issues with toilet training and general manners).