French Bulldog

The French Bulldog

For the first ‘Breed of the Week’ we have the obvious choice, the French Bulldog. First bred by lace makers in France in the late 19^th century these little rascals are well known for their clown-like characters and their stocky little frame. Oh and their bat-ears, ofcourse.

The French Bulldog, despite their name, is at least partly British having been bred by English lacemakers from the Midlands in the nineteenth century and then taken with them to France. The breed was then brought back to England around 1900 with the first French Bulldog club forming in 1903.

There are a few distinctive traits with the French Bulldog, none however more recognisable than their large bat-ears and short, squashed in grumpy face. They are small stocky dogs with a short, easy-to-keep-clean coat which is usually bred in three colours – pied, brindle and fawn.

The French Bulldog is often referred to as the ‘clown dog’ and for good reason too. They are full of life and are always ready for fun. They are very affectionate and love their creature comforts. Despite their larger than live personality they are not loud and very seldom bark.

When asked to describe French Bulldogs, Gamico Breeder Michelle simply said ‘Frenchies – 12″ of mischief. Every one has a different personality but all possess the clown attitude. I wouldn’t be without them!’

Health Issues

French Bulldogs are prone to joint diseases, spinal disorders, heart defects and eye problems. Dams often have to deliver pups by cesarean section, because pups have relatively large heads. They often have respiratory problems. They tend to wheeze and snore and have trouble in hot weather. Prone to heatstroke. An overweight Frenchie may have trouble breathing, because of a swollen abdomen. Do not overfeed this breed. Putting them under anesthesia is risky because of their breathing issues. French Bulldogs are high maintenance and potential owners need to be aware that their vet bills may be high. – dogbreedinfo.com

Frenchies from All Over

Winston

Meet the star of the blog, Winston. I got Winston when he was 10 weeks back in October 2012. He was this tiny little thing with ears twice the size of his head. The first thing he ever did when we got him home was bark at himself in the mirror and he has maintained this air of crazy ever since. He loves cuddles but hates being lifted and will squirm violently until you let go.

His favorite pass time is winding me right up. He always pretends there is something wrong with him infront of me but when there is other people around he is fine! Maybe it’s all in my head?

Lena

This is Lena, she’s 7 months old and lives in West Lothian. She’s loves cuddles, cuddles and more cuddles and treats especially the odd crisp now and again. She really dislikes getting up in the morning for walks and the Hoover and will follow me barking at it.

She’s very loving especially with children.

– Susanne, Lena’s human

Katie

Meet Katie, Winston’s mum. Well his biological one. She is just like Winston, pretty mellow and loves to relax. Although she is not without her crazy spells. When she is out her walks she just loves to chase the swallows up and down the golf course she lives next too. And living with two crazy boxers keeps her pretty occupied.

Whenever we take Winston to meet her you can tell what she’s thinking, ‘Oh no, he’s back.’

He insists on climbing all over her and licking her face. She is really relieved when he leaves because she finally gets some piece!

Hugo

Hi my name is Hugo , I am Winston’s brother , I got the looks and brains in the family … Haha just kiddin bro !
Happy birthday btw …. Can’t believe we are 1 already ! Wow !
I got a new ball 🙂 but I had it confiscated on grounds of hyperventilation and refusal to share 😦
No fun !!!!

Lula

My name is Lula I am a 11month old Frenchbull and live in Kilmarnock with my mum and dad! I love to go long walks through the park and down the beach with my best friends Echo (Rottweiler) and Jack (Jack Russell). Whilst in the house I have lots of toys to play with and I’m loving my new frog that my dad bought me!

Mason

My name is Mason and I am 18 months old, I live with my mommy and my big brother Tyson who is 9 years old and a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. I love my toys!! anything that can be thrown I will fetch it. If it squeaks or rattles I love it even more! I don’t like lots of things and shout at them all the time, in particular the sweeping brush or the vacuum cleaner, they are evil! I like going to the park to see the ducks and to my nanny’s house where I see my friends the big St Bernard and Newfoundland, I am liccle bit scared if I’m honest hehehe

Stitch

Stitch is our 31lbs bundle of joy. He originally came from Cold Lake, Alberta but now resides in North Vancouver, British Columbia. He is named after the Disney Cartoon, he loves the outdoor and has gone on two major camping road trips with us. He communicates through his “eyes”, likes long walks, the beach, his Starbucks Blueberry Bar and goes crazy when we take the can of whipped cream out! Stitch is very sociable and likes to be the centre of attention! And he says, it’s mighty nice of you to squeeze him into your blog! If you were close by, he’d give you a hug!

Stitch’s Mum and Dad own a lovely unique letterpress company in Vancouver. Check out District Dog Designs.

Frenchie Rescue

The French Bulldog Rescue Network is based in USA and Canada and they do some fantastic work. I follow them on Facebook and all the time I wish I lived somewhere in North America so I could adopt them all. Check out their website for different ways to help them, whether it’s fostering, adopting, volunteering or simply donating.

Happy Bulldog World is a Hungarian bulldog rescue project that has gone global in just over a year. It celebrates all bulldogs in all shapes and sizes. They sell a fantastic calender to support their efforts and are always holding cool competitions on their Facebook page. Check them out!

Facebook Pages, Blogs & Twitter

Everyone Loves a French Bulldog is one of the first Facebook pages I found after I got Winston. It is filled with pictures of Frenchies from all over the world and hosts ‘Frenchie Fridays’ – which I really wish I’d came up with first!

Pic taken from Twitter

Piggy is a Frenchie who truly is living the dream. She travels all over the place with her owner and posts pictures of it on both her Facebook and Twitter so get liking and get following.

Benny and Lily are two pretty exciting puppies! Although at the moment Benny is fighting the Big ‘C’ of the liver and needs all the love and help anyone can offer. Over at twofrenchbulldogs they have kicked off the Fight Like a Frenchie campaign where you can buy neckerchiefs to help pay for Benny’s medical fees.

And that’s all for the Frenchie, if you have a Frenchie you want to share with us comment below.

Oh and look out for next weeks casting call which will be up tonight!