Tell Me About French Bulldogs

They can't breathe. It's unethical to keep breeding them.

Plus, their digestion is terrible and they constantly fart/have diarrhea all over the place. I know because my friends have them. I dog-sat once. Never again.

I think they also shed a lot

You need to know that you'll be forever labelled a total asshole for paying hundreds of dollars for some over-bred dog instead of rescuing one from a shelter, where there are hundreds of dogs that have been abandoned and mistreated and are waiting for homes.

Visually and personality, one of my favorite breeds. They are extremely stubborn, maybe dumb but can't tell if it's just stubbornness, and very funny. However, it's extremely unethical to breed them and their health issues are not worth the price.

There are some that are really strong. I held a ball up in the air and this Frenchie was jumping up at it over and over. It was so powerful.

I thought they were supposed to be cute. This thing was like a powerful mini pit. I didn't want one after that.

Cashew the French bulldog protests being put on a diet

They are sweet little dogs, who sadly suffer a lot because of genetic issues. I cant help but judge their owners no matter how well the dogs are taken care of.

In some places people have been violently robbed of these and other expensive pure bred dogs while out walking.

It's like carrying around a wad of bills.

If you get a puppy, save some money for surgery to fix their breathing. Almost all dogs need it and it's expensive. Someone already mentioned the farting. Their farts often smell like rotten meat and it can be embarrassing in public. Most of them also snore louder than any human and I have no idea how my friends can sleep with that noise. Their puppy likes to sleep on their bed.

French bulldogs were very popular in my neighborhood for a couple of years, but it seems a lot of people are getting cockapoos or doodle mixes now. Right now these teddy dogs are all over the place.

Yes, cockapoos seem to be the trend in NYC these days.

They're very cute.

Unless you have a need for a specific breed as a work dog for a specific purpose, purebred dog enthusiasts are selfish cunts of the highest order. If you actually cared about dogs, you'd rescue one of the 670,000 that are killed in US shelters every year instead of paying to have another dog made. Not to mention that the continued selective breeding of brachycephalic dogs is nothing short of animal cruelty.

[quotes]You need to know that you'll be forever labelled a total asshole for paying hundreds of dollars for some over-bred dog instead of rescuing one from a shelter, where there are hundreds of dogs that have been abandoned and mistreated and are waiting for homes.

Rescue dogs are all pits or pit mixes, no matter what line of BS they try to tell you.

Wow. OP here. What a revelation! I will simply enjoy watching videos of French bulldogs online rather than trying to acquire one. I had no idea about the breathing issues the farts and the stubbornness. The video of the dog wanting dinner early did it for me. I already have 3 rescue animals. Guess I'll just stop and be satisfied with my good fortune of finding 3 pets that I love.

Thanks for the education.

For the record, there are frenchie rescues. And one can find all sorts of purebred whatevers in shelters. My purebred toy American eskimo came from one and I have seen just about every other breed in them. Also, I do love pitties. No reason for saying that but, I really do.

Every time I visit animal shelters I'm struck by the number of pit bulls and chihuahuas. I have never seen a purebred dog in a shelter.

They suffer a lot and die young often. My mother's neighbour's frenchie Hank just died without warning at age 7. First he went blind and started walking in circles and the like due to rising systemic inflammation. The inflammation would make his already compressed sinuses swell and then he couldn't breath through his nose.

It should be criminal offense to continue to breed animals that fucked up.

Shocking stuff R16. This makes me so sad.

What about English bulldogs? I've looked in shelters for years but have never been able to find one available for adoption. Do they suffer similar health problems?

Unfortunately, any kind of bulldog has been bastardized and interbred by breed regulations to the point that English bulldogs only have, I think, 13 different breeding families. The bulldog and the pug and german shepherds will either need to be bred with non purebreds to weed out the standardized birth defects or, will have to be allowed to die out.

French bulldogs have to be bred via artificial insemination and delivered via Caesarean section. They’re a completely non-natural breed at this point and for all their goods qualities, should be allowed to die out.

R3 is living in a fool's paradise. "Hundreds" of dollars? Try thousands!

Some trainers dont want to train them because results are so terrible. They have no need for human approval. They also have extremely high energy levels which doesn't fit well with the fact they can't breathe. Not a good combo, can be lethal. Can't take them on hikes or long walks in the sun.

R21 then it makes my point even more poignant. Thanks.

My observation is that every time I’ve seen a Frenchie, either the dog is pulling the human or the human is pulling the dog. Quite literally, I have never ever seen a French bulldog walking along amicably next to its human. And there are two in my building, not counting all the others in my neighborhood.

They’re cute, but seem to disregard humans. I want a loyal dog.

[quote]Unless you have a need for a specific breed as a work dog for a specific purpose, purebred dog enthusiasts are selfish cunts of the highest order.

Getting a pet was never supposed to be an act of philanthropy or charity.

It's your companion and responsibility; as long as you'll love it and treat it well, get whatever kind of dog you want.

There are Frenchie rescues, if your heart is set on one. Or consider a Boston Terrier- similar aesthetic, super smart, and overall much healthier. If you like the look of Frenchies, get a bigger boston- 25 lb. There are Boston Terrier rescues too. I got mine at 6-7yrs old and she changed my life.

Mine was a huge male I brought back to the US with me from France. I found him in Normandy, he was huge and very athletic, but really a one-man companion dog. He walked like a seeing eye dog through crowds in France and in NY. Aside from allergies, he was easy to care for and an awful lot of fun. Id like another but don’t have the lifestyle for one.

R25 above makes a lot of sense to me.

We’ve had two. One lived to be 14. The other is currently 10, both female. Funny, loyal, stubborn, sensitive and clingy. They just want to hang out and go for short walks. No health issues outside from regular dog issues. Total social magnet. It’s unfortunate that the breed got super popular which often leads to abuse and puppy mills. My partner has MS, so we needed a low energy breed. We knew what we getting with this breed with regard to exercise requirements. I would recommend them, but I get that people feel they should adopt from the pound. We looked the second time but they were all pit bull mixed breeds.

R10 Rescue-chick, thank you for the great link. I knew about the issues with only a couple of the breeds.

".....they die at the median age of 6.25 years (n=180). There really is no such thing as a healthy bulldog. The bulldog’s monstrous proportions make them virtually incapable of mating or birthing without medical intervention...."

6.25 years! Shocking!

If you think French Bulldogs have trouble breathing, check out a Pug, it's criminal that they allow them to be bred.

I once thought I heard what sounded like a train inside the pet store. Turns out it was an English bulldog “breathing” as he was walking thru the store. A thoroughly depressing and horrible sound.

R30 A friend has a pug. The thing has a foot-long tongue hanging out of its mouth. Drags on the floor. I've heard it snore. Sounds worse than my dad did and he was epic.

My first dog was a Frenchie. He was the sweetest dog is ever known. All he wanted was a belly rub and he’d be happy as a clam.

Suddenly a disk burst in his spine when he was just 5 and paralyzed his two back legs. Putting him to sleep was so heartbreaking. Just writing about it now gets me teary. Such back problems are well known in Frenchies.

About a year later I got a chihuahua who’s a complete sweetie too. Chihuahuas are an old breed with very few genetic problems

The More You Know . . . 🌠

I am guilty of loving the brachycephalic breeds. I have a French bulldog and a Boston terrier currently and had another FB and a pug previously. I don't think I will get another FB because it has become too much of an ordeal to get a good one.

Bostons haven't had a huge surge in popularity compared to FBs, so inbreeding/overbreeding is less of a concern. My current FB is from a long line of champions with lots of genetic monitoring/certification and he has been exceptionally healthy for 8 years. But I don't think I'll risk it again.

Bostons are more active than most pugs or bulldogs, but not especially hyper. My Boston is extremely affectionate (sometimes overwhelmingly so) and is pretty much velcroed to me. I like that trait, but other people may prefer a breed that is more independent.

All of these breeds tend to get along with cats, children and other dogs.

You see lots of different kinds of dogs at shelters, not just pitties and Chihuahuas. I see a lot of purebred huskies at shelters. I've had one and had to adjust my expectations, the need lots of room, and lots of walks/runs. I suspect people just see how pretty they are and don't think through how much care they need.

Fun fact, my husky used to bury bones straight up and down in the backyard.

A friend of mine paid $3000 for each of his Frenchies. Claims to be an animal lover. This does not compute to me. He could've rescued many dogs for that amount of money.

What R8 said. Frenchies are being stolen all over the place. Other pure-breeds, too, of course (and even some mixed-breeds) but Frenchies are especially being targeted because they are so expensive and difficult to find.

I know someone who backyard breeds them. They sell them for $3500k each. Have to stay up at night making sure the mom doesn't accidentally smother one. They have to reproduce artificially at the vet. They overheat very quickly.

^There was a really cute French bulldog puppy that the owner left outside our local grocery store. I was just looking at him and petting him, but the owner almost had a heart attack when he returned. Thought I was about to steal his dog.

Some are very drooly like English Bulldogs. Some have that weird baby howl that some people find cute (look up Walter and his gospel-type howling. But they are sure cute.

[quote]Frenchies are especially being targeted because they are so expensive and difficult to find.

also small and light . . .

These flat-face dog health issues would be just too much for me to deal with emotionally. Knowing your pet may only live a very short life, dealing with what must be painful breathing and other health issues... and then having to put them down... no way could I handle that.

I love French Bulldogs but they can’t be bred naturally. Females have to be artificially inseminated and babies have to be delivered by C-section.

There’s something they’re inhumane about that