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Chihuahua French Bulldog Mix: Companion and Protector

Chihuahua French Bulldog Mix: Companion and Protector

As a dog lover, you are no doubt familiar with the trends in designer dogs. For a number of years, everyone was trying to get a Doodle. After the 1990s, people were wondering why should you stop at the Poodle?

As French Bulldogs skyrocketed in popularity, their appearance crossed with other breeds also took off.

And Chihuahuas can make anything look smaller and more adorable, right? The Chihuahua x French Bulldog hybrid was never too much of a reach.

What is a Chihuahua French Bulldog mix except for the weird alien combination it sounds like it is?

Also called the French Bullhuahua, the Chihuahua Frenchie cross is an appealing small dog with surprisingly consistent features. You can recognize most of them for their muscular bodies on thin little legs, their disproportionately large heads, and their adorable faces with snub upturned noses, large pleading eyes, and bat ears. Most are fawn with white, various patterns of brindle, or black and tan.

What does a French Bulldog Chihuahua look like?

What features does the French Bullhuahua have?

Hybrids can have unpredictable looks, especially in first-generation crosses. However, many Frenchie Chihuahua mixes have a characteristic facial appearance and expression.

Most of them have upright bat ears, large expressive eyes, and a rounded forehead. They also have a shortened muzzle although the degree of facial flattening can vary from one dog to the next.

Most French Bullhuahuas have a square compact frame with slightly shortened legs. Some are slightly longer than they are tall, but you will still see a rather broad chest and a wide-legged stance.

The tail can be naturally bobbed or long like a Chihuahua's. A longer tail may be straight or curl over the back.

Your mixed dog will be about six to twelve inches tall and weigh between 10 and 25 pounds. Most Chihuahua French Bulldogs are rather small at 10 to 15 pounds.

What coat type and colors can you expect?

Most French Bulldog-Chihuahuas will have smooth, short coats with little to no underfur. The purebred Chihuahua has two coat types, smooth- or long-haired.

Moreover, Frenchies have a little-known recessive gene that produces long fur. So, you may occasionally encounter a long-haired Bullhuahua.

Coat colors of this mix are abundant. Frenchies have only a few standard colors but several "rare" shades.

  • Cream
  • Solid white
  • Fawn
  • Brindle

French Bulldog colors can have white markings, or they can be predominantly white with patches.

For example, a Frenchie may have a base color of white with patches of brindle or fawn. Nonstandard Frenchies colors include chocolate, blue (dilute black), black, black-and-tan, blue-and-tan, black-and-white, or lilac (Isabella or dilute chocolate).

Chihuahuas can be any color, either a solid or broken pattern.

  • Black
  • Black-and-red
  • Black-and-silver
  • Sable
  • Fawn
  • Fawn-and-white
  • Red
  • Cream
  • Brindle
  • Blue
  • Black-and-tan, chocolate-and-tan, or blue-and-tan
  • Tricolor

The most common colors for the French Bullhuahua are as follows.

  • Solid black or black with white markings
  • Brindle or brindle with white markings
  • White with brindle, brown, or fawn patches
  • Fawn or fawn with white
  • Brown with white
  • Cream
  • Tan or brown – May have white markings
  • Black-and-tan
  • White
  • Tricolor – Brown with white and black

French Bulldog Chihuahua Mix Temperament

French Bullhuahuas are moderately energetic, outgoing, feisty, and affectionate. If you do not socialize your dogs as well as you could, this mix will be short-tempered, snappy, and overly protective like many Chihuahuas.

How are they with children?

French Bullhuahuas tend to enjoy children and like playing. However, smaller dogs can lack the patience to cope with rough play.

You should always supervise your dog's interactions with children, especially younger ones who may not always exercise good manners or know how to read canine body language.

Recognize that your hybrid may not be as tolerant or enamored of kids as many French Bulldogs.

Use caution around large dogs

Although French Bulldog Chihuahua mixes tend to get along with other dogs, less-socialized pets may develop a Napoleon complex.

Such dogs exhibit inappropriate posturing and alpha behavior to large dogs that can bring about serious injury from the bigger animal.

Just like with children, always supervise your small dog with larger breeds. French Bullhuahuas Get along with dogs their own size.

A few may show jealous tendencies and prefer to be the only dog in the household. Frenchie Chihuahua crosses do better with dogs they grow up with from puppyhood.

Chihuahua French Bulldogs can get along quite well with cats. Generally, younger cats or those with a more playful nature do best with this mix.

French Bullhuahuas that are exposed to many different animal species when young may be able to coexist amicably with ferrets, Guinea pigs, and rabbits.

Depending on the individual, your dog's predatory instinct is not likely to be very high. Your dog should never be around small exotic pets, reptiles, or birds without supervision.

The French Bulldog Chihuahua is not a guard dog

Your new dog will combine the friendly and charismatic nature of the Frenchie towards strangers with the Chihuahua's protective and somewhat suspicious demeanor.

Like a German Shepherd, your French Bullhuahua might be initially wary or aloof with your guests. However, the cross does not have the size, strength, or wherewithal to be an effective guard dog.

Most socialized French Bulldog Chihuahua crosses will warm up to strangers after a short get-to-know-you period. Nevertheless, with the Chihuahua's forceful bark, your pet will make an excellent watchdog.

Chihuahua French Bulldog Mix background

The Chihuahua's ancestry has been traced to Siberia which gave rise to the ancestors of the Techichi. Once Techichi dogs reached Mexico, the population became isolated from outside influences.

Larger and more versatile than Chihuahuas, Techichis belonged to the ancient Toltec tribe of Mexico and were established as early as the 700s AD. Owners used the dogs in sacrificial rituals and for food and companionship.

As Chihuahuas decreased in size, their value as pets rose, and eventually, being loyal companions became their only role. They were rare in the US until shortly before they joined the AKC in 1904.

French Bulldog ancestors arose from the downward spiral of the Old English Bulldog that occurred shortly after stiff animal cruelty bans passed in Great Britain in the 1830s.

Specialized to bait bulls and other animals, the Old English Bulldog had to change form drastically to remain relevant. The original dog was crossbred into extinction, giving rise to three major lines.

  • Bull and Terrier – Bulldog crossed with Irish Terriers and Old English Terrier; In turn, gave rise to Pit Bulls, Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Terriers, Colored Bull Terriers, And Staffordshire Bull terriers
  • Pet Bulldog – Certain exaggerated features were selected such as shorter bowed legs, undershot jaws, protruding canines, shortened muzzle, and corkscrew tails
  • Miniature and Toy Bulldogs – Crosses with Rat Terriers and possibly other small breeds

The French Bulldog arose from the Toy lineage and underwent significant developments in France beginning around 1860.

They arrived in America shortly thereafter, but French Bulldog breeding began officially in the US in 1885.

Americans received the credit for insisting on the bat ears that would eventually become a signature feature of the breed standard. French Bulldogs joined the AKC in 1898.

French Bullhuahuas go by several affectionate names, all indicating their status as designer dogs.

  • French Chihuahua
  • Bullhuahua – Can be confused with Chihuahua x English Bulldog cross that also goes by this name
  • Mexican Frenchie
  • Frencheenie
  • Chibull

Although their history is not concrete, French Bullhuahuas probably originated as a deliberate cross in the early 2000s to create a unique-looking companion dog.

The most likely place of origin was the United States during a spike in designer breed interest that looked to other dogs besides Poodles.

Chihuahua French Bulldog Mix Health Concerns

French Bullhuahuas only live 10 to 14 years compared to as much as 16 years for the Chihuahua.

They tend to be healthier than the purebred Frenchie because they do not inherit such an exaggerated flatness of the face. Nevertheless, there are some common health issues you should be aware of.

  • Respiratory disorders – To a much lesser extent than purebred Frenchies, but depending on the facial structure they get from the parents, brachycephalic (flat-faced) syndrome can still exist; Such dogs will be vulnerable to heat exhaustion and respiratory infections and can exhibit difficulty in day-to-day breathing
  • Luxating patellas – Periodic dislocation of the kneecap; common in small-breed dogs
  • Hypoglycemia – Low blood sugar usually in small puppies
  • Juvenile cataracts
  • Hydrocephalus (Chihuahua) – Fluid within the skull applies pressure to the brain
  • Von Willebrand's disease – Clotting disorder makes pet bleed excessively with even minor procedures like a nail cut too short
  • Retinal dysplasia – Part of the eye responsible for color and night vision does not develop properly
  • Hemivertebrae (Frenchie) – Part of vertebrae missing; Can affect a few or almost all vertebrae; May cause neurologic symptoms or not; Often linked to corkscrew tails
  • Cherry eye – Protrusion of tear gland, leading to a red bubble of various sizes on the "third eyelid"

Ideally, ethical breeders should have their veterinarians and specialists provide evaluations of the knees, eyes, and heart before choosing dogs to produce puppies.

Chihuahua French Bulldog Mix Exercise and Training

Not expected to do much in the way of work, Chihuahuas rank 125th and French Bulldogs 109th in intelligence related to obedience and performing a specific job.

This ranking based its information on Stanley Coren's (renowned canine behaviorist and psychologist) evaluation of 138 breeds.

While many Toy and companion dogs end up in the lower tiers of intelligence rankings, no one can deny their emotional and adaptive cleverness.

Training the Frenchie is difficult from the standpoint that they can be stubborn and prone to hurt feelings.

Chihuahuas are willful and independent when it comes to abject obedience. Both breeds show an affinity for manipulation.

Your Chihuahua French Bulldog Mix may not win any obedience competitions but will try to charm you and figure out ways she can still get what she wants. However, with patience and persistence, you can teach your cross basic obedience and manners.

Young puppies require socialization, or they run the risk of suffering small dog attitude challenges like shyness and aggression.

French Bullhuahuas should get 30 to 40 minutes of exercise daily. They do not need much strenuous exercise compared with working breeds with high stamina.

Five to ten minutes of hard running a day should be sufficient. Be aware of heat and cold extremes and tailor your exercise requirements accordingly. Do not ignore training and other means of mental stimulation.

How do you feed a Frenchie Chihuahua mix?

Like any other breed or cross, French Bullhuahuas should eat protein from meat sources and fats and carbohydrates from high-quality whole foods.

Carbohydrates can be minimal such as is common in commercial diets that mimic whole prey feeding. Fats should ideally come from animal sources but in practicality often are comprised of high-quality oils.

Since French Bullhuahuas can be prone to obesity, you need to monitor their food intake carefully. Most dogs will eat three-quarters of a cup to one and a half cups of kibble daily, or 250 to 400 calories daily.

Puppies should eat three or more times in a 24-hour period and may require two to three times as much food.

Chihuahua French Bulldog Mix Grooming

Regardless of whether your mixed dog has short hair or a rare long coat, you will only need to brush him once or twice a week.

French Bullhuahuas do not experience the heavy seasonal shedding of breeds with a dense undercoat.

You should check the ears every few days and trim the nails once a month with bathing. Bathe with a mild shampoo being mindful of your dog's sensitive skin.

Dogs with allergies may require more frequent bathing. Make sure to use any shampoo prescribed by your veterinarian to avoid drying out the coat.

Examples of French Bullhuahua Appearance

Both of the following examples show that a common color for this mix is fawn with a facial mask. Each dog exhibits a short haircoat style and appears to have a bit of an undercoat.

The first video shows the muscular compact frame of the mix. This dog would be square, but his legs are exceptionally short.

In profile, the head looks much like that of a Chihuahua, but the skull is larger and rounder in relation to the body. Head-on, you will notice the prominent cheekbones indicating the jaw strength of a Bulldog.

The tail, in this case, is long and curled like a Chihuahua. This dog displays the classic bat ears common to the French Bullhuahua.

The second video shows how the ears are not quite the classic bat shape but are quite large just the same.

This dog shows the trace (black dorsal stripe) present on many fawn Pugs and the straight long tail.

Note how the facial mask is extensive, a trait not a feature of either breed separately.

This Bullhuahua has a good degree of lengthening of the Frenchie's much flatter muzzle, although you can tell it is shorter than many breeds of dogs would be.

Finally, you can see the strength and compact muscularity of the dog with rather short legs. This individual is slightly longer than tall.

Also read: Golden Retriever Bulldog Mix – The Golden Bull