Today is an exciting time to be in the dog breeding business. The reason being, there are more hybrid dog breeding programs going on today than at nearly any other time in history.
The French Bulldog English Bulldog mix is one such hybrid breeding program. And if you are not quite sure what a hybrid dog breeding program is, we will explain more about it in the coming sections here.
Perhaps you have become interested in the French Bulldog English Bulldog mix because you saw a cute picture online or a friend introduced you to this dog breed.
In any case, once you read this article you will be able to decide if this is the right dog for you!
French Bulldog English Bulldog Mix
Often, when two different purebred dog breeds are bred together, the resulting crossbred puppies are given a new breed name.
In the case of the French Bulldog English Bulldog mix, the name many people use to describe this dog is the Free-lance Bulldog (also sometimes written as the Free Lance Bulldog). Some people also like to call these dogs Frenglish Bulldogs.
There are many iterations of hybrid dog breeding programs as we will delve into here shortly. But in the most basic sense, a French Bulldog English Bulldog mix is a puppy that has one parent from each purebred dog lineage.
See a French Bulldog English Bulldog Mix Dog
This short and sweet YouTube video gives you a good general idea of what a French English Bulldog mix might look like.
In the next section, we will talk more about the type of diversity that often appears when two different breed purebred dogs are crossbred.
What Is a Hybrid Dog Breeding Program?
The world of dog breeding can be an argumentative one at times. There are the purists – the purebred dog breeders that would never dream of diluting any modern dog breed's pure line.
Examples relevant to our purposes here include the purebred French Bulldog and the purebred English Bulldog.
And then there are the hybrid or designer dog breeders. These dog breeders can have many different reasons for wanting to cross one purebred dog breed with a different purebred dog breed.
Of course, sometimes the crossing takes place totally by accident – after all, dogs will be dogs. But this also isn't the same as a true hybrid breeding program, which has its own specific intent.
As Canine Corral explains, a true hybrid breeding program crosses one purebred dog line with another purebred dog line to create a third, entirely new, genetic line.
This new genetic line then has the potential, over time, and with careful development and promotion, to become a new purebred dog breed in its own right.
Why start a hybrid dog breeding program?
These are the two most common reasons many hybrid dog breeders state for wanting to launch hybrid dog breeding programs:
1. To strengthen the genetic lineage (or lessen the incidence of known health issues) in each purebred dog line.
2. To create a new dog breed (that in time may become a recognized purebred dog breed in its own right) with desirable genetic or appearance traits.
Here, it is important to understand that in nearly all cases, every modern purebred dog breed today started out as a hybrid dog breed.
As the French Bull Dog Club of America outlines, the French Bulldog purebred dog breed is a perfect example – this dog actually started out as an English Bulldog.
Bred down for a smaller size, then crossed with the Rat Terrier, possibly other terrier breeds and the Pug, today's French Bulldog was a hybrid dog breed for decades before the breed standard was finally established.
What to expect from a hybrid dog breeding program?
A hybrid dog breeder can choose to breed at several different levels, or tiers, of the breeding process.
As Breeding Business illustrates, these are the basic categories, or tiers, of hybrid dog breed, using the French Bulldog and English Bulldog as examples:
– F1
In an F1 hybrid breeding program, one purebred French Bulldog and one purebred English Bulldog are crossbred together to produce puppies.
– F1b
In an F1b hybrid breeding program, one purebred parent dog (either an English Bulldog or a French Bulldog) is crossbred with one F1 puppy (a Frenglish Bulldog).
– F2
In an F2 hybrid breeding program, two F1 hybrid dogs are crossbred together, so both parent dogs are Frenglish Bulldogs.
– F2b
In an F2b hybrid breeding program, one F1 hybrid dog and one F1b hybrid dog are crossbred together.
– F3 (and so on)
In an F3 hybrid breeding program, both parent dogs are F2 hybrid dogs. The same holds true using the previous generation for F4, F5, and so forth.
Why is the hybrid breeder's tier important to know about?
If you want to add a Free Lance Bulldog to your family, you may be wondering why (or if) it matters what crossbreeding tier your hybrid breeder is working with.
This is a great question. It doesn't necessarily matter unless you have some specific goals or requirements for the puppy you bring into your life.
To understand this, it is helpful to know that there is currently no way to predict in advance how much genetic influence either parent dog will have on a given puppy even within a single litter.
For example, let's say there are three F1 puppies born from a purebred French Bulldog parent crossbred with a purebred English Bulldog parent. Each puppy can inherit an entirely different mix of traits from each parent – even within that litter!
So one puppy may be larger or stockier than all the others. There may be two puppies with upright (bat) ears and one puppy with floppy (rose) ears.
The puppies may all grow up to have different coat colors and be of different heights and weights. The same holds true of inheriting temperament traits from each parent dog.
This type of unpredictable genetic diversity lessens in the later tiers of hybrid breeding programs. Because each later tier draws from a more uniform genetic mix, the puppies tend to look more alike and act more alike than they do in earlier litters.
If you want a specific size puppy or a puppy with a particular temperament, you should strive to work with a hybrid breeder that breeds in the later tiers (so F2 or later, ideally).
This will give you the best chance of bringing home the puppy that best meets your needs and goals.
Now that you have a basic overview of what a hybrid breeding program is and the foundational terminology used, let's take a closer look at what you can expert your French Bulldog English Bulldog puppy to look and act like.
The History of the French Bulldog and the English Bulldog
The best place to start when getting to know a new and still-evolving hybrid dog breed is with the parent dogs' history and background.
So let's get a basic overview of the French Bulldog and the English Bulldog in history.
French Bulldog history
The French Bulldog is the fourth most popular (out of 195 American Kennel Club registered dog breeds) purebred dog breed in America today.
In one of the stranger twists in dog breeding history, the French Bulldog was originally an English Bulldog. Through a number of twists and some interesting cross-breeding programs, the English Bulldog turned into a French Bulldog.
The French Bulldog has terrier and Pug dog genetics in its modern breed line. The French Bulldog, however, was never bred specifically for a working or fighting dog purpose.
Rather, these dogs accompanied their owners on a move from England to France during the Industrial Revolution. The French furthered the transition from English to French Bulldog and, before long, a new dog breed was born.
English Bulldog history
The English Bulldog – called simply the Bulldog in America – is the fifth most popular (out of 195 American Kennel Club registered dog breeds) purebred dog breed in America today.
Why are they called English Bulldogs? The main reason is that the earliest record of Bulldogs as a dog breed popped up in the 13th century in English records.
These dogs were originally bred for vicious fighting sports such as bull-baiting, bear-baiting, and dog pit fighting. Thankfully, these sports were outlawed along with Parliament's passage of the Cruelty to Animals Act in 1835.
Today, English Bulldogs (really, all Bulldogs) are best known for keeping laps warm all around the world.
French Bulldog English Bulldog Mix: Personality and Temperament
One of the best ways to get a good sense of what your Frenglish Bulldog puppy's personality and temperament might be like is to learn more about each trait in the parent dogs, which is what we will do in this section.
French Bulldog personality and temperament
The French Bulldog is all about living at the center of their people's lives. These dogs are smart and talented and can easily learn tricks to entertain their people.
The French Bulldog is known to be a bit stubborn, which is par for the course with very intelligent dog breeds.
Otherwise, these dogs live to amuse and, of course, to snore their days away on the laps of those they love. They also make great guard dogs and watchdogs.
English Bulldog personality and temperament
The English Bulldog is also a people-centric dog breed. However, these dogs have a more mellow personality and are usually content to laze around indoors with their people.
Underneath that calm and dignified personality, however, the Bulldog is as brave as they come. They are great with kids and are great guard dogs and watchdogs.
French Bulldog English Bulldog personality and temperament
With two purebred dog breeds with such complementary personalities as well as a shared breed lineage and development, you really can't go wrong with the Free Lance Bulldog as a family pet.
These dogs are great with kids and generally with other pets as well. They make great watchdogs and guard dogs and are famously snuggly lap-loving dogs for dog lovers of all ages.
French Bulldog English Bulldog Mix: Size, Height, and Weight
Many prospective dog owners are understandably concerned about how large their little puppy will eventually grow up to be.
Planning for a small to medium size dog breed is quite different from planning for a large to giant breed dog.
With a hybrid dog breeding program, it can be even harder to predict how large your puppy will be, especially when you are working with earlier crossbreeding programs.
Here, the best way to predict your adult dog's size, height, and weight is once again to learn more about how potentially large each parent dog can grow up to be.
French Bulldog size, height, and weight
As you now know, the French Bulldog began its breed history as the English Bulldog. As such, this dog breed was much bigger originally.
Today, the French Bulldog typically weighs less than 30 pounds and stands between 11 and 14 inches tall (paw pads to shoulder girdle).
English Bulldog size, height, and weight
The English Bulldog also used to be somewhat larger and stockier, especially back in the days when baiting and pit fighting was still permitted.
Today, the Bulldog typically weighs between 40 and 50 pounds and stands 14 to 15 inches tall (paw pads to shoulder girdle).
French Bulldog English Bulldog size, height, and weight
What these breed statistics indicate is that your French-English Bulldog hybrid is unlikely to ever weigh more than 50 pounds and will most likely weigh between 20 and 40 pounds in adulthood.
Similarly, your hybrid dog will mostly stand somewhere between 11 and 15 inches tall as an adult dog.
French Bulldog English Bulldog Mix: Training and Exercise Needs
Another common question many new prospective dog owners have is whether their pup will be happy living with them based on how much space and activity they can offer.
Some people love to have a very active life that they share with their dog, while others are seeking more of a lap dog to hang out with.
And some owners have a lot of space and a big yard while others live in small spaces without any yard at all.
What type of training and exercise needs does the Free Lance Bulldog have? Let's find out now.
French Bulldog training and exercise needs
The French Bulldog is a very petite pup, weighing in at less than 30 pounds in adulthood. These dogs also have very short muzzles that can make it hard for them to sweat and breathe easily.
However, Frenchies do love their food, and for this reason, it can be challenging to keep the pounds off – especially as they grow older.
French Bulldogs live perfectly happily in small spaces with daily indoor play and training time. They can't tolerate heat and should never be allowed to swim.
In terms of training, Frenchies typically get along well with all age family members and other pet cats and dogs. But they can take longer to potty train and maybe stubborn overall about early training efforts.
English Bulldog training and exercise needs
English Bulldogs are very similar to French Bulldogs in terms of their exercise and space requirements and their trainability.
These dogs are larger, of course, and also calmer in general. They are slightly easier to train but can also be stubborn if they get bored or don't have the right motivation.
Like Frenchies, English Bulldogs love their food and it can be a challenge to keep the weight off. English Bulldogs can tolerate slightly more vigorous exercise, including brisk outdoor daily walks, but should never be exposed to heat or taken for a swim.
French Bulldog English Bulldog training and exercise needs
Here, you can see that you will have a happy indoor dog if you pick a French-English Bulldog.
You will need to balance food and treats with some daily exercise to keep your dog trim. And you may need to exercise your patience as well when potty training and obedience training time comes around.
French Bulldog English Mix: Shedding, Grooming and Coat Care
Yet another concern many dog owners have is about the coat care, maintenance, shedding, and grooming their new pup will need.
Here again, the shared evolution of the French Bulldog and English Bulldog breed line makes it easier to predict your dog's needs in this particular area.
French Bulldog shedding, grooming, and coat care
The French Bulldog has a short, neat coat that does shed year-round and seasonally. The more you brush your dog's coat the less shed hair you will have to clean up.
These dogs don't need any special grooming for their coat, but you may find yourself doing more cleaning in the skin folds and around the facial area to keep your dog healthy.
English Bulldog shedding, grooming, and coat care
Like the French Bulldog, the English Bulldog sports a short, neat, flat coat that is easy to keep looking dapper.
The English Bulldog sheds seasonally and year-round as well, and here again, regular brushing will help you keep shed out hair from coating your clothing, furniture, and car.
These dogs also benefit from regular attention to the skin folds in and around the facial area to keep them dry and clean and free from infection.
French Bulldog English Bulldog shedding, grooming, and coat care
So here, what you can expect is quite clear – a dog that sheds short hair year-round and more heavily during the seasonal weather changes.
You will also have to do more cleaning in and around the skin folds of the face and body to protect your dog from skin irritation and potential infection.
If your Free Lance Bulldog inherits the English Bulldog's floppy (rose) ears, you will also need to pay increased attention to cleaning the inner ears to avoid infection.
French Bulldog English Bulldog Mix: Longevity and Health
The toughest aspect to look at before committing to any dog breed – purebred, hybrid, or other – is always going to be health and longevity.
As we mentioned earlier, one of the primary reasons many breeders decide to crossbreed purebred dogs is for improved genetic diversity and improved health.
However, the French and English Bulldog breeds, share many health issues in common and so the benefit from crossbreeding in the area may be less noticeable.
French Bulldog longevity and health
The Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) database states that French Bulldogs can suffer from these genetic (heritable) health issues:
- Hip dysplasia.
- Patellar luxation.
- Cardiac issues.
- Eye issues, including juvenile cataracts.
- Autoimmune thyroiditis.
French Bulldogs have a general life expectancy of 10 to 12 years.
English Bulldog longevity and health
The Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) database states that Bulldogs can suffer from these genetic (heritable) health issues:
- Hip and elbow dysplasia.
- Patellar luxation.
- Cardiac issues.
- Eye issues.
- Autoimmune thyroiditis.
- Congenital deafness.
- Tracheal hypoplasia.
- Hyperuricosuria.
Bulldogs have a general life expectancy of eight to 10 years.
French Bulldog English Bulldog longevity and health
Be sure to screen any breeder carefully to verify the required and optional genetic health screenings are done before the parent dogs are bred.
You can expect your pup to live between eight and 12 years.
French Bulldog English Bulldog Mix: Is This the Right Dog for You?
Now you have a great comprehensive overview of the French Bulldog English Bulldog mix so you can decide if this is the right dog for you!
As a freelance pet writer and blogger, Shannon is passionate about crafting knowledge-based, science-supported articles that foster healthy bonds of love and respect between people and animals. But her first and very most important job is as a dog auntie and cockatiel, tortoise, and box turtle mama.
