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French Bulldogs—The Cutest Droolers in the World!

French Bulldogs—The Cutest Droolers in the World!

Let's face it unless you are anti-cuteness, French Bulldogs are one of the cutest dogs on the planet. The large, soft eyes and the prick ears are irresistible.

However, like with all pets, French Bulldogs, aka "Frenchies" to their humans, have pros and a couple of cons. Drooling is one of the cons with Frenchies, as well as, some other breeds.

French Bulldogs, like their English and American cousins, have specifically shaped muzzles and jaws that lend themselves to drooling.

While not on the Great Dane level of drool, drooling is a consideration when taking ownership of this breed.

Also known as hypersalivation, French Bulldogs are on the lower end of the slobber spectrum (if there is a slobber spectrum).

Before we launch into a full discussion of drool and French Bulldogs, let's take a brief moment to discuss the upside to having one of these little rays of sunshine in dog form.

Why you should absolutely add a French Bulldog to your family.

Number one on the list of reasons to bring a Frenchie into your life: they are bred to be affectionate, human-lovers. While not 100 per-cent proven, French Bulldogs probably started as miniature English Bulldogs.

The smallest English Bulldogs were bred to stay small and were used by lacemakers as lap dogs. During the Industrial Revolution, the lace-making moved to France and so did the dogs.

They are small, social and do not require a lot of space. All of those add to the reasons why French Bulldogs make great family pets. Oh, and they are silly.

Why does my French Bulldog drool?

According to the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, The primary reason that French Bulldogs drool is because of the shape of their muzzle.

French Bulldogs have been bred specifically to accentuate the flat nose and that "pushed-in" look. Along with that comes extended upper jaw flaps.

The longer upper jaw flaps are what can create the drooling. If you are seriously considering adding a Frenchie to your family, keep in mind that what makes them cute, also causes them to drool. This drooling is also known as ptyalism.

What is ptyalism?

According to Wagwalking, Ptyalism is the scientific or medical term for excessive salivation. The bottom line with dogs is that they sometimes slobber, some breeds more than others.

A certain amount of drool is just part of being a French Bulldog parent. Dogs salivate when they are excited to see you or when they are about to receive food.

This is a natural process that helps prepare the mouth to chew and the stomach to receive the food, just like in humans. Ptyalism is the term for too much saliva and that can indicate a problem.

When is it normal for my French Bulldog to drool?

According to OurFrenchie, Normal drool in Frenchies is still more than you will see with dogs who have a "normal" muzzle or snout. The most common reasons for French Bulldogs to drool more is when they are excited or stressed and at feeding and treat time.

Their snouts are very shallow which means they breathe differently, usually shorter breaths, and this leads to extra drool. A French Bulldog owner needs to accept the fact that their adorable peanut is going to drool.

When is saliva in my dog considered to be excessive?

Ah, therein lies the issue around drool: knowing when saliva is considered to be excessive. Bulldogs, Mastiffs, Great Danes, Saint Bernards and many other breeds are known to be more slobber-prone than their other canine cohorts.

Even in the more saliva-prone breeds, however, drooling can become excessive and be symptomatic of underlying health issues like tooth and stomach problems.

What are the more common reasons for excessive drool?

You might be asking yourself, "my Frenchie has always drooled, but am I noticing more saliva lately?" If your cute little one seems more drooly than usual, they probably are.

Here are the main concerns to be investigated around excess drool:

  • Visible irritation of the gums and lips
  • The drool is white and foamy
  • Sudden diarrhea or vomiting
  • Tooth and gum disease
  • Overheating

According to FrenchieWiki, If any of these symptoms present themselves at the same time you are seeing excess drool, then a visit to your veterinarian is suggested.

How do I take care of my Frenchie to reduce excess drooling?

The most important part of taking care of your little cutie is to make sure they do not overheat. Along with many other care techniques, the creator of this video explains why it is very important to keep your French Bulldog cool.

Their nose or muzzle is brachycephalic in shape, meaning very shortened. Dogs cool off through their respiratory system.

Even dogs without shortened muzzles will pant when over-exercised. The shorter the muzzle, the harder it is for the dog to regulate body heat.

Exercise your French Bulldog carefully.

French Bulldogs are susceptible to overheating and heat exhaustion, both of which can create extra saliva. With their shortened noses Frenchies cannot easily take in enough air to help them cool down.

Walking your Frenchie on short strolls in the cool part of the day or at night is recommended. Playing fetch with a favorite toy is a good exercise if it is limited and not hot outside.

It is always recommended to keep your French Bulldog inside on hot, humid days or in very cold weather.

Just like humans, a good diet for your Frenchie helps with overall health.

Due to their size and special health concerns, French Bulldog owners should take extra care with feeding. Frenchies are well known for their love of food, so it can be tempting to overfeed them.

These little clowns are people pleasers and will do anything for an extra bite. You will want to break up their meals by feeding puppies three times a day.

At six months old, you can reduce feeding to twice a day. French Bulldogs are prone to gaining weight easily, so be careful not to overfeed or over-treat.

Do I have to clean my Frenchie's muzzle more often?

As recommended in the video above, a recommended cleaning routine for your French Bulldog is key to a healthy dog. The wrinkles around their nose, while adorable, can accumulate dirt and bacteria.

The dirt and bacteria, combined with sensitive skin, creates a breeding ground for problems. Weekly cleaning of the folds around the nose will help reduce the risk of rashes.

Again, your French Bulldog is cute because of its features, one of those being the wrinkles or folds around the nose.

The video in this section shows you how to clean the folds to keep bacteria out. As you can see, the products also do not have to be expensive. The key is to clean the folds routinely and completely.

Cleaning the normal drool off your Frenchie is important.

According to YourPureBredPuppy, As you are probably coming to understand about your Frenchie, or soon to be Frenchie, they do require extra attention. You want your precious puppy to be healthy for many years.

As part of caring for these adorable goofballs wiping drool after exercise or eating is good for them and for your home. That extra drool can create a place for bacteria. As we all know, bacteria are bad.

What other cleaning is needed to keep my Frenchie healthy?

Along with regular bathing, cleaning your French Bulldog's ears is very important to keep them well. As part of breeding, French Bulldogs have developed pronounced ears, sometimes called "bat" ears because of the shape.

They also are always erect which can present problems. Erect ears on dogs mean they have little natural protection against dirt and water settling in the ears.

This feature, while amazingly cute, requires upkeep to prevent infection. Weekly cleaning with ear solution and cotton balls should do the trick.

Keeping a French Bulldog's eyes lubricated will help them be comfortable.

Another breed feature in Frenchies is the "bug" or protruding eyes. These large, expressive eyes can become dry easily and need eye drops to help keep them free of dirt.

Eye drops will also help prevent tear stains on the French Bulldogs who are lighter in color. You will need a dog-specific eye drop solution.

French Bulldog owners must clean the tail area of their Frenchies.

French Bulldogs are born with corkscrew or "pig" tails which set up close to their backsides. Right underneath that cute little pigtail is an empty space that must be cleaned regularly to avoid bad smells and skin infections.

Any kind of fold on a dog's skin has to be cleaned routinely in order for the area to remain free of dirt and bacteria. Any infection on or in the body can create extra drool as a defense mechanism to reduce stress.

French Bulldogs are known to be very "gassy".

All short-nosed dogs are subject to having more gas than other breeds. Also, Frenchies are known to eat very fast, which can create stomach issues. Stomach upset can create more drool.

Helping your French Bulldog eat more slowly and feeding them a good diet of small meals will help reduce the chance of stomach distress. Even something as simple as putting a tennis ball in their food dish can slow down their eating.

Providing extra water on hot, humid days will reduce French Bulldog drool.

If you are exercising your French Bulldog outside on a warm day, be sure to encourage water drinking or provide ice cubes.

Frenchies are very heat-sensitive and need to have plenty of water. If they are overheated and are thirsty, they will produce extra drool to help stay hydrated. It may seem odd to provide more water for a drooling breed, but it is necessary.

Try to keep your French Bulldog's anxiety and stress under control.

One of the major causes of increased slobber in drool-prone dogs like Frenchies is stress. Just like in their humans, stress causes physical symptoms: stomach issues, dry eyes, dry mouth or extra saliva.

A quick note here: good stress is still stress. If you notice more drool when your French Bulldog is meeting new people or pets, then the likely source is stress.

According to Askfrankie, While impossible to reduce all stress, limiting the cause of stress can help. These are sensitive, human-loving dogs and their stress, like yours, needs to be managed.

The French Bulldog underbite adds to the drooling issue.

French Bulldogs usually have an underbite where the bottom teeth set out in front of the top teeth. The underbite can also prevent the mouth from closing completing.

When the mouth does not close completely then the inside can become dry requiring excess saliva to be produced.

According to FrenchBulldogOwner, The excess saliva must go somewhere, so it becomes drool. The situation with the underbite is not something that the dog, or you for that matter, can control. Drool is going to happen.

Routine dental checkups are a must when you own a French Bulldog.

Most of the health concerns around French Bulldogs are a result of either their face shape or their body shape. Due to the shape of their adorable, smooshed-in faces, Frenchies often have problems with their teeth and gums.

Excessive slobbering can often be linked to tooth and gum disease in French Bulldogs. Just like other infections, bad teeth and gums cause pain and all dogs will produce extra saliva if they have tooth or gum pain.

French Bulldogs need extra care around their heads and necks.

French Bulldogs are known for their big heads, large chests, and small rear body. This breed is not really a dainty lap dog. They are sturdy little dogs.

However, when walking your Frenchie, it is best to walk them with a harness rather than just a neck collar and leash.

Putting an extra strain on the neck can lead to injury. Injury leads to pain. Pain, in a Frenchie, leads to excess drool. A harness reduces the chance of an injury to the neck and/or spine.

Sometimes extra drool is just individual to your special French Bulldog.

According to FrenchBulldogNews, You have checked all the health issues and still, your Frenchie is drooling like a running water faucet. What should you do?

If you have had a veterinary checkup and there are no health issues, your personal French Bulldog might just be a heavy drooler.

No two dogs are alike, even in the same breed. French Bulldogs have also been incorrectly bred over the years which can result in dogs that have hyper-versions of health concerns, such as, drooling.

French Bulldogs cannot and should not swim.

While this is not directly drool related, it is necessary to point out that French Bulldogs rarely can swim. It is so rare that Frenchies can swim that they should always wear a doggie life preserver if around any pool, lake or river.

Even with a lifejacket, French Bulldogs should have very limited time in the water because of their ear and breathing issues. Their ears can easily become waterlogged.

When bathing, owners should put cotton in the ears of the dog to keep water out. Breathing can be compromised if they overexert themselves or become frightened, which, afterward, can lead to extra drooling.

Potty training French Bulldogs can be challenging.

All dogs can be a challenge to toilet-train and French Bulldogs are no exception. However, they are sensitive to overly stern voice commands and can become frightened if they think you are angry with them.

Remember, they are highly food motivated and people-pleasers. Use these attributes to your advantage. Give regular breaks in the relief area of your choosing, use positive voice tone and reward with treats.

Crate training is another option. The good news is that Frenchies are quick learners. Harsh training methods can lead to extra drooling.

What supplies should I consider stocking for my French Bulldog?

If you have acquired a puppy, you will want puppy pads. These are a must-have for potty training. A good leash and harness are required for effective training and safe walking.

Healthy food for the specific life stage and a routine feeding schedule are required for long life. Healthy treats are the key ingredient to quick Frenchie training.

A firm, but positive, tone of voice should be paired with treats during training. Baby wipes are great for quickly cleaning face folds and tail area. A shampoo made for sensitive skin will keep rashes away.

A doggie eye lubricant is needed to maintain eye health. The most important supply you will need is endless love, which will come easily.

These are our final thoughts about French Bulldogs and drool.

Whether you buy a puppy from a reputable breeder or adopt your French Bulldog as an adult from a rescue organization, you must be prepared to accept some drool.

They are bulldogs and, simply put, bulldogs drool. Some French Bulldogs will drool more than others. If you have ruled out any health issues, the slobber is just part of the fun, Frenchie package.

Honestly, the drool is one of the things you will probably learn to love about these notorious little clowns. These are great, sturdy little dogs.

Due to their low exercise requirements, they live easily in apartments, making them wonderful city dwellers.

They are known to be enormously loving and entertaining, but, most of all, they are legendary heart stealers, drool or no drool. Besides, what's a little drool between friends?