How To Breed A French Bulldog [BEST PRACTICES]

As they are man-made dog breeds, French bulldogs (Frenchies) require special care, help, and attention during breeding. But what is the best method to breed a French Bulldog? or How to breed a French Bulldog successfully?

Artificial insemination is the safe, most effective, and best practice to breed a French Bulldog. This is because French Bulldogs have tiny hips and enormous heads. As a result, it is extremely difficult for the Frenchie stud to mount the female naturally.

Frenchie breeding is genuinely an art because there are so many aspects that go into a good French Bulldog breeding program which include the following:

• Morphology
• Genetics
• Pedigrees
• Heredity
• Health
• Training
• Feedback loop
• Advertising

Every Frenchie breeder must focus on all these factors before successfully breeding Frenchies. So, while breeding a French Bulldog, be prepared for long days of hard effort, but it will be worthwhile in the end!

The Process of French Bulldog Mating (Best Practice)

1. To successfully breed French Bulldog pups, you must select dogs with a good pedigree, health history, and features that you would like to pass on to the puppies genetically. Consider both physical attributes such as size and color and other characteristics such as attitude and personality while making your decision.
2. After that, you'll need to keep track of your female dog's ovulation cycle. Once a female has begun spotting, she will often begin ovulating about 4-5 days into her cycle, at which point she will get pregnant. You'll notice a small amount of blood and agitation, which indicates that she's entering her fertile period. You can now take your female to the veterinarian for testing to check that she is ovulating before pairing her with the stud for mating purposes.
3. When you have confirmed that your female Frenchie is ovulating, you should put her in the same room as your Frenchie stud to avoid any complications. If possible, place one hand on the female's collar and the other under her ribcage to help stabilize her while the male is mounting her (but remember, prefer not to mate them naturally). Be careful to properly monitor the mating process to prevent any angry outbursts from occurring.
4. Instead of directly breeding the dogs, get assistance from your veterinarian for artificial insemination. To avoid the hassle of physically mating the two dogs, you might ask a veterinarian to aid you with artificially inseminating your female Frenchie. Experienced breeders often prefer this procedure because it is less stressful for females.
5. Take your female canine companion to the veterinarian for maternity care before giving birth. Your veterinarian will be able to do ultrasonography or radiography to determine how many puppies your Frenchie is expecting. They'll also test for any potential problems with the pregnancy and provide you with advice on how to care for them near whelping properly.
6. When your female Frenchie is ready to enter labor, her behavior should make this quite clear. Uneasiness, trembling, panting, anorexia, whimpering, and vomiting are some of the frequent indicators of labor. In addition, your dog may seek solace in a private location in preparation for birth.
7. Prepare yourself for a necessary cesarean, as it is compulsory for Frenchies. This is because Frenchies have small pelvic bones and huge heads, so they are typically unable to give birth naturally. Be knowledgeable and keep an eye out for signs that your Frenchie may require a C-section once the labor process begins.

What Is The Earliest Age At Which French Bulldogs Can Breed?

The age at which a dog reaches maturity varies from breed to breed. However, it has been discovered that small breeds like Frenchies mature more quickly than large ones. So, in that context, male Frenchies become fertile at approximately six months of age, but they reach their sexual maturity at the age of 12-15 months.

Similarly, female Frenchie can have its first heat season (estrus) after six months.  However, in some cases, the onset of estrus has been delayed for up to 16 months or even two years. It is recommended that the heating season of your dam be repeated every six months until old age.

Although not against the rules, breeding your female Frenchie in her first season is considered contentious and against the rules. This is because they aren't fully developed at such an early age, and the pregnancy may result in greater dangers for both the mother and the puppies.  Following the American Kennel Club rules, litter registration of Frenchie female who has been pregnant for less than eight months or older than 11-12 years is not usually permitted.

FAQs

What Is The Average Length Of A French Bulldog's Pregnancy?

French bulldogs are no different from any other dog breed when it comes to their pregnancy length. The duration of Frenchie's pregnancy is usually between 58 and 68 days. The average length of a pregnancy is 63 days, counting from the day of conception to the day of whelping. This will take approximately two months (plus/minus two days) in total.

Your dam may stop eating or have a diminished appetite in the final few days before giving birth. In addition, she may begin to construct a "nest" in which she intends to raise her puppies.

How Many Pups Can You Expect From a Female French Bulldog In Each Litter?

When compared to other breeds of dogs that produce a large number of puppies, French bulldogs produce just a few pups.

You can expect around 3-5 French bulldog puppies to be born in each litter. There have been a few occasions in which French bulldogs have given birth to as many as seven puppies. But, that occurs very rarely.

Frenchies are naturally tiny breeds, as are their offspring. Therefore, fewer littermates would result in better conditions for the pups while they are still in their mother's womb.

Word of Caution: If you are not a certified and experienced breeder, you should not be involved in the French Bulldog breeding business. The issues that may emerge due to this will put the female at risk, resulting in puppies being born with some severe birth abnormalities.

Why Shouldn't You Overbreed French Bulldogs?

You should not overbreed Frenchies due to these two reasons:

Drawbacks Of Excessive C-Sections

Most French Bulldog pups are born via Cesarean section, which is the preferred delivery method (as discussed above).  But it is utterly irresponsible of you as a French Bulldog breeder to subject your female Frenchie to an excessive number of C-sections. The following are the consequences:

1. Injury to the pups
2. Stress
3. Problems with female health

The Female Body Requires Time To Restore Properly

The period following your French Bulldog's birth and the subsequent breastfeeding phase is essential to his or her health. Giving pups and becoming a mother is a stressful and physically demanding period for both the female Frenchie and her puppies.

In addition to healing from her C-section scars, your female will require time to recover from the stress of caring for her litter. She will also need time to re-grow sections of her uterus and regain her muscle tone. Therefore, it is not advised to breed a Frenchie more than once every 20 to 24 months.

Final Remarks

Breeding French Bulldogs or Frenchies is an expensive endeavor because of the compulsory requirement for artificial insemination and cesarean delivery.

But before mating your Frenchie, you should confirm that he is healthy and free of undesirable qualities that might be passed on to progeny. It would help if you got your Frenchie's DNA tested to rule out any potential health risks.

In order to be a successful Frenchie breeder, you must strive to improve the breed by getting healthy puppies that are free from any genetic disorder.