The fluffy pig hound! The French bulldog is one of the worlds favorite domesticated hounds, that is known for expressing themselves in wonderful "gurgle, gurgles" and grunts with an indistinguishable personality.
The American Kennel Club rankings rank the Frenchie at number four in their popularity polls, and for good reason. They are growing in popularity as many are finding their slushy faces irresistible and hard to ignore.
Wrinkly faced balls of fur and joy just big enough to fit in your bag, with a personality big enough to keep unwanted guests at bay, the French bulldog is a great addition to any family.
Frenchie History
The French bulldog is not new to the world and has graced our lovely earth with its rambunctiously helpful presence since the 1800s.
The breed was domesticated and resulted from a cross between the ratter dogs (dogs bred specifically for catching vermin) of Paris and imported toy bulldogs from England.
Both of these breeds created the small Molossian (Southern European, Ancient Greek) Dog we all know and love today, the French Bulldog (hint the ratter dogs from Paris, and the bulldogs from England).
The dogs were developed originally for hunting vermin throughout the households of the esteemed community members of England which could afford them.
Eventually, their adorable demeanor promoted them to become fashionable must-have throughout the world.
England breeders began to create the Toy Bulldog and ship them around the world to foreign homes willing to pay for a little ball of wrinkly joy.
Society ladies demanded to show their status by owning and carrying around a little French bulldog. The high demand for the little fluffy pig hound made their value shoot through the roof of the doggie market.
Their value was attributed to the desire for them among the high societies, French Bulldogs have been sold for thousands of dollars per puppy.
Depending on the breeding, the average price for a French bulldog is a whopping $3,000. Through their creation and current popularity, the French bulldog has proven to be a small package with big value.
High Society Dog
The French is owned by several renowned families across the world and has been used as a status symbol throughout its little existence.
Most recently popular Trappy the famous hip hop French Bulldog enjoys his private jet rides and gourmand dog treats with his rap star father 2 Chainz.
A great example of the high society lifestyles French bulldogs tends to lead. The J.P. Morgans and Rockerfellers are also pets to French bulldogs. These little four-legged royalties sure know how to pick their human counterparts.
According to BravoTv, Some celebrities that own French bulldogs are stars like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Madonna, Reese Witherspoon, Michael Phelps, Hilary Duff, Hugh Jackman, Lady Gaga, Chrissy Teigen, Eva Longoria, and countless others have fell victim to the cute mushy faces and irresistible personalities of the Frenchie.
Breed Standards
The American Kennel Club sets the standards or breeds throughout the world. For a dog to pass as being a certain type of domesticated breed, it must first meet the qualifications of breed standards which is found in the AKCs book "The New Complete Dog Book: Official Breed Standards and All-New profiles for. 2000 Breeds, 21st Edition".
This official publication defines the attributes, characters, descriptions and breed requirements of each breed of dog recognized by the American Kennel Club.
The French Bulldog is also defined in this dog profiling portfolio. The Official Breed Standards book indicates the specifications which qualify a dog like a French Bulldog.
Specification Description: The book states that a thoroughly bred French bulldog possesses a loose and soft coat which forms wrinkles around a small, stubby, muscular body.
Patterns and Colors: Patches, Brindle, Fawn, White, Tan, Pieds.
If the dog does not meet any of these standards, then the American Kennel Club will not recognize it as a true French Bulldog.
There are no other colors, patterns, or features to the dog that are accepted as a purebred French Bulldog that is not mentioned in this book.
That includes blue French Bulldogs, as the color blue indicates to the AKC that there is some sort of genetic mutation or health problem that is not normally found in the breed of dog.
Although this is true, many people own blue French Bulldogs, without knowing that "Blue Dog Alopecia" (Dog hairless or baldness) is the cause for their pets fur color.
Health and Lifespan
Due to the way the little French Bulldog is bred, the dog tends to have some complications with breathing and regulating their body temperature.
These dogs can be high maintenance, and should only be owned by those with a generous enough pocket to sustain them and give them the comfortable life they deserve.
The French Bulldog is. a brachycephalic breed of dog, and has been banned in many places because of the lawsuits created from accidental deaths resulting from their condition.
According to Petcarerx, Brachycephalic(shortened head) dog breeds are breeds of dogs which have common respiratory problems due to their snout and flat-faced design.
Brachycephalic dog breeds
English Toy Spaniels, Chow Chows, Pugs, Shih Tzus, Chihuahuas, Pekingese, Lhasa Apso, Bull Mastiffs, Boxers, Boston Terriers, and Bulldogs.
These particular breeds of dogs are susceptible to Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome and make them a challenge to keep as pets.
Those who find these smooshed faces adorable should be aware that they are also expensive to keep alive if not cared for properly, or they can just develop health problems over time just because of the way they look.
Brachycephalic Airway Syndrom (BAS) is when the dog suffers from obstruction of the airways which can result in symptoms such as noisy breathing, snorting, snoring, fainting during movement, and constant fatigue.
This condition is hazardous to the dog's life and requires surgery, so if you're considering any of these breeds, be sure to understand the cost of care required for them to live healthy happy lives.
Lifespan
Because the French Bulldog is prone to illness, their lifespan can vary and is dependent on the owner's ability to care for them. They can also fall victim to allergies and other ailments that can affect their life expectancy.
Typically, the French Bulldog is known to live between 8 and 13 years, as recorded by the UK breed survey report, and the AKC. This again is dependent on the ability to properly care for the brachycephalic doggie, through sickness, and in health.
Other Health Problems
Other than Allergies and the occasional asthma attack, French Bulldogs are also prone to various other health problems with their back and spine, eyes, and a myriad of other diseases and disorders.
This is why they should only be owned with those who are equipped to afford the many ailments that can pop up during their lifespan. Because they were bred from the smallest dwarf bulldogs, the French bulldog had to sacrifice its bone health for an adorable stature.
High-Class Reproduction
Many of the qualities, physical characteristics and features of the French Bulldog disable them from many common activities that other dog breeds can partake in. That includes breeding.
You see, because of the small cute stature of the male French Bulldog, he is unable to properly mount onto the female to reproduce.
According to the Telegraph, This can cause a problem when trying to breed the dogs, therefore the solution has always been artificial insemination. More than 80% of Frenchie litters are conceived through this process, making them very high-class breeders.
Not only are the mothers artificially inseminated, but the majority of Frenchie mothers bring their pups into the world through a Caesarean section.
Female French Bulldogs are prone to impaired thyroid functions, and thyroid disease, which can cause complications during conceiving and birthing their litters.
According to WikiHow, So breeding these dogs can be quite pricey, dangerous, and it requires a lot of attention to detail. The litters usually range around three puppies in each litter, so breeding has to be done with precision and correctly the first time.
The Frenchie Tails Tale
The French Bulldogs short statures are cute and many come to wonder how they balance their waddles with what appears to be a stub or no tail at all.
Does the Frenchie have a tail? Is the tail cropped or are they naturally non-existent or invisible? This is a question many Frenchie lovers have wondered about and for good reason.
Due to the way Frenchie's are bred, it's rare to see them before whatever alterations that may have occurred after birth. The process is controlled and precise and mostly done by experienced breeders.
As mentioned before, the French Bulldog was bred to control vermin and rodent populations in Europe, while still being a stylish addition to the family.
According to Friskafrallor, The French Bulldog is born with a tail that comes in three distinct shapes: thick root with a tip, straight down and chunky, screwed and stocky.
Selective breeding has caused the tail to be virtually non-existent, or if it is present, to be like a tree stump. It serves little purpose, but it's present when the puppies are firstborn.
Instead of docking or cutting the tails off, selective breeding has produced a tail that is unnoticeable. Stumpy tails are a result of breeding French Bulldogs that were not yet sexually mature enough to breed.
Instead of cropping the tail like that which is done to other breeds of dogs, French Bulldog breeders decided to breed the tail out, or at least shorter and stubbier.
Selecting dogs that had smaller tails, or tucked their tails tightly were bred to produce litters with shorter and shorter tails.
The French Bulldog Does not have such a tail compared to other dogs, it has what's called a nub. The tail is also an essential feature examined by the American Kennel Club to determine the pureness of the French Bulldog.
The longer the tail the further away from being a purebred French Bulldog the dog will be. Also, the shape of the tail helps the AKC determine the purity of the French Bulldog in question.
The nubs on the French Bulldog require as much care and maintenance as the entire dog, especially if it's a pesky corkscrew tail.
Although beautifully wiggly and fun shaped, the corkscrew tailed French Bulldog requires more upkeep around the tail.
The tail can cause health problems if not kept clean, and it is in constant need of debris and poop removal to avoid infection and irritation.
That means that the Frenchies tail needs daily cleaning, and monitoring to ensure that it's nub is not interfering with its bathroom habits.
Commonly French Bulldogs tails are removed if it causes blockage when the dog is trying to relieve itself. The tail is often surgically removed if it is found blocking the anal glands and causing the buildup of feces and inevitably infection in the poor animal.
This can sometimes not be avoided, so many French Bulldog parents have nursed their little fur pig back to health from a tail removal surgery.
Conclusion
Although French Bulldogs have a reputation for health problems and breathing complications caused by their squishy faces, they remain a status symbol for those who love them.
French Bulldogs have overdone an extensive breeding history, alterations, and much other perfecting to create the wrinkly little ball of furry joy we all know and love.
There are so many variations of patterns and colors they present themselves in, and they have become the ideal companion for those who enjoy the nice things in life.
French Bulldogs have made their mark in the doggie world, and have stolen the hearts of many renown and infamous people around the world.
Originating in France, but extending their creases and folds throughout the four corners of the world, the French Bulldog has proven its big impact in such a small package.
Still today they are considered one of the most wanted pets and are treated more like family when acquired.
They have beaten the odds of their breeding and become a statement of status and luxury, the reason the French Bulldog is number 4 on the popularity list.
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.
