The Rare French Bulldog Doberman Mix: What is Best to know

If you think about a blend of different breeds, do you imagine similar crosses like the Rottweiler and Doberman or French Bulldog and Boston Terrier?

Many people have thought to breed similar dogs to potentially improve guard potential or eliminate health problems.

What would you think about a French Bulldog Doberman mix? Could a great family dog come from a rare combination?

You will probably never encounter a Frenchie Doberman mix. She is not a designer dog that fanciers actively seek to produce.

She will be attractive but not necessarily more heat- or exercise-tolerant than the French Bulldog. You will not acquire an excellent guard dog.

Breeders conclude they have to put in a lot of effort into yet another companion dog, cute as she may be. Nevertheless, if you can find a French Bulldog Doberman mix, she is likely to be affectionate, clownish, and endearing.

What are the origins?

The Doberman Pinscher has changed some in appearance but not in use since its development in 1890. As the Doberman Pinscher Club of America states, Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann, a tax collector in Germany, needed a dog who could guard him during his rounds and set out to create one.

Dobermans likely owe their existence to such breeds as the Rottweiler, Weimeraner, German Pinscher, Old German Shepherd Dog, Manchester Terrier, English Greyhound Shorthaired Shepherd, and Great Dane.

From the beginning, the Doberman Pinscher's main purpose was to guard persons and property. People still view them as effective guard dogs although breeders have striven to produce more companion-oriented pets who fit well into different types of families.

The French Bulldog derives its name not from its true origins but from where it gained much of its finishing development.

French Bulldogs began as toy versions of the Bulldog, mostly around Nottingham, England. Toy Bulldogs were a favorite of lacemakers.

When lace sewists lost their jobs after the Industrial Revolution, they brought their miniature English Bulldogs with them to Normandy, France.

Breeders used French ratters to refine the features they liked most in their little dogs. The miniature Bulldog was in much greater fashion in France than England, and the French took over the breed, renaming it sometime after 1860. Other breeds that may have influenced the French Bulldog are the Rat Terrier and the Pug.

When French Bulldogs found their way to the United States in 1896, Americans not only took to them but would also make the bat ears a distinctive and sought-after character later etched into the breed standard. The charming dogs also earned the nickname Frenchie.

What will you see in the French Bulldog-Doberman Appearance?

You could not ask to blend two more different breeds

Dobermans, when you first look at them, are lean, imposing, elegant, and courageous. The overwhelming majority of Dobermans are black with brown or rust points. Other colors that can occur are white and blue and tan.

The brown points of Dobermans exist in a stereotypical pattern as two points above the eyes, a band across the front of the chest, on the cheeks, and the insides and lower parts of the legs.

The Doberman is tall and lean but muscular. He stands 23 to 27 inches tall and weighs 70 to 95 pounds. He has a tapered head with a relatively long snout. His ears, when natural, should be of moderate length and drop forward against the head.

Doberman Pinscher owners in North America and a few other countries crop the dog's ears, so they stand upright, especially for showing. They also dock the tail, cutting it extremely short.

Dobermans have a fluid springy gait and considerable speed when running. They are athletic, exhibiting power and agility.

French Bulldogs are compact, low to the ground, humorous, and charismatic. They can show numerous colors, including fawn, cream, black, and brindle.

Unusual colors that are not acceptable for showing under registries are lilac, black and white, black and tan, and solid black with no trace of brindle.

Frenchies have a square compact body with dwarf limbs and a short, sometimes screw tail. They possess neither athleticism nor stamina.

French Bulldogs have disproportionately large heads with exaggerated shortening of the muzzle to give them flat faces.

French Bulldogs often waddle when they move, even when not overweight. If they catch up to whatever they are chasing, they possess power and tenacity. Frenchies are about 12 inches tall at the shoulders and weigh 16 to 28 pounds. Males are heavier than females.

When you consider what your Doberman French Bulldog mix will look like, she will probably retain the most dominant traits from both breeds.

For example, many French Bulldog mixes have bat ears and dwarfism. A lot of Doberman hybrids are black and tan with a narrow head and long snout.

Expect your mixed dog to be short and compact with a snub nose but longer than a Frenchie's, dilute black and tan or cream and tan, and bob-tailed with bat ears. A good proportion of a litter may have rose ears. Rarer colors you might see are fawn, white, or brindle.

Your Frenchie Doberman mix will probably get much of her size from the French Bulldog. She might top out at 15 inches tall and weigh no more than 25 to 35 pounds.

Will your dog guard your home?

Your Frenchie mix will not likely guard your family very well but could be a good watchdog. Doberman Pinschers are watchful and protective of family members and property and will often guard with formidable barking and growling, possibly attacking if provoked.

The aim of pet-quality Dobermans is a less aggressive dog, according to a Canna-Pet blog, but he will still show varying degrees of protectiveness against strangers. Most Dobermans will warm up to your friends within a short period.

French Bulldogs have only a few jobs, and those include to be entertaining and delightful. Frenchies appear to love attention from everyone and will not exhibit any discrimination between visitors and intruders.

Although once proving fearsome ratters on the streets of France, the French Bulldog's days as a vermin killer are long gone.

Add Doberman to the Frenchie, and you may infuse a little more natural suspicion against strangers. If you are lucky, your French Bulldog mix will at least bark to alert you of possible trouble or announce the arrival of a visitor. However, most of the time your Frenchie Doberman will be warm, friendly, and engaging with everyone.

How much should you exercise your Frenchie mix?

Dobermans require 60 to 90 minutes of exercise per day, and French Bulldogs can tolerate only 20 to 30 minutes.

French Bulldogs still require activity because obesity can be devastating for them, but they can only handle short durations. Split a Frenchie's exercise into as many sessions as he needs.

Your French Bulldog Doberman mix will need exercise comparable to a purebred Frenchie. How much activity she can tolerate will depend on how long her muzzle is.

A greatly flattened face will hinder her breathing and significantly affect how much she can run at one time. Short muzzles also contribute to overheating. Another factor limiting athletic prowess is the shortness of the legs.

Your mixed dog needs 25 to 45 minutes of exercise split up over the day. Avoid exercising your French Bulldog Doberman outside when it is warm. Anything over 80 degrees Fahrenheit is too hot for your Frenchie mix unless she has no muzzle shortness.

Is apartment living appropriate?

Unless your puppy inherits the energy level and many physical features from the Doberman, he is one mix that may do well in an apartment.

French Bulldog Doberman mixes do not require tremendous amounts of exercise, are not particularly large, and are fairly calm and inactive.

You will have to be more vigilant about providing your dog exercise than you would if you had a yard.

As with any dog, you cannot leave your French Bulldog Doberman unattended for several hours in an apartment.

Although Dobermans often patrolled areas on their own at night, they suffer from boredom and become destructive if you leave them at home without a job.

A safe puzzle toy may work to occupy a Doberman for a few hours, but French Bulldogs are geared to be constantly with people. Your Frenchie mix is likely going to want to spend most waking hours with you or may become depressed.

Briefly, if you are moving into a new rental, check the regulations. Many will not allow Pitbulls, and there is a chance your French Bulldog mix may resemble one. You may have to provide proof your dog is not a Pitbull mix.

Sometimes you can obtain breed confirmation with a health certificate from a veterinarian. Proof of breed can be difficult for mixed dogs, but you can perform a DNA test as a last resort.

How is French Bulldog Doberman mixes with the family?

Dobermans and Frenchies both make excellent family pets, usually bonding with all members. They also become companionable with other pets, especially dogs.

Dobermans live fine with dogs they grow up with, but you have to watch them around cats because some have a high prey drive.

Children

The younger your Doberman is when you expose her to children, the better she will be with them as she gets older.

Make sure to engage in socialization, ensuring every encounter with children is positive for the dog and the child. Dobermans are gentle with children in the family, again, if properly socialized.

You must watch a Doberman around toddlers, especially strangers, because of your dog's potential to regard them as prey.

French Bulldogs are affectionate and playful with children. You must supervise young kids and make sure they do not lay on top of Frenchies or otherwise infringe on the dog's ability to breathe.

Your French Bulldog Doberman is likely to be friendly if not a bit unruly with children. You should supervise your dog at all times around very young children and infants. Do not allow your French Bulldog mix to jump up on children as that is generally the worst habit they have.

Other Dogs

Dobermans, especially, can exhibit same-sex aggression against other dogs. Otherwise, Dobermans tend to get along with dogs, especially if you are vigilant about socializing your puppy. Some individuals chase small animals with the intent to harm them while other Dobermans are sweet with cats.

Never fully trust a Doberman alone with a small animal because of her large size and relative strength.

With French Bulldogs, you often need to make sure your dog is not the one who becomes injured. With their short stature and inability to move around proficiently, Frenchies can easily be on the losing side of a big-dog-little-dog encounter with agile opponents like German Shepherds and Dobermans.

French Bulldog Doberman mixes, like Frenchies, get along with the majority of other dogs and do well with cats. They like to play and do fine as long as you make sure they do not overexert themselves or place themselves in harm's way. They will likely not have the speed or stamina to run away from aggressors.

Will your new puppy be easy to train?

The Doberman ranks among the five most intelligent dogs, according to the Dogsbredslist.info quote of Stanley Coren and other sources.

Most behaviorists and trainers agree the Doberman Pinscher is one of the easiest dogs to train and is especially obedient.

French Bulldogs rank 109th out of 138, not remarkable for their working skills or obedience but above average for their instinctual intelligence or ability to adapt to environmental influences.

You cannot fault Frenchies because no one involved in their creation intended to produce a working dog. French Bulldogs can be stubborn and resistant to training.

Your French Bulldog Doberman could inherit any combination of intelligence and trainability from her parents, running the gambit from sly and stubborn to clever and cooperative but easily bored. All types will require steady and consistent repetitions for effective training.

What are your dog's health concerns?

The French Bulldog Doberman mix is so rare that nobody knows potential health issues. The only way to make an estimated guess about possible health issues is to look at what your dog could potentially inherit from either parent.

Doberman

• Dilated cardiomyopathy – One of the most concerning and devastating genetic conditions of Dobermans, an enlarged heart, has a high occurrence and involves eventual cardiac failure. Mixed breeds are at a much lower risk of cardiomyopathy than purebreds, according to a veterinarian site, vin.com. Dilated cardiomyopathy is not a problem for small dogs.
• GDV (gastric dilatation and volvulus) – A widespread issue in large-breed dogs, especially those with a deep chest, bloat is where the stomach swells with fluid or gas causing it to twist. Bloat can occur in small breeds but with a lower risk except in Dachshunds.
• Wobbler's – Dobermans and Great Danes are particularly vulnerable to problems with the vertebrae in the neck, causing an unsteady gait and sometimes eventual paralysis. Some dogs require surgery. Wobbler's can occur in small breeds.
• Demodicosis – Demodex is a type of mite that causes hair loss and usually occurs in immune-compromised puppies.
• Von Willebrand's disease – A clotting disorder that causes uncontrolled bleeding from minor events.

French Bulldog

• Brachycephalic syndrome – An entire complex of problems that cause difficulty breathing and chronic hypoxia is commonly a feature of dogs with flat faces. They often have excess tissue obstructing the throat area and palate, as well as narrow nostrils and windpipes. Prominent bug eyes and nonexistent snouts subject Frenchies to an eye injury.
• Collapsing trachea – The windpipe is not only narrow, but it also has weak cartilage rings at times in the French Bulldog. This weakening of cartilage allows the trachea to snap closed adding to breathing difficulties and usually accompanied by a honking cough.
• Hemivertebrae – The screw tails of Bulldogs and Boston Terriers can link to misshapen vertebrae that can lead to paralysis depending on their location.
• IVVD – Intervertebral disc disease or a slipped disc is common in dogs with dwarf characteristics and can cause pain and paralysis.
• Deafness – French Bulldogs can be deaf at birth, a disorder linked to a predominantly white coat. According to Frenchiewiki.com, you can conduct a hearing test known as the BAER as early as six weeks of age.
• Often require C-section delivery – Certain French Bulldog mixes may be rare because of the inability to achieve natural births.

Both breeds can have hip dysplasia and pass that along to any offspring.

French Bulldogs can live 10 to 12 years according to the Askfrankie.co. Although substantially longer than an English Bulldog, 12 years are short for a small-breed dog and can be attributed to lifelong respiratory issues.

The Happy Puppy Site says Dobermans live an average of 9 to 11 years. Some may live as long as 13 years.

You can estimate your Doberman French Bulldog mix may live 11 to 13 years as long as her face is not extremely flat.

What are grooming needs?

Luckily with both the Doberman and French Bulldog, you are coping with a short coat. Coat quality is remarkably similar between the two breeds. Some dogs do not even have an undercoat, and most have a moderately-thin outer coat of short, coarse hairs.

Your Doberman-Frenchie mix will have a short outer coat with a thin or nonexistent inner layer of fine hair. You should brush your dog at least weekly to remove dead hairs, debris, and spent skin cells, improve the circulation of blood supply and oils to the hair follicles, and as a form of bonding between you and your pet.

Examine your dog's ears every couple of weeks for any signs of infection like discharge, redness, or odor. Clean your French Bulldog mix's ears and clip her nails every one to one and a half months.

Conclusion

French Bulldog Doberman mixes are exceedingly rare. Some of the characteristics we suggested came from what we know about the two breeds and after looking at a few of their more common hybrids.

As this compilation shows, a majority of French Bulldog mixes end up with bat ears. The Frug and the Rottweiler mix illustrate rose ears.

A Rottweiler French Bulldog mix is the closest example you will probably see to a Frenchie Doberman cross. Note the compact and small size and black and tan coloration. A Doberman will probably produce a nose that is a little longer.

This video illustrates the contrast in exercise tolerance and style as well as appearance between an English Bulldog and a Doberman. A Frenchie would show very similar traits to the Bulldog except for a smaller frame and more activity.

Another close relationship to the Doberman Frenchie cross is the English Bulldog Doberman mix.

Note the compact body and loose skin typical of a Bulldog. Despite shortened legs, the puppy has the spring stride of a Doberman.

It appears this puppy will develop rose ears. A French Bulldog will probably look very similar but perhaps a bit smaller.