French Bulldogs are one of the more popular companion dog breeds. They have small, compact and muscular bodies that are well proportioned. They are low maintenance dogs that don’t require a lot of grooming or exercise.
French Bulldogs are indoor dogs as they don’t tolerate extreme temperatures all that well. Like all companion dogs, they are very friendly and sociable and they make very loyal pets. They can be extremely energetic at times but such episodes are usually followed by prolonged periods of resting and inactivity.
They are heavy-boned dogs that usually weigh up to 28 pounds, everything more than that is considered an irregularity. They are well proportioned – their withers are at the same distance from the ground as they are from the onset of the tail, which gives this dog a compact appearance. His wrinkled head is large and square-like. Frenchies, as they are often called, have dark, wide-set, intelligent eyes that should be positioned as far away from the ears as possible. Their ears are of a type known as bat ears; they resemble a triangle with a round tip and are set quite far apart. They usually have black noses, but that is not a rule, as some dogs with lighter coats can also have lighter noses.
Their coat is short, smooth and shiny. Most common coat colors are solid white, fawn or brindle; or a combination of brindle or fawn with white. Any other colors such as solid black, or a combination of black and other colors, as well as liver and mouse, are not recognized by the American Kennel Club. Due to the nature of the coat, this dog only needs to be groomed occasionally, brush his coat and give him a bath every once in a while and he should be good to go.
Generally, the dog doesn’t go through many cosmetic changes, his tail is not being docked nor are his ears clipped, the only alteration made to his body is the removal of dewclaws. The fact that he has short hair and no undercoat means that he doesn’t shed a lot which makes him suitable for people who can get allergic reactions from dog hair.
They are very playful and some people find their appearance and behavior quite funny. It is not rare that people will refer to them as clowns of the dog world. They are quite intelligent and obedient and they learn quickly, so training them should be a breeze. They are not loud dogs and bark only when appropriate. French Bulldogs are great with children and act friendly even towards strangers or other animals.
If you are patient and kind with them they will reward you with undying loyalty and love. However, you mustn’t be too lenient either, if they are not shown in time who is the boss, they might become a bit naughty and difficult to deal with.
Remember that their friendliness and sociability also means that they don’t like to be alone, if you can’t afford to spend a lot of time with them you might want to consider getting a little less demanding breed for a pet.
