Tips and Resources

According to AKC, the French Bulldog should possess the appearance of an active, intelligent, and muscular dog with heavy bones, smooth fur, a compact build, and a well-proportioned medium to a small structure. Although all of our Frenchies fit this description well, all Frenchies, including ours, look different, also those of the same color or pattern. For example, if you've seen a golden retriever, you've seen them all. This certainly doesn't apply to Frenchies, which makes each one unique.

French Bulldogs are quite small - 28 pounds or less, so they can act as companion dogs (like ours). They have a broad, square bull's head - typically more pronounced in males than females. Their two most well-known features are (1) their iconic bat ears (which we adore) which are broad, elongated, rounded at the base, high on the head but not too close together, and worn vertically with the opening towards the bottom front and (2) their short, straight or screwed tail. In fact, no changes made to the puppies unless the dewclaws are removed. All other changes are considered mutilations.

The neck is thick and well arched with loose skin on the neck. The body is short and well rounded. The chest is wide, deep, and full, well ribbed with the tummy tucked up. The front legs are short, strong, straight, muscular, and wide apart. The hind legs are strong and muscular and longer than the front legs to lift the kidneys above the shoulders. In other words, they are strong little dogs that weigh more than they should look because they are so strong. We learned this quickly when we got our Frenchies back. We have to catch them just behind the front legs. If you catch them in the middle they will tilt forward because they are too heavy.

The coat is moderately fine, shiny, short, and smooth. The skin is soft and loose, especially on the head and shoulders, and wrinkles. We love to stroke our Frenchies. They are soft and supple and feel great - both to us and our adorable dogs, based on their reactions. Since they have a fairly short single layer, they don't tend to shed much. We are both demanding housekeepers (like a mother, like a daughter) and if these were big sheds believe us when we say they would NOT be pets in our house (which they are)!

One of the best things about the French Bulldog is that it comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns. In our breeding program, we are specifically looking for dogs with a variety of colors and color patterns so that our puppies come in a variety of colors and patterns including the very beautiful and rare blue, blue and chocolate robins, and we intend to add more, even rarer, in the future. Piedness is a recessive trait in French bulldogs but it is still relatively common (two pied dogs only produce pied puppies, two pied carriers produce 25% pied puppies, etc.). A Frenchie foot is one that has a primer of white with darker colored patches that are brindle (similar to a pony). Deer, cream, red, white, and brindle (dark color with lighter hair or vice versa) are acceptable colors, and they all come in a variety of colors, including beautiful and rare blues and chocolate candies.

BREEDING THE FRENCHIE

This is not an easy task to breed a French Bulldog. There are many elements involved in breeding Frenchie puppies, which are some of the most difficult dogs to breed. Obviously, when someone asks why a Frenchie is so expensive, they don't understand what it means to be a French Bulldog breeder.

What would be better than a French Bulldog? Of course, Two French bulldogs!

According to Business Insider, the French Bulldog is the fourth most popular dog in the United States with a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years. This may be a bit surprising, especially given the difficult task of raising French Bulldogs.

The breed lovers are well conscious of their worth and worth. But those who know the dog well also understand the difficulties associated with their breed.

Frenchie is prone to many health issues that you would not normally have with other dog breeds. Raising a Frenchie can be a challenge. If you are not familiar with this breed, you may be wondering what you are getting into. It would definitely be a mistake to start breeding French Bulldogs without first understanding the needs and risks of the breed.

Frenchies Health Concerns of Breeding

The breed lovers are well conscious of their worth and worth. But those who know the dog well also understand the difficulties associated with their breed.

Rare or fad colors in French Bulldog puppies

American Kennel Club French Bulldog Breed Standard has disqualified rare colors of a coat in French Bulldogs.

French Bulldog puppies comprise of the following FAD colors but not limited to:

Blues in French Bulldogs - Blue Frenchie, Blue Pied Frenchie, Blue Fawn Frenchie, Blue Brindle Frenchie, etc.
Brown Polka Dot Frenchies - Black and brown Frenchie, Blue and brown Frenchie, Purple and brown Frenchie, Chocolate and brown Frenchie, etc.
Trindles - French Bulldogs with brindle tan spots.
All black French Bulldogs - without traces of brindle are also quite rare.
Merle coat in French bulldogs - Merle Frenchie, Fawn Merle Frenchie, Blue Merle Frenchie, etc.

Chocolate Frenchies - Chocolate Frenchie, Frenchie Choco Pied, Frenchie Choco Fawn, etc.

Breed Standards of a French Bulldog

General "standard" for French Bulldogs has been created by the American Kennel Club (AKC). Perhaps the most remarkable norm is that any change other than removing the dewclaws is considered damage.

As a result, the breed is no longer referred to as a French Bulldog. You will be able to find other standards in the AKC guideline as well that include the height of a French Bulldog is generally between 11 and 13 inches, and it cannot weigh more than 28 pounds. French Bulldogs have the following standard colors:

Brindle Frenchie
Brindle and White markings Frenchie
Cream Frenchie
Fawn Frenchie
Fawn and White markings Frenchie
Fawn Brindle Frenchie
White Frenchie
White and Brindle Frenchie
White & Fawn Frenchie

Rare or fad colors in French Bulldog puppies

For most dog breeds, the most efficient and inexpensive way to produce a litter of puppies is natural mating. Due to the small hips and an oversized head, it is quite difficult for the male to climb the feminine nature. So artificial insemination is the safest and most effective way when it comes to raising French Bulldogs.

Caesarean sections for Frenchies

One of the reasons that French Bulldogs are quite expensive is the cost associated with the birth of a Bulldog. Caesarean is generally considered as the safest option for Frenchies.

With a Caesarean, the puppies are operated. This is often necessary when a vaginal birth is too dangerous for the mother or the puppy, or both. The puppy's oversized head and mother's narrow pelvis make it difficult for the dog to give birth naturally.

Minimum mating age for French Bulldogs

The age of maturity differs from breed to breed of dog. However, it has been found that rather than large breeds, small breeds mature faster. After about six months male French Bulldogs become fertile. They can also reach full sexual maturity after 12 to 15 months. If your male Frenchie is in good health, even at the old age, he will remain sexually active and fertile. The first heat wave (estrus) occurs after six months for the dam. However, in some situations, this estrus has been delayed for up to 18 months or even two years. Your dam's heating season should be after six-month until old age.

However, to raise your dam in its first season is considered controversial and against the standards, as they are not fully developed at this young age and pregnancy can put the dog and puppies at increased risk. According to the rules of the American Kennel Club, registering a litter from a dam under 8 months old or over 12 years old is not normally allowed.

The Cycle of a French Bulldog Dam

It is necessary to know the cycle of your female. This will help you keep track of their breeding times. The cycle of a dam is divided into four parts:

Proestrus: Your dam is in proestrus when she has a bloody vaginal discharge and her vulva is swollen. It is then that it attracts males, not for breeding. This period lasts about nine days.

Estrus: This follows proestrus and also lasts about nine days. During this time, the female is fertile and allows reproduction. For reproductive purposes, please note that ovulation usually happens within the first 48 hours of this period.

Diestrus: This is the period when the reproductive system is under the control of the hormone progesterone. That's a period of about 60 to 63 days. This will happen whether your dam becomes pregnant or not. If your female becomes pregnant during estrus, the diestrus stage will continue until she has or gives birth to puppies. However, false pregnancy is also possible during this period. In this situation, your dam may show signs of pregnancy when she is not.

Anestrus: This period lasts between three and four months. There is no sexual activity during this time.

Indications that Your Dam Is Pregnant

After estrus, you should look for signs of pregnancy in your female. An increase in appetite, weight, or the size of the nipples are the signs of being pregnant. However, in itself, this is not so conclusive.

As mentioned earlier, your female may show signs of pregnancy and not be pregnant. By doing an ultrasound, x-ray, or examining her abdominal palpitations, a veterinarian can make this confirmation for you after 28 days.

Once you've confirmed your dam is pregnant, it's time to talk to the vet about the extra attention needed to breed a French Bulldog.

Pregnancy Period of a French Bulldog

French Bulldogs are like all other dog breeds when it comes to the length of pregnancy. This period should last from 58 to 68 days. The average gestation period is usually 63 days from the day of conception. It's been about two months in total.

For a few days before birth, your female may stop eating or have less appetite. She can also start building a "nest" in which she would like to have her puppies.

About 24 hours after her temperature has dropped, she can be expected to enter the first stage of labor, when the cervix dilates and the birth canal for the puppies to pass through opens.

At this point, she will be panting, tense, and appearing restless. Moments before childbirth, her body temperature may drop to 99 degrees or less. This step is followed by the actual strain and birthing of the abdominal. As mentioned above, due to their breathing difficulties and small hips associated with larger puppy heads, natural childbirth is not recommended for French Bulldogs.

Number of Puppies You Can Look Forward To!

French Bulldogs give birth to a few as compared to other dogs that give birth to a significant number of puppies.

The number of puppies you can expect in the litter is between 3 and 5 when you breed a French Bulldog. In some rare cases, French Bulldogs have given birth to up to 7 puppies.

Frenchies are naturally small breeds. Therefore, a smaller number of littermates would mean better conditions for the puppies in the womb.

Unless you are a certified and experienced breeder, you should not be raising French Bulldogs. The complications that can result not only put the female at risk but can also cause preventable birth defects for the puppies.