On the Topic of Frenchies....

sillysally

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#1
I didn't want to hijack the other frenchie thread, but it reminded me of how taken I was with frenchies when I saw them at a large dog show I Chicago last month. I friend of mine has one that she adores, but I was looking to hear about other people's experiences with them. How are they with strangers? Other dogs? Other pets? What are they like to be around in general? Do you ever see any in performance type events?
 

Fran101

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#2
I didn't want to hijack the other frenchie thread, but it reminded me of how taken I was with frenchies when I saw them at a large dog show I Chicago last month. I friend of mine has one that she adores, but I was looking to hear about other people's experiences with them. How are they with strangers? Other dogs? Other pets? What are they like to be around in general? Do you ever see any in performance type events?
Frenchies are my favorite dogs to walk and one of my favorite breeds because of the many I have met being a dog walker.
A shameless photo op for my frenchie crew/Merlin's best friends!






They are awesome little dogs.
Never met a stranger.
Great with other dogs but ESPECIALLY other frenchies.
Seem to be fine with cats and other pets, the prey drive is pretty nill.

In general they are sweet, funny, sometimes stubborn, snorty, fun, crazy, tug crazy, wiggly little guys. Just little clowns really lol very food driven and always looking to make people laugh.

We call them little linebackers because even though they are small they are STRONG! I am EASILY dragged by 2 of them down the sidewalk. Picking them up takes getting used to because they are top heavy and SOLID.

My crew is pretty athletic. They keep up with Merlin with ease and I could easily imagine them playing some kind of sport and enjoying it :)
They are really GO GO GO once they are ready but once home, such bed bugs lol they like to sleep in and frenchie yoga is so serious.
I mean it.
DO NOT try to rush a frenchie to go outside before their stretching time :rofl1:

They party really hard and party like NUTS with Merlin for 2-3 hours some days but yea, go home and CRASH.

They are great little dogs IMO. What I would pick if I was going for a small breed

Only real downside for me is the snorting, the snoring. Comes with the smooshy face territory really lol some more-so than others, in this group we have one larger frenchie (the black one being kissed) with the longer muzzle and he doesn't snort much at all but the little guy kissing him is a little pig

Generally just fun, funny dogs to be around IMO
 

MericoX

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#3
Frans description is pretty spot on from the Frenchies we've met.
There was one once in Tsuki's beginner agility class and she was a drivey, smart little thing.

They are high up on my "will someday own" list.
 

milos_mommy

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#5
Lots of fun, great little personalities. I've seen some DA, but less than other bulldog breeds. A lot of other dogs seem a bit taken aback by their snortiness and piglet-y ways...they're definitely tough little things and I think sometimes other dogs are honestly not quite sure they are in fact dogs at all, which can lead to some scuffles.

Back problems are common in the breed, and I've seen lots of byb frenchies with long backs, which doesn't help. Aside from breathing/allergy issues (which in my experience aren't as bad as English bulldogs or pugs), they seem pretty healthy. They run around and breathe fine (albeit nosily) in cool weather, heat is a concern for some with very flat faces.
 

Oko

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#6
I've met quite a few from taking Wesley to the beach. Someone that goes pretty regularly has three brindle frenchies, it was adorable. I love the toaddogs, they are one of my favorite breeds, I totally want to own one some day. All the ones I've met have been super sweet and kept up pretty well with Mr. Longlegs, really nice temperaments, and just cool little dogs. Seems like they make awesome companions.
 

crazedACD

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#7
I like Frenchies too!

In addition to the fun stuff about them, I think their one downside is is like..DA/Interhousehold aggression. I've seen several that are jerks, especially to each other or other bulldogs. They have that bulldog tenacity!
 

Flyinsbt

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#8
I love the Frenchies!

The description of their temperament you've been given is pretty good. I have seen or heard of the occasional one in agility (the only one I actually saw in the flesh was hilarious. Zippy fast, but he did not want to stop on the table!), I know one locally that has a UD.

The one thing I'll comment on them is that there are apparently a lot of French Bulldogs imported into this country from Eastern European puppy mills, and they do not always have typical Frenchie temperament. Frenchies in rescues, unfortunately, tend to be those dogs. So if I was looking for one from a rescue, I'd be very careful about getting an accurate evaluation of the temperament. Or just buy a pup from a responsible show breeder, which will come with the typical Frenchie temperament. (which is the reason to own them.)
 
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#9
I have friends in Germany with frenchies and they used to play so well with my crazy pbgv pup when I lived there. Very sweet dogs with people and animals. I would get one in a heart beat if I didn't live in such a warm climate...
 

Shai

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#10
There are a couple that do agility here, on in particular that is in masters and may have a MACH...I can't remember. He seems sweet and is pretty darn fast though he has issues on tight turns and stopping momentum because he's so very front-heavy. Fran's description of a linebacker is right on. Despite being a very fit Frenchie, he is breathing hard when he walks off a course and takes longer to return to normal. He also simply isn't competed when it's going to be hot out. His jumping style is rather bizarre. Effective, but bizarre.

I've never seen him be anything other than good in the crowded company of other dogs and people. Seems like a good-natured soul.
 

skittledoo

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#12
Frenchies are one of the few small breeds I actually seriously want one day. I use to not care for them so much until I started working with dogs and have had the chance to get to know quite a few of them.
 

Shai

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#13
What does he do? lol
It's hard to describe but whenever he tries to turn over the bar his rear end sort of flies out due to centrifugal force. It's like if you have a ball on a string and spin around...your body is the anchor and the ball and string fly out straight as you spin. The heavy front of the dog acts as the anchor and the rear just kind of flies in the wind until he hits the ground and all four paws scramble for speed again. Very different from the curving arc of more balanced dogs.
 

Emily

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#14
My coworker shows and breeds Frenchies. I know her dogs pretty well.

I wouldn't get a Frenchie if I wanted a dog to get along with all dogs, I'll certainly say that much. They are bulldogs at heart and IME DA and DR are not unheard of or even uncommon - and this is not just my friend's lines but rather my experience in the breed as a whole. That said, we do have some social butterflies that come to daycare and they certainly do exist - and they're hilarious. :D

The Frenchies I know have temperaments that are very suitable to performance - most will hang from a tug like a little alligator and are pretty motivated, but their bodies just aren't suited to it, really. Not that people can't be successful with them but they're not designed for it, being enormously top heavy and lacking any snout. Still, I enjoy the thought of doing some kind of sport with a little meathead Frenchie, lol.

They also have A LOT of health problems. My friend is totally honest about the state of the breed and it is...not good. Beyond their build, they have spinal issues, eye issues, and tend to be short-lived. Her male is acting senile and losing some coordination at only 9 years old. She belongs to a breed club that emphasizes health (and transparency regarding health) and does as much health testing as possible, but...not all issues are easily tested for, and there in lies the problem.

All that said... I find them charming and were I open to a brachy breed and had lots of money for possible vet bills I might consider one. They are really very clownish and funny, and the noises they make are like no other. I find them relatively physically appealing as well, as far as that kind of a dog goes.

Another consideration is the price of a well-bred Frenchie, which seems to be around $2,500 - $3,500. Ouch. There are lots in rescue (and lots of good breed specific rescues) however. Of course health in those dogs is huge crapshoot and IME (my coworker fosters for a rescue so I meet them all the time) they are not necessarily less exaggerated than the show bred Frenchies, and are worse in certain ways.

I really, really like the little guys but I'd say it's definitely a breed that takes a lot of consideration and lifestyle modification.
 

AdrianneIsabel

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#15
I found a breeder in Sweden probably 5 years ago or so that had natural whelping Frenchies. The pups were 4,500 base price. I was horrified.

Also I have seen a few nasty dog aggressive ones. Just as a fair heads up. I think they're cute and it's fun to think about being the "prove you can do it with ____" person but naw, the only way I would own one is to rescue one as have it as a pet.
 

Emily

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#16
I found a breeder in Sweden probably 5 years ago or so that had natural whelping Frenchies. The pups were 4,500 base price. I was horrified.

Also I have seen a few nasty dog aggressive ones.
I'm told it's actually not uncommon in Europe for Frenchies to free whelp, but it's not necessarily because they're more moderate. I guess they just have better reproductive health in those lines. Or Americans are just more paranoid about it. Most America breeders don't even try to let the bitch free whelp, they just go straight for a C-section.

And yep, I know several DA Frenchies. It's definitely a reality in the breed, IME.
 
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#17
Frenchies are the one thing that Gage hates. There was one at the dog park that repeatedly attacked him, it would wait for him to enter and just attack his face and try to hang on to his lips. His owner would try and redirect him but he just didn't like Gage for some reason. It ruined Gage because he will not tolerate them near him at all now. So ya DA is defiantly there, other then that the ones I have me have all keen like already described, fun loving happy little dogs, and who doesn't love the Frenchie ears! If I were ever to consider another shedding dog, not freaking likely lol, it would be high on my list I just think they are great little dogs that would suit my family.
 
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#18
The only frenchies I have met are the ones at shows, and they don't do too mush besides just standing there, walking in slow motion and breathing like a steam train :( and this is caused from the hot tropical climate were I live that can go up 35c to 45c and don't forget the harsh sunlight, all this is torture for the poor frenchies, english bulldogs are the same.
 
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#19
I had wanted a Frenchie for a few years, but there is no way I was paying thousands of dollars for one.

I finally found one at my local shelter. Several were turned in when they could no longer breed them due to health issues. Females went to rescue and I adopted Rocky the male.

He was 6 yrs old and I've had him 3 yrs so he is 9 yrs old now. He is my only Frenchie experience, but this is what I've learned from Rocky!

Rocky was extremely dog aggressive when I got him. He tried to kill Jack my Boston on several occasions and got into some pretty bad fights with my Dogo Argentino. I ended up giving him to my Mother who kept him for 6 months and then had to move so she gave him back. He had calmed down some and after some work I was able to get him to live in the pack with the other dogs.

He is pretty social now especially considering his beginning. He can go in public and is pretty mellow around other dogs there.

He loves all people, to the point he got himself dog napped! Thankfully he was microchipped and I got him back.

He is silly and goofy at times.

But is main thing is FOOD. This dog would walk thru a ring of fire for food and I mean anything remotely edible. He will eat lettuce, tomatoes, apples, carrots, broccoli, bananas, grapefruit, orangs, lemons, etc. He loves foods.

I had him at the beach one day and he was having a blast running and chasing the white caps which he thought was food and about 100 ft away a little girl pulled the plastic top off a lunchable. His hearing sucks until it comes to food. He took off at fast as his little stubby legs could carry him and jumped into her lap and gave her what I call the Food Face! She screamed at first and then burst out laughing as his goofy bugged eyes stare. He didn't touch her food, but was begging for all he was worth.

Another time we were at a big rescue event and a lady gave him a cookie and sat the bowl back on the table. Casper was chillin in the kiddie pool they had out and I was talking to someone. Rocky grabbed the table cloth and pulled the entire bowl of cookies down so he could eat them.

At Petco he will park himself infront of the cookie counter and not budge!

He doesn't play with any toys, but will chew bones and can be very aggressive over them. He had some large cow leg bones, bigger than he is and he would sit on them and chew at the same time!

Rocky goes hiking and if fairly active. He can go 5-6 miles easily. He also can swim in calm waters. Atlantic Ocean current was too strong for him though.

He is fine with cats, fairly low prey drive, but has gone after a wild hog.

When he gets a hold of something though, you need a break stick to get off cause he ain't letting go. While I wouldn't call him dog aggressive anymore, I would say he is very combative. If given the choice to fight or flee, he is going to fight. Also if a fight breaks out, you can bet you ass he is going to get in on it.

Rocky is very good with children. Very tolerant and gentle with them.

Overall, he is a pretty awesome little guy! :)











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