Originally named the Bouledogue Français, The French Bulldog is known quite simply as the ‘Frenchie’ nowadays. With their trademark dark-brown doe-like eyes and lovely squishy face, they have quickly become one of America’s most popular dog breeds, coming in second place behind Labrador Retrievers.
So, if you’re looking to let a four-legged friend into your life, we completely understand why a French Bulldog might rank high on your list of possibilities. However, despite their stumpy legs, cute skin folds, and little bat-like ears, they require special care to ensure that they live a long, healthy life, which is why it’s crucial to learn more about the breed before taking one home.
With this being said, let’s look at some of the factors involved in the care of a French Bulldog, from common health concerns, diet, personality, training, and much more. Here are several factors that contribute to the French Bulldog’s lifespan:
French Bulldog Lifespan
As a pet owner, you are responsible for ensuring that your French Bulldog is appropriately maintained and cared for so that its longevity is increased as much as possible. Typically, the average French Bulldog lifespan is anything between 10-12 years, which a range of factors can affect from veterinary care, diet, exercise, and breed-specific health conditions.
Although breed and genetics are mainly to blame, many factors are within your control if you’d like your four-legged companion to be around for as long as possible. Owners can keep their French Bulldog physically and mentally well by taking them for regular check-ups at their chosen veterinary practice, feeding them a healthy diet, and ensuring they get the required exercise.
It also stands to have a good understanding of breed-specific health concerns so that you know what to expect, how to identify the symptoms, and when to call a veterinary professional. If you’d like to broaden your understanding of the health and wellness needs of your French Bulldog, consider visiting Native Pet’s blog to find out more.
Primarily a brand dedicated to producing products that target nutrition and other health concerns, you can find probiotic powders, allergy chews, calming chews, and much more on Native Pet’s website. Consider visiting their website or following their blog to stay up to date with the latest pet-related news and see how their products could help the French Bulldog lifespan today.
Personality
Originally bred to be a companion dog, what French Bulldogs lack in size, they certainly make up for in personality. Although all dog characters are different, you can usually expect to come home to find your Frenchie sat eagerly on your front doorstep with a big smile covering their squished-up face and their tails wiggling at a mile per minute.
Due to this, they’ve earned a reputation for loving play or cuddling and for becoming extremely excited whenever friends or family walk through the door. They’re also known for making much noise, whether playing, eating, or sleeping, due to their loveable crinkly faces and flat noses. They’ll make noises from whimpering, crying, whining, snoring, snorting, and even flatulence!
This is mainly because of their physical appearance since they have scrunched noses and flat faces, which can lead to a condition that affects the respiratory system that makes them create these noises. However, one noise that they are lesser known for making is barking; unlike other small dogs, they don’t yap as much as their reputation might state.
Admittedly, how much a French Bulldog will bark is down to the individual dog’s characteristics, so there might be a few exceptions here and there. Yet, they’re not overtly known for creating too much loud noise, which is why they’ve become popular apartment or watchdogs, as they’ll generally only bark if they need to alert you to something.
You’ll also be pleased to discover that Frenchie’s generally gets on well with children and other animals if you have small children or other animals in the house. Yet, in some cases, they may require the help of a behaviorist or trainer since they have a reasonably high prey drive for cats or other small animals.
Training
For the most part, French Bulldogs are an intelligent breed, yet their stubborn nature can sometimes get in the way, and like other small dogs, they try to get away with their disobedience simply because they are ‘cute.’ Due to this, your French Bulldog needs to be introduced to a wide selection of people, other animals, and situations as early as possible, as well as set boundaries and practice regular training.
Although they are stubborn, Frenchies are a human-centric breed that loves to please their owners, so they’ll often put their best paw forward and take well to their training. Whether you decide to carry out your French Bulldog training yourself or enlist the services of a professional dog trainer, consistency is one of the most important factors when it comes to training a French Bulldog.
If you follow a lot of Frenchie pages or groups on social media, you’ve probably come across posts about their selective hearing, which is often a hot topic due to their stubbornness. Their obstinate nature can make them tricky at first to train, which is why consistency is crucial.
Keep up with their training by getting them to perform their learned tricks daily, whether this is making them sit before their meal or trying to get them to sit or lie down. Failure to do this can lead to behavioral problems further down the line, and as a result, you may find that your French Bulldog is walking circles all over you. Avoid this by refreshing learned behaviors often, as this will help them to remember the behavior and the praise that comes with doing the trick correctly.
Pet Insurance
Not only can French Bulldogs be costly to purchase, yet they are also expensive to keep due to their breed-specific health conditions. Therefore, it is essential that you reduce the risk of any surprise veterinary bills by ensuring that your Frenchie is insured since this will cover you against any surprise medical bills and ensure that your dog gets medical attention whenever they need it.
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