There are many varied explanations of where the French bulldog actually originated from, however the most prevalent of these suggests that it came from the toy bulldog which was brought to France by some lace workers from Nottingham in the UK. There is however some that speculate the fact of artwork and skeletal finds of the bulldog know as Chincha in ancient Peru and which is said to closely resemble the French bulldog.

Excavated sites uncovered burial grounds which unearthed mummified bodies of dogs, skulls and skeletons, which did indeed confirm that bulldog like dogs did live around 1100 to 1400 AD in Peru. It was found that the Chincha bulldogs skull did have many similarities to what we know as the French bulldog today.

By the 1950`s and 1860`s England saw the increase of the toy or miniature bulldog and when many of the workers moved to France in search of work they took these smaller bulldogs with them. They found this small variety of bulldog was ideal for the small, cramped living conditions, in which they lived also these small bulldogs, were found to be excellent at hunting and killing rats which where to be a plague of that century.

Their popularity increased as more French realised they were not only good companions but also great “ratters”. By the mid 1860`s the breed became so popular and exportation to France was so great that the breed almost became extinct in England. The bulldog was then crossed with a terrier native to France the “terrier boule”, this also looked very similar to a small bulldog and this cross eventually gave rise to the French bulldog of which we know today.

Historians of other breeds have also claimed that the small bulldog was crossed with the pug but no evidence has ever substantiated this claim. What was known then as the petite boule quickly expanded in popularity throughout France and they became a favourite of the courtesans who adored the dog for its eccentric appearance? It was during this period that the upper class also fell for the charm of the little bulldog and its popularity soon began to extend to royalty.

The French bulldog however really took off in the 1880 when a group of French bulldog owners began to have regular meetings and it was during 1885 that the first provisional register of the breed was recognised and the French bulldog appeared in a show under its own name, the French bulldog in 1887. the French bulldog first appeared at a show in the United States in 1896 in New York, this is where the popular name “frenchie” was first given them and it is a name which has stuck with them ever since.

It was the Americans who organised the first ever French bulldog club in the world and it was these who first insisted that the “bat” ear of the dog which is still associated with the breed today should be considered the correct form for the standard.

Exercise
While your French bulldog is young try to avoid any forced jumping exercises, these include allowing your puppy to jump up onto the bed and back down from it, forced jumping or jumping up and down the stairs. This is mainly due to the vertical movements of this kind can increase the pressure on the cartridge of the articulations, any harm done to these early could cause deformation of the position of the legs. French bulldogs are still considered young until around 18 month of age.

The eyes
Some breeds of the French bulldog have been known to have 2 puntae instead of the correct 4; this can cause excessive tearing of the eye if this is the case with your French bulldog seek a vets advice for treatment.

Feeding your French bulldog
French bulldogs should be fed a quality brand of dried food or all natural meat diets, this is more a matter of personal choice for what feels right for you might not to another.

Heat
The French bulldog is very sensitive to becoming over heated, during the summer months care should be taken to make sure your dog doesn’t over heat, signs of heat exhaustion are reddening of the inside of the ears and excessive panting.

Hips
French bulldogs can have problems with their hips, hip dysplasia is an abnormal development of the hip bone which can be found in the French bull dog and it is thought that hip dysplasia is hereditary in the bulldog.

Nose
It is a good idea to put a little Vaseline on the nose of your French bull dog every now and again to stop it from drying out, a normal nose should be cool or wet but never dry and hot. If the nose is hot then you should take the dogs temperature and seek the advice of the vet.

Skin – Demodicosis
Demodex canis is a mite which only affects dogs with most dogs being carriers without showing any symptoms. Although demodex can affect a dog of any age it mainly shows in puppies less than 9 months of age.

Wrinkles
Sometimes tear attains can form in the wrinkles on the face, you should first determine the cause of the tears, then clean the wrinkles of the face with hydrogen peroxide.