The French bulldog is a small, compact, short coated dog which weighs around 11kgs, they can be very stubborn particularly when older and training should commence at an early age. The French bulldog is known for its comical expressive face and heavy or noisy breathing due to the squatness of its face and nose, the French bulldog can live a life expectancy of around 9 to 15 years.

French bulldog dietary requirements

Weight can be a problem for the frenchie and this should be monitored constantly as it can lead to serious breathing difficulties, heart problems and back problems in the breed.

French bulldog show characteristics

The French bulldog has a square, squat, large head with a broad deep short muzzle, the head between the ears and face should be flat and wrinkled. The bottom jaw should be turned up and slightly undershot; the eyes should be round, deep set and dark in colour. The ears should be high set and of medium size, they should be broad and always held erect.

The ears have often been described as bat ears. The neck should be thick, powerful and well arched with plenty of loose skin at the throat. The chest should be deep with a short body while being wide at the front and narrow towards the back. The front legs should be straight, short, muscular and strong and should be set wide.

The back legs should be muscular, strong and slightly longer than the front legs. Feet should be well knuckled, strong and compact, with the back feet being longer than the front ones. The tail should be short but not docked and set low, the coat should be short, smooth and fine. The most favourable colours for the breed are fawn, brindle, pied and solid black.

Brief history of the French bulldog

Contrary to its name some suggest that the French bulldog is actually of Spanish origin where it was traditionally used as a bull baiting dog. In the 1860`s these dogs where then transported to France and were thought to have been crossed with the French terrier, this lead to the French bulldog which we know today. It is thought to have first appeared in Britain around 1893 with the earlier breed being called the toy bulldog.

General characteristics of the French bulldog

The French bulldog is a very affectionate breed which can be jealous when they aren’t receiving all your attention, it is also wise not to leave the breed alone for long periods as they can be destructive if left to their own devices. They have a medium energy level needing on average around 20 minutes of exercise daily.

Their level of aggression is low and it isn’t a breed which is prone to barking constantly, they are a breed which will get along with children and other animals well and thrive on human companion ship and being a part of family life.

It is a breed which is particularly easy to groom and one which doesn’t shed a much as other breeds, though special attention should be paid to the wrinkles around the face which do need to be kept clean.