Every pet shop that sells puppies will assure you that their puppies don’t come from puppy mills but only from the finest breeders who have surplus stock, this is often a downright lie and this is reason alone for you not to buy your puppy from a pet store.

A responsible reputable breeder would never sell their litters to a pet store in the first place, the simple reason for this is that a pet store must by law sell a puppy to anyone who walks in and can pay for the puppy, regardless of if that person can take care of a puppy. A pet shop by law isn’t allowed to screen buyers before selling them a puppy and a responsible breeder always screens potential buyers to assure their puppies only go to good homes.

The pet shop owners and staff are trained on how best to sell their wares and unfortunately this also includes live animals, selling is all that matters regardless of whether the person buying can look after a young puppy or not. Here are two of the lies you should be aware of.

We only buy from local breeders

It doesn’t matter whether the pet shop buys from local breeders or anywhere in the world if the breeder is willing to sell their puppies to a pet store for re-selling then they are irresponsible.

The puppy’s health is guaranteed

Some pet shops will offer a guarantee that the puppy is healthy, all this generally means is that should the unfortunate puppy have some defect or become ill then the pet store will replace the puppy. This however doesn’t help the poor little puppy and many times won’t help the buyer either if they have become attached to the new puppy.

The guarantee doesn’t mean that the puppy is healthy and free from defect or disease all it means is that it will be replaced just as faulty electrical equipment or any other purchase you made that was found to have a defect would be.

While we all feel sorry for the puppy’s in pet shops and stores and many of us want to save them or rescue them from the small cages they are stored in we shouldn’t give into temptation. True, we may rescue one but there will be many more to quickly take their place and we are only helping to feed the industry by buying from them.

Buying from a pet store will * Increase the misery of females being bred time and time again just to supply pet stores with puppy’s.

* Increase the misery of people buying from pet stores only to be heartbroken when the puppy becomes ill or has some serious defect.

* Increase the misery of animal shelters who are flooded with pet shop puppies due to their owners becoming disillusioned with the problems faced them.

In order to maintain good health in your French bulldog it is essential that they are regularly groomed, grooming is also a great way of interacting with your pet and if trained from being a puppy it is something which your dog will look forward to and enjoy. Frenchies have short coats which makes the task easier than with many other long breed varieties and few minutes spent each day on the task of grooming will help to ensure your pet remains healthy.

Basic brushing Brushing the coat of your frenchie will help to remove dead hairs and skin, which could otherwise cause your pet to scratch. It will also help to smooth out the natural oils in their coat and this prevents odours. It is one of the most essential yet simple parts to grooming your pet; there are a variety of brushes and combs available at most pet stores which are suitable for your frenchie. As the French bulldog has a smooth short coat a weekly brush might be all that’s needed to keep their coat in great condition.

Caring for the ears

The ears have to be kept clean to avoid getting infections, on a daily basis check the ears looking inside them, make sure they are a healthy pink colour and if all looks fine then gently swab the inner ear with a damp cotton bud. If you notice any symptoms such as a foul smelling odour or discharge then seek the advice of your vet, never push cotton buds deep into the ear canal.

Take care of the teeth

Dental care is as essential for your dog as it is for you; always check the teeth as part of the grooming process, poor dental hygiene can lead to bad breath from tooth decay and gum infection.

The feet and nails

Check the condition of your dog’s feet on a daily basis paying particular attention to the pads on the bottom of the feet, make sure they are clean and nothing is stuck on the pads. Nails will also have to be trimmed on a regular basis as these grow just the same as in humans, depending on if your dog spends a lot of time on concrete nails will have to be trimmed less regularly as the concrete will help to wear them down. Never cut the nails too deeply as you can cut into the quick and cause them to bleed. Special nail clippers designed for dogs can be bought easily form most good pet stores.

The eyes

Check your dogs eyes on a regular basis to make sure they are clean and not weeping, if there is any matter in the corner of the eye gently clean it using a damp cotton bud, if the weeping persists this could be a sing of an infection and the vets advice should be sought.

Bath time

About once a month you should give your pet a through clean in the tub, if you have followed this procedure from an early age then hopefully your dog wont put up too much of a fuss. Special dog shampoo can be obtained from the pet store or vets with which to wash your dogs coat, avoid getting soap into the ear canal and eyes of course.