While it’s undeniable the French Bulldog is a funny, mischievous, and comincal dog, great with children and adults alike, owning a French Bulldog is not for everyone. Below are some things to consider.

• Cost. Owning a French Bulldog can be expensive. You may buy a dog that is perfect in every way, is never sick a day in it’s life, and dies at the ripe old age of 13… but you can’t guarantee that. French Bulldogs do have certain inherent defects in the fact they are a brachycephalic dog breed, and these issues may not appear until they are older. This can mean corrective surgery for soft palate issues at some point in their life. Patella or cruciate ligament issues which is inherent in small dog breeds (regardless of type). Allergies for which the French Bulldog can be prone. And so on. You need to be prepared to pay some “maintenance” vet bills during the life of your French Bulldog.
• Temperature. Frenchies don’t handle the heat or the cold. They are certainly far happier in colder weather than they are in the heat, but their short, single coat means they feel the cold too. You need to be prepared to rug your Frenchie up in a jacket in the winter, and keep them cool under the aircon in the summer. A French Bulldog cannot simply be left outside in the summer. They can’t handle the heat and will become heat stressed, which can (in extremes) cause a heart attack and can kill them. 

• ·    Nails. French Bulldogs have typical “little dog” feet, and their nails need regular trimming. So you’ll either need to learn how to do this yourself, or have a vet or groomer do this every month. Otherwise they’ll quickly draw blood on your arms and legs… their claws can be like razor blades when they’re long.
• ·    Snoring. Being a brachycephalic dog breed, the French Bulldog is prone to snoring. Like a bull dozer. So if you’re wanting your dog to sleep on the bed with you, be prepared to sleep with the worst snoring in the world, or invest in earplugs (even better if you’re deaf!!). Best for French Bulldogs to sleep in their own beds, or in another room if snoring bothers you.
• ·    Farting… Okay, not the most pleasant of topics, but French Bulldogs are known to be wind machines. And it smells… bad… like strip paint off the wall bad. It can be a juggling act to find just the right food for your particular dog that will help to reduce their flatulence. Not every dog responds to the same food in the same way, but there’s always a solution. You just have to be patient enough to find it.

• Time. French Bulldogs, like all dogs, need company. They cannot simply be left unattended for long hours each day. Their sleep pattern in like that of a three year old child. If you leave for work at 8.00 am, that’s about an hour or two after they’ve woken up in the morning. If you get home from work at 6.00 pm, that’s about two hours before they go to sleep at night. So, for 80% of their awake time every day, you’re gone and they’re all alone. You wouldn’t leave your toddler alone for that length of time, so you can’t do it for your dog either. If you do work full-time you need to make allowances. Look into doggy daycare to break up the week. Develop a network of dog-family friends who will offer to doggy-sit your Frenchie while you’re at work some of the days. This will all take money and time from your day, so you need to be able to commit to the changes this will make to your life.

• Obedience. Like all bulldog breeds, the Frenchie is STUBBORN!! There are very few obedience champion French Bulldogs in this world, and there’s good reason for that. They’ll do what you want, when they want to do it. Getting a French Bulldog to obey you every time is near on impossible. There are the few rare candidates that buck the trend, but on the whole the French Bulldog is no obedience whizz. Their intelligence is rated in the top 100 of the dog breeds, which is a far cry from the Border Collie, Kelpie or Labrador, who all rate in the top 5. But then again, the French Bulldog requires far less exercise or room than any of those breeds either. So, if you’re wanting a totally obedient dog, then maybe the French Bulldog isn’t for you. But if you’re looking for a dog to be your companion, friend, confidante, and partner in life, then the French Bulldog is the perfect candidate.

• Security. It seems that every few weeks there’s someone either on the news or in social media in tears because their beloved French Bulldog has been stolen from their home. The majority of these dogs have been left outside while the owners are out of the house, and someone has thought they can either get a free dog for themselves, or want to make some quick cash. When owning a Frenchie, you need to think about how you can keep them safe from theft. It’s a terrible thing to have to consider, but that seems to be the world we live in. So, whether this be providing your dog with a safe inside space to play in while you’re out, buying a gps tracker collar, installing cameras in and around your home, or investing in a puppy-sitter so your dog is never left alone. These are all things that need to be considered.
• Exercise. The French Bulldog is not a dog that can run a lot. They love small spaces. They love to run around like a lunatic for about 15 minutes, then rest, then run, then rest, and so on. If you’re looking for a running companion, or a dog to go on all-day adventures, then you need to think again. Frenchies can be taught to ride a skateboard with you, or love to sit in a bike trailer, or in a bike basket, or go with you in the car. But they’ll need some assistance to do the travelling and can’t be expected to run the distance themselves. They can certainly travel with you, but you’ll need to think laterally.

But don't despair. The French Bulldog has a number of advantages too, and there's good reason why they are so popular. They thrive in small spaces. The French Bulldog is happy with nothing more than a courtyard to play with. They don’t require large properties, lots of room to run, or a huge garden. They love people and love to snuggle with you. They've been bred as a lap dog and companion animal for more than 100 years. They provide hours of entertainment just from their comical antics; the more you laugh at them the more they want to act the goose! They are fantastic with children, especially the very young, and are gentle with babies, and don't tend to bite even when they're puppies. They absolutely thrive in busy families, but are just as happy as a companion to a single person. They shed very little, compared to many dogs, and don’t do that spring-time malt that double coated breeds do. They are good for people with allergies, and as their short coat is less reactive for allergies than double coated dog breeds.

After reading all of the above, if you still think a French Bulldog is for you, then good on you. Welcome to the world of French Bulldog ownership. Your life will never be the same again! And don't be surprised if you can't stop at one... they can be quite addictive.