Breeds / Medium
French Bulldog puppies
Vivacious, deeply affectionate and intelligent, full of courage yet with clown-like qualities.
The facts
- Size class Medium
- Country of origin France
- Adult weight Up to 12.7 kg
- Adult weight in pounds Up to 28 lb
- Adult height 28 to 33 cm
- Energy level Moderate
- Grooming Low
- Coat type Short smooth
- Shedding Moderate
- Typical lifespan 10 to 12 years
- Good with children Reliably good
- Good with other dogs Usually good
About the French Bulldog
The French Bulldog descends from small bulldogs taken to France by English lacemakers, where they were crossed with local terriers and ratters and settled into the bat eared companion seen today. This is a compact, heavy fronted dog with a short smooth coat, a flat face and a broad chest on short legs. Frenchies are affectionate, comic and very attached to people, quiet by nature, and they were bred for nothing at all except company.
A short daily walk and some indoor play covers the exercise, and it should be timed for the cool parts of the day. The coat is easy, but the facial folds need wiping and drying, and the breed cannot swim, so ponds and pools are a genuine hazard. Flat faced dogs overheat and struggle to breathe under exertion. Noisy breathing is a sign the dog needs a veterinary airway assessment, so never write it off as Frenchie character.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a French Bulldog puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. Expect moderate energy, in short bursts separated by long naps. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS), graded by a vet on an exercise tolerance test
- Hereditary cataract (HC-HSF4-2), detectable by DNA test on both parents
- Hip and elbow dysplasia, which breeding stock should be x-rayed for under the hip and elbow scoring schemes
- Skin fold and eye problems linked to the flat face, found on a routine veterinary skin and eye check
Your French Bulldog puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a French Bulldog.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the Up to 12.7 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Kit sizes: crate 30 inch (30 x 20 x 23 in, 76 x 51 x 58 cm) for an adult of up to 12.7 kg; chew toys made for medium breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.
Buying guides for this
Other medium breeds
American Cocker Spaniel
American Pit Bull Terrier
American Staffordshire Terrier
American Water Spaniel
Aussiedoodle
Australian Cattle Dog
More on the French Bulldog
Previous: Flat-Coated Retriever · Next: French Spaniel
Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.
Sources
- akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
- fci.be for country of origin
- Health notes from French Bulldog breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/french-bulldog/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Photo: Delimata, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.