The French bull dog is a fairly recent breed of dog that has its origins coming mainly from the English bulldog. They could have been brought to France by the  English lace workers established in Normandy . The French bulldogs are lighter then the stocky and heavy set English bulldogs. Some of their owners call them “Frenchies”.

Colors And Markings

The French bulldog is muscular, has compact a body and a short, smooth coat. There is a limit of acceptable colors that a French bull dog may have but the variety of colors are numerous as well as some of the combinations accepted in most shows. Masks on the dogs are acceptable on red or fawn dogs. On any other color it is not acceptable in most shows or kennel organizations. Brindle and pied are also common markings or colors on these dogs. The main colors are shaded with cream up to deep butterscotch. In contests and most shows organized by kennel associations, some colors, like solid black, with no other lighter colored hairs, liver, black and tan or black and white, are not allowed.

Some Issues Related to the  Health and Temperament of the French Bulldog

The French bulldogs don’t get sick too often. But the dogs of this breed are prone to hemophilia and conditions that are related to the thyroid gland. One other common condition that occurs in French bull dogs is Brachycephalic syndrome, which is the condition of having a much too flat face. This condition leads to the dog having a cleft palate or a soft palate. Because the cleft palate condition is practically impossible to correct, these dogs must be euthanized. The dogs having a soft palate condition are prone to passing out after just a bout of moderate exercise or labored breathing even without exercise. If this condition is not diagnosed in the early stages, it  can be hazardous to the dogs and stressful to the owners. Other conditions that are common to the French bulldog dog are eye problems and spinal or back conditions. Many of the females of this particular breed and other bull dog breeds are also prone to cesarean section when giving birth. This is because the puppies of the French bulldogs have large heads and they may have some difficulty passing through the birth canal of their mothers’. Since larger heads are prized in many of the bull dog breeds, this may be the reason why there are more and more cesarean sections performed these days compared to before.

The temperament of the French bulldogs makes them suitable as human companions. They are described as attached to their human owner to a very extensive degree, but also as happy and understanding dogs. They may be exuberant at times when their excitement level peaks, so when playing with children they should be constantly monitored to prevent any incidents or nips from occurring. Due to their breathing problems, the flat faced French bulldogs cannot live outdoors or stay extensively in warm or hot places. This can be blamed manly on their flat faces and the bulk that they grow up to be when matured. They do not need to be exercised for a long time and can do with just one walk daily. Monitoring the Frenchie when exercising or out for walks is a good idea since they get easily tired and can have some difficulty breathing when exercised too much. Due to their body building, they will encounter problems traversing water places. Swimming is another sport not fitting to these dogs.

The French bulldog inherited some aggressivity from their terrier ancestors. And this is the reason you should be careful when approaching a French bulldog that does not know you.