Adopting – Training – Showing Your French Bulldog

Adopting your French Bulldog Puppy

Our Commitment

We have been breeding for 30 years and have spent a lot of time and considerable effort to become a reputable French Bulldog Breeder. A good Breeder will have a nice facility. We raise our French Bulldogs in our home, under our feet and under our bedcovers – they are members of our family until they become a member of your family. We want to maintain a lifelong relationship with the puppy you adopt. We will always be available where the welfare of your puppy is concerned. And we would love to continually hear from you – pictures are always treasured.

We take extra care to ensure the French Bulldog puppy’s good health. And we also take extra care to ensure that the puppy is placed into a loving, caring home. We discourage the use of tobacco products in the prospective home.

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Training your Puppy

Soft Temperament

French Bulldog puppies are intelligent little dogs. They can give you a look of innocent love and adoration that tempts you to abandon any thoughts of discipline. Veteran dog owners are amazed by the “power” that these little Frenchies possess. They can be tough looking on the outside but oh so soft and lovable. They are smart but sometimes stubborn when it suits them. They can take forever to shuffle off to the water bowl when they feel lazy. But French Bulldogs are more athletic than they might appear to be so you cannot let them over-exercise.

Start Training Early

When French Bulldog puppies become part of your family, you need to be able to trust them with everything in your home, especially your children. Managing your puppy’s behavior through proper training is crucial to having a peaceful relationship with your pet as they mature into a wonderful companion. If your French Bulldog puppy is not trained properly, they won’t know that chewing on the old tennis shoe that you gave them is acceptable, while chewing on your prized possessions is not. They must be taught appropriate behavior in a calm and gentle manner. You must start training your puppy about how to behave as soon as you bring it home. From the outset, they must learn how to behave around people and other animals.

The Pack Mentality

In the wild, canines live and hunt in packs. In your French Bulldog puppy’s eyes, all the members of your family are fellow pack members. This is important because in every pack there are hierarchical power relationships between members. If your puppy has no dominant or “alpha” leader in their human “pack” they might learn that they can jump up on the couch whenever they want, drag you down the street on the leash and get treats whenever they beg for them. They might eventually decide they are running the show.

Puppies that are not properly trained might start to test their boundaries and limitations as they mature – just like most teenagers. They could start ignoring your commands or begin jumping when and where they are not supposed to. They have an instinct to protect their food or “territory” with growls and snarls – this has to be overcome. In some extreme cases, they may even start to bite.

Physical Force?

It is essential that you establish your position as the pack leader from the beginning in order to have a peaceful relationship with your French Bulldog. Do not resort to physical force! Some trainers recommend that owners establish their dominance through physical force but this is not necessary with a French Bulldog. Use of force can leave them feeling threatened, frightened and defensive. Don’t raise your voice – shouting makes these dogs nervous. French Bulldogs have “soft” personalities – they don’t like confrontation or violent use of force. A calm, purposeful demeanor is the best way to get your puppy to respond in a positive manner.

French Bulldog are Bulldogs

And like all Bulldogs, sometimes they can be frustrating to train. You have to be persistent but not overbearing when they are being housebroken. Eventually they will learn what is acceptable but not if you are harsh. They usually won’t bother with “stupid pet tricks’ but not because they aren’t capable. Just the opposite – for example, some French Bulldog will love to play with the ball and others could care less. They will choose what they like to do. But there has never been a Frenchie who doesn’t want to sit on your lap or cuddle in bed.

Gain Respect

French Bulldog puppies are content to submit to a pack leader. They will gain confidence and a sense of security from having someone to respect and follow. It is important for you, as a good pack leader, to project a sense of strength by reacting calmly to situations that make a puppy nervous. It’s also a good idea to give rewards for good behavior. If you ask your puppy to take a submissive position at your command, it will reinforce your position of dominance.

Early Bonding

It is important to properly socialize French Bulldogs from the outset. Puppies, like all babies, absorb all kinds of information about their environment. They will quickly learn the best places to laze about in the sun. They will learn from the rattling of the food dish means that it is meal time. It is your job as the owner to show them how to bond with people and with other animals. They still have deeply rooted instincts in their psyche. For example, squirrels and other rodents will drive them into a frenzy. When your puppy is calmly and routinely introduced to strangers and other animals, it will become less likely that your puppy will act defensively and become fearful. Defensive behaviour can be misinterpreted as aggression in dogs.

Gentle Leadership

The new French Bulldog puppy should start to be socialized around three to four weeks of age which is usually before most people bring their new puppy home. Responsible French Bulldog breeders make sure that their puppies are introduced into the pack from a young age, albeit under the watchful gaze of their mother until they are weaned. It is important that the puppy bonds with you and your family at the outset. The best way to reinforce the bond is to groom regularly, exercise often, and talk frequently to your puppy. Give your puppy lots of love. Show that you can be depended upon for affection, food, and gentle leadership.

Hello World

Your little French Bulldog puppy can be introduced to the big wide world when they feel safe with you and have had all the prescribed shots. Good places to start with are the local park, a friend’s house, or dog-friendly stores. You must ensure that the puppy has plenty of chances to meet kind and caring people and has opportunities to play with other well-socialized dogs. Trips to the veterinarian should be fun. Puppies should be introduced to other children in a well-supervised environment. Show those children how to speak calmly while gently petting the puppy.

Scary Situations

If your French Bulldog puppy starts to act nervous in a new situation or begins to bristle at another dog, don’t discipline! As mentioned, raising your voice will only heighten the tension. But don’t comfort the puppy either! If you comfort the puppy when they are scared or aggressive, it will only reinforce negative behavior. Try to provide a distraction – throw a ball or a chew toy, or start playing a favorite game. As your puppy becomes involved in the game or distraction, it will start ignoring the people or the other dog. As the puppy matures, there will be fewer and fewer scary situations.

We breed happy, healthy French Bulldog puppies for companions or the Show Ring.

We started breeding French Bulldogs in 2003 with “Gracie” – she soon showed us why French Bulldogs are such a unique breed. She had numerous encounters with “Spence” our male Siamese cat who would whack her on the head before she could even move. But that would not deter Gracie and they went on to become great friends.

Gracie loved navigating the deep snowbanks in the Winter and spending hours sunning herself on the dock. When the marauding deer trespassed on “her property” she became our guardian against the barbarians at the gate. She also showed us how intelligent a little Frenchie can be. They don’t do “stupid pet tricks” on command but they have a level of intuition that is nothing short of amazing.

Gracie needed a friend so we got Bruno. He is happiest, most easy going male Frenchie ever. They went on to become the greatest of friends. Bruno conducts an ongoing war with the squirrels. He has succeeded in proving that he is the world’s worst squirrel hunter but he is never daunted.

Gracie gave us three daughters: Connie, Georgia and Claire who went on to become a CKC Canadian Champion. All these Frenchies brought their unique personalities and stole our hearts. Whenever trouble is brewing you can be sure that Connie is in the middle of it but she is the most loyal friend you could ever ask for. Claire has exceptional agility and will play forever until you are tired. She taught all the other Frenchies how to fetch the ball.

Nealy came later and showed us how well a Frenchie can read our thoughts and console us when we feel down. No other breed can read us so well. Nealy is the Queen of “keep away” – nobody can get the ball from Nealy.

These were our early years with the Frenchies. It is small wonder why we say that “10 minutes with a Frenchie will steal your heart.” They are unlike any other breed.