French bulldog
Unlike most other molossos, the French bulldogs are not distinguished by their large stature. But it would be wrong to consider them a non-serious or, all the more so, a decorative breed. In fact, despite their small stature and good-natured appearance, “Frenchies” are quite strong, and their character has features peculiar to their ancestors – real herding dogs, which were used to hunt large animals.
- Physical activity
- Need for communication
- Loyalty to the master
- Character and behavior
- Temperament
- Intellect
- Characteristics of the breed and attitude towards children
- Security features
- Relationship with cats
- Breed characteristics, pros and cons
- Video
- Conclusion
Physical activity
French bulldogs love to play and run around without a leash. But going for a walk with such a pet, you must take into account the breed peculiarities of this breed. Like all brachycephals, the “French” has a short, wide muzzle, so their stamina is limited. Such a dog can run for a while or play outdoor games, but long jogs in the park or at the stadium are not for him.
A particular danger for the Frenchman is considerable exercise in the summertime. Because of typical brachycephalic muzzle structure they have enough trouble in summer, and if the pet runs around in the heat, it can develop serious problems with its respiratory or cardiovascular system.
In addition, French Bulldogs should not jump over obstacles, as they have such a breed defect as an extra half-back. Sometimes they can develop even a few of them, and this already greatly increases the risk of back injury or even the occurrence of a herniated spinal cord. Also, during walks and games in the open air should stay away from bushes. After all, due to the fact that French bulldogs have rather convex eyes, the dog can hurt them on the branches.
French bulldog puppies up to one year old should not be overly burdened or, all the more so, put on harnesses with weights.
Climbing up a gentle hill or stairs is the best way to develop his dog’s musculature. And if you’re sure your dog doesn’t have any extra half-backs, you can add jumping up and down to these activities. During the walk it is also useful to throw a ball or other toy, so that the dog runs after it. However, you should monitor the bulldog’s condition and at the first signs of fatigue, you should give him a rest or go home with him.
Need for communication
French Bulldogs are very sociable and communicative pets. They adore it when all members of the family play with them, and feel best when they become the center of attention. They rarely have conflicts with other people, but they can be quite jealous when it comes to their pets.
Bulldogs are very sensitive to the mood of their owners, and if the owners are not disposed to play or socialize, they will not annoy them or impose their society. Regarding other pets, these dogs often behave selfishly. Even if those are tired or sick, and the bulldog in this time wants to play with them, he will stubbornly drag them in his entertainment against their wishes and physical abilities.
“Frenchies” can be sweet and playful, but they also require extra attention and respectful treatment.
Loyalty to the master
Like all other Molossoids, the French Bulldogs have an exceptional loyalty to their owners. Being attached to someone with their soul and with all their small but loyal and brave heart these dogs will be faithful to this person until the last minute of their lives. They will miss their master when he goes to work or to school and will be greeted on his return as if they had spent many years away from his owner.
These dogs don’t take well to rehoming or living in a doggie hotel, and they also don’t like to be left alone.
Bulldogs are so sociable that they are willing to accept favors not only from their owners, but also from visitors who come to the house, or from passers-by on the street. Not all the owners like their attitude to strangers, and some owners of the “French” even consider their dogs as “traitors”. But, in fact, the bulldog is still very dear to its owner. Just striving to be in the center of attention makes him very open for communication with strangers.
Character and behavior
The French Bulldog is not the kind of dog that will spend all day lying down. These small but courageous dogs love movement and active play, and they can also get bored playing alone. Therefore, they try to be constantly in the center of attention and are very happy when there is a person who wants to play with them. Bulldogs are very attentive and caring towards their owners.
Sensitive to their mood, the dog understands when a person is feeling lonely or bored. In this case, the “Frenchman” will come up to him and try to entertain or calm him down. If the owner is busy with any important work that requires concentration, the dog will not distract him, and will patiently wait until the owner can pay it attention.
At the same time, however, bulldogs can be rather selfish. They can remember hard feelings for a long time and on occasion can even take revenge. One should not use force or yell at them: in this case the “Frenchman” may become bitter and stubborn or aggressive. If the owner is ready to pay attention to the pet, truly enjoys communicating with it and at the same time treats the animal with respect, the French bulldog will become a true friend and, if necessary, a protector.
French Bulldogs would be ideal pets for a single person or a family with children.
Temperament
They are quite agile, playful and energetic, yet calm and balanced dogs. Bulldogs are very intelligent, courageous and friendly to people. They have a fairly good reaction time, they are intelligent and well-trained. However, they are true individualists, which is why they are not too friendly to other animals.
Intellect
French bulldogs are smart enough to understand the commands they are learning. But they are not in a hurry to obey them as soon as they hear them. And it is not because of stubbornness or, moreover, harmful character. It is just that this breed was not bred as a servant, but as a companion, aimed primarily at communicating with the owner.
One of the main qualities confirming the high intellectuality of the “French”, is its inherent sense of humour, for which they are often called the “clowns of the canine world”.
Even the fact that these dogs bark only when necessary, for example, when they need to draw the attention of their owners to something, it is a sign that they are intelligent and clever. Yes, the French bulldog will never be a working dog that flawlessly executes commands immediately upon hearing them. However, it is able to understand life situations and in accordance with this know-how it builds its behavior and communication with people.
Characteristics of the breed and attitude towards children
French bulldogs are known as dogs that are good at getting along with children of different ages. If a dog of this breed comes into a family where there is already a child, there are usually no problems with building up relationships between the younger members of the family. However, when a new baby is born into the family that already has a bulldog, the situation can be different.
The arrival of a child already disturbs the Frenchman’s usual routine. And if we consider that the baby needs the attention of the dog’s beloved owners and he is constantly crying, it is easy to understand that the dog is not happy about such changes in life. The French bulldogs are very friendly and affectionate to their owners. They are also tactful and delicate, so as not to harm the newborn.
However, representatives of this breed are quite conservative and not without selfishness. Therefore, it is necessary to try to give time not only to the child, but also to the dog. The Bulldog, seeing that he is still dear to its owners, eventually will get used to the baby and will love him as well as all other family members. It is very important to consider the fact that the representatives of this breed are jealous and demand respect. But small children that do not understand the difference between the toy and a live dog can accidentally hurt the dog or frighten it with loud shouts. And in this case, the “Frenchman” may intuitively show aggression and snap at the baby.
Parents need to supervise young children while they are playing and interacting with their pet.
Children should not be allowed to accidentally or, all the more so, to intentionally hurt the animal or take away its toys. In addition, it’s important to make it clear to the children that they shouldn’t touch the dog when he’s eating or resting. The French bulldog can have another problem when interacting with older children: the dog can become overtired when playing too actively with them.
Therefore, children should be taught that the dog should not be forced to run free or walk for long periods of time in the heat. If the child will not tease or annoy the bulldog too much, if he treats the dog with care and respect from an early age, the “Frenchman” will become the most faithful and devoted friend for him, ready, if not for everything for the sake of his small master, then for many things.
Security features
The French bulldog may be a good security guard for your home. In spite of its small size, it is fearless and its husky barking, which resembles the voice of a large dog, will scare away intruders who may intrude on its master’s safety or property. Bulldogs do not bark at the slightest noise, and if an intruder decides to get into the house, it will most likely bite instead of wasting time barking.
However, in ordinary life, the French are not vicious at all. They will never attack strangers on the street or visitors to the home. They understand when aggression is appropriate and when to desist.
French Bulldogs are not able to correctly assess the degree of danger and often get into fights with larger dogs or other knowingly stronger opponents.
Therefore, the owner, if he or she is around at the time of the conflict and sees that the pet may be seriously hurt in the fight, needs to intervene and stop him or her.
Relationship with cats
Bulldogs do not get along with cats in the same apartment. For a dog, they are, first and foremost, an adversary and an enemy. In the absence of the owner of the house they will fight and during a scuffle they can injure each other severely. An exception to this is if they were brought up together and the Frenchman is of a good-natured and compliant disposition.
Breed characteristics, pros and cons
French Bulldogs are calm and friendly. They are good with people, moderately agile and playful. In addition, these dogs are sensitive and attentive to their owners, which makes them ideal for elderly people and families with children. However, like all breeds, the French have both positive and negative qualities and problems.
The main advantages of the breed include:
- Compact size and the fact that these dogs do not need a large living space. That is why the bulldog feels quite comfortable even in a small apartment.
- The ability to adapt to different living conditions. A “Frenchman” can live both in a metropolis and in a country house.
- He will make an excellent companion for a single elderly person ready to give him all his time and attention, but in a large family with many children he will be happy too.
- Bulldogs are by nature guardians of their instincts, which makes them good watchdogs.
- They are not noisy: they bark only when needed.
- Great with kids and love to play with them.
- Agile, intelligent, and fairly obedient.
- “The Frenchman’s sense of humor is inherent: they don’t mind amusing their owners with hilarious grimaces or hilarious antics.
- Bulldogs usually have a keen sense of the line between playful mischief and sabotage or outright disobedience, and try not to cross it.
The disadvantages of this breed are as follows:
- Can’t tolerate extreme heat, which makes it necessary to limit physical activity in the summer.
- Prone to outbursts of activity, during which the obedient and well-mannered pets can turn into an uncontrollable “hurricane”, demolishing all in its path.
- They remember offenses for a long time, and on occasion they can take revenge.
- They do not tolerate rude or disrespectful behavior.
- If a bulldog causes discomfort or, even more so, pain, it may instinctively bite.
- They do not tolerate loneliness very well, so the French bulldog is not the best choice for people who are too busy.
- Their excessive desire to communicate with all passers-by or visitors to the house is not to the liking of all owners.
- Because of his reckless bravery and inability to assess the strength of the opponent, can be seriously injured in a fight with a large dog.
- If not raised properly, grows up to be stubborn and lazy.
While training the French bulldog it is necessary to insist on the pet’s obedience, even if not immediately, but certainly with commands.
If you let the dog fail to do what he is asked to do for once, the French bulldog may decide that it is okay to continue to do so. As a result, the dog may become stubborn and stop obeying the owner at all.
Video
A video about the pros and cons of a dog.
Conclusion
French Bulldogs are characterized by a peaceful, friendly disposition. They are exceptionally loyal to their owners, they love children and, despite their small size, are quite strong and hardy. These dogs make excellent companions and good guards. However, one should remember that they can be rather touchy and jealous, can’t bear loneliness and are not suitable for people who don’t have time for regular training and communication with the animal.
However, representatives of this breed make excellent friends for lonely people, including the elderly, or for families with children. The main thing to remember when keeping a French bulldog in the house is that this dog loves when the owner treats it with respect and does not spare time and effort to play and communicate with its pet.