The little clown with the bat ears
You hear a Frenchie before you see one. The snort, the snuffle, the little grunt of effort as they hop up onto the couch they were told not to get on. Then the face appears, all bat ears and wrinkles and enormous round eyes, and whatever you were about to say goes straight out the window.
Frenchie, frog dog, bat pig, clown dog, house hippo. Every nickname is affectionate and every one of them is earned. French Bulldogs have become one of the most popular breeds in Australia and a very big part of the Pupstyle family, so here's our little guide to the dog that snores louder than most humans.
Origin of the French Bulldog
Despite the name, the Frenchie story actually starts in England. In the mid 1800s, lace workers in Nottingham had a soft spot for a smaller version of the English Bulldog, a compact little companion that kept them company in the workshop. When the Industrial Revolution pushed a lot of those workers across the Channel to Normandy and eventually Paris, they took their little bulldogs with them.
In France the breed was crossed with local terriers and ratters, which gave them a bit more spark and, somewhere along the way, those famous upright bat ears. Parisians fell hard for them. By the late 1800s the "Bouledogue Français" was the dog of choice for cafe owners, artists, shopkeepers and the more colourful side of Paris nightlife, and they started appearing in paintings and postcards as the ultimate city companion.
Wealthy American tourists brought them home, and it was actually the Americans who insisted the bat ear (rather than the rose ear of the English Bulldog) become the breed standard around 1898. From there the Frenchie quietly conquered the world. They've been a top five breed in Australia for years now, and if you've ever been to a Sunday market in Melbourne or a Bondi cafe, you'll know they've basically taken over.
Physical characteristics of the French Bulldog
French Bulldogs are small but seriously solid. They stand around 28 to 33 cm at the shoulder and usually weigh somewhere between 8 and 14 kg, with males on the bigger end. Everything about them is compact and muscular: a broad chest, a big square head, a short stocky body and a little screw tail that looks like it was added as an afterthought. Picking one up always weighs about twice what you expected.
The coat is short, smooth and easy to look after, and comes in brindle, fawn, cream, pied and every combination of those. You'll also see a lot of "rare" colours around these days like blue, lilac, merle and the fluffy long-haired Frenchie. They're gorgeous, but they sit outside the breed standard and some of those colour genes come with extra skin and health issues, so it's worth going in with your eyes open and asking a breeder plenty of questions.
Then there's the face. Those big bat ears sit straight up and swivel like satellite dishes, the eyes are wide-set and expressive, and the short muzzle comes with a set of wrinkles that need a gentle wipe every few days to stop moisture and gunk building up in the folds. Because of that short muzzle and heavy front end, Frenchies are famously terrible swimmers, so pools and beaches call for a life jacket and close supervision. On average they live around 10 to 12 years, with well-bred, lean Frenchies often going a bit longer.
The character of the French Bulldog
If we had to describe a Frenchie's personality in one sentence, it'd be "a stand-up comedian who also happens to be a professional cuddler." They are genuinely funny dogs. The head tilts, the zoomies that last exactly ninety seconds before a nap, the dramatic sigh when you stop patting them. Everything is a performance and they know you're watching.
Underneath the comedy they're deeply affectionate and completely people-focused. A Frenchie wants to be wherever you are, ideally touching you, and they're famously good with kids, other dogs and just about anyone who walks through the door. They're not big barkers either, which combined with their low exercise needs makes them one of the best apartment dogs going. The flip side is that they really don't cope well with being left alone all day, so they suit homes where someone's around or they can come along.
Training a Frenchie is a mix of easy and hilarious. They're clever and very food motivated, so they'll learn quickly, but they also have a proper stubborn streak inherited straight from the Bulldog side. If a Frenchie has decided the walk is over, the walk is over, and you'll be carrying 12 kilos of muscle home. Short, fun sessions, lots of treats and a good sense of humour get you a long way.
Feeding
Keeping a Frenchie lean is one of the most important things you can do for them, and it's harder than it sounds. They love food, they're built like little tanks to begin with, and their exercise needs are low, so extra weight creeps on fast. Every extra kilo makes it harder for them to breathe, puts strain on their spine and joints, and makes hot days even riskier.
A good-quality, balanced diet suited to their age and size, fed as measured meals, is the way to go. Frenchies are also one of the breeds most prone to food sensitivities and allergies, which tend to show up as itchy skin, red paws, ear trouble or an upset tummy, so if any of that sounds familiar it's worth chatting to your vet about diet before anything else. Many Frenchies also inhale their food, which brings in a lot of air and leads to the famous Frenchie gas, so a slow feeder bowl is a small change that makes everyone in the house happier.
A quick rule of thumb is to run your hands gently over their sides. If you can feel their ribs without pressing in hard and they've got a bit of a waist when you look down from above, they're in good shape. If they're looking more like a loaf of bread than a dog, it's time to have a look at portion sizes.
Side note: the Frenchie sit-and-stare while you eat is a professional-level guilt trip. Stay strong.
Health of the French Bulldog
There's no getting around it, Frenchies need a bit more looking after than most breeds, and the big one is breathing. That short muzzle means narrow nostrils, a long soft palate and a smaller airway, a combination vets call Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome, or BOAS. The snoring and snorting are part of the charm, but loud breathing during gentle exercise, struggling to settle, or gagging and regurgitating are signs it's worth getting checked. Some Frenchies benefit from a fairly simple surgery to widen the nostrils and shorten the palate, and it can make an enormous difference to their quality of life.
The other thing every Australian Frenchie parent needs to take seriously is heat. Dogs cool down by panting, and a Frenchie simply can't pant as efficiently as a longer-nosed dog, which means they can overheat frighteningly fast on a warm day. In summer, walks happen early in the morning or after sunset, never in the middle of the day, and never ever in a parked car. Keep water and shade handy, keep the walks short, and if you notice heavy panting, a bright red tongue or wobbly legs, get them cool and get to a vet. Other things on the Frenchie watch list include spinal problems like hemivertebrae and IVDD (thanks to that screw tail and compact spine), skin fold and ear infections, allergies, cherry eye and slipping kneecaps. Choosing a breeder who does BOAS grading and spine screening on their dogs is the single best head start you can give a Frenchie puppy.
All of this is also why we're firm on one thing: a Frenchie should be walked on a step-in harness, not a collar. Even a little bit of pulling on a collar squeezes an airway that's already working hard, and for a breed with a delicate spine and eyes that sit a bit proud, pressure on the neck is the last thing they need. A harness spreads it across that big broad chest instead, and because ours doesn't go over the head, you also skip the wrestling match with the bat ears. Regular vet check-ups, up-to-date vaccinations and a sensible walk every day will cover the rest and keep your little frog dog snorting happily for years.
A small dog with a very big presence
A Frenchie is a whole personality in a very small, very solid package. Funny, affectionate, stubborn, loud in the sleep department and quietly obsessed with their humans. They suit people who want a low-exercise, high-cuddle companion, don't mind a bit of snoring and slobber, and are happy to build a few heat and breathing-friendly habits into everyday life.
And for what it's worth, that broad chest and cheeky face were built for a harness and a matching bow tie or bandana. Most fully grown Frenchies fit our size M, with the bigger boys sitting in an L, and puppies usually start in an S until around eight to ten months. Purely an unbiased observation, of course.
