Commonly Asked French Bulldog Questions
These questions can help a potential buyer gather comprehensive information about any breeder's practices, the health and well-being of the puppies, and what to expect when bringing a puppy into their home.
How long have you been breeding French Bulldogs?
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I started breeding French Bulldogs in 2005. I started breeding dogs in 1986, my first breeds were West Highland White Terriers and Great Danes, my love for Danes began as a child. Later I obtained a few Rough Collies, lovely dogs but not the breed for me. I dabbled in a few breeds until I discovered the French and English Bulldogs. At present we also breed the rare Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka.
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Are the French Bulldog puppies registered with a kennel club?
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Yes, all our puppies come with AKC Registration "puppy papers". Puppies are sold without breeding rights.
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Can I see the parents of the puppies?
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Yes, you can meet the parents if you want to make an appointment and then come to our home to see them. By appointment only.
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Do the parents have any health clearances or certifications?
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Yes, our adult dogs are health tested through Embark so we have clear knowledge of any genetic diseases. Some of our dogs were tested years ago by other test companies (before Embark). Some of our dogs are what is called "clear by parentage" meaning neither parent is a carrier of a genetic disease meaning NONE of their resulting offspring can be carriers, in these cases there is no need to retest the offspring, although, we still guarantee your puppy will not be affected by any detectable genetic disease.
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What is the pedigree of the puppies?
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Pedigrees of our dogs and puppies can be emailed upon request. We are proud of our pedigrees and we are happy to share! We do not keep the pedigrees online anymore due to scammers stealing them for their own gain.
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Have the puppies been vaccinated and dewormed?
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Absolutely! Our puppies will receive multiple vaccines before leaving and they are de-wormed every 2 weeks until they are 4 months old.
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Are the puppies microchipped?
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Yes, each puppy has already had a microchip implanted in between it's shoulder blades. You will be offered multiple ways of registering the chip in your name, be sure to do this right away in case of puppy wandering off or being stolen!
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What socialization and training have the puppies received?
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Our puppies are raised on our small farm out in the country. There are horses, cattle, chickens, wildlife, tractors, chainsaws, bush hogs, lawnmowers and many other LOUD sounds. We also desensitize the puppies to thunder, gunshots and fireworks (we use recordings of these sounds. The puppies are accustomed to all our extra animals, they are handled by humans of all sizes and they go to town with us to meet strangers and go to the vet clinic where they are handled by strangers again.
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Can I see the health records of the puppies?
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I can present you a health record of your puppy at any given time, this record will show their vaccines and de-wormings.
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What is the temperament of the parents?
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French Bulldogs are intended to be great companions for quiet homes and apartments, they were bred to have superior temperaments. Any Frenchie that does not have these qualities should not be used for breeding and we adhere to that standard.
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How do you ensure the health and well-being of the puppies?
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By health testing all breeding adults and only breeding dogs that are not affected by genetic disorders. All canines have the potential for genetic or congenital disease. Unfortunately, due to the nature of some diseases, they cannot always be eliminated. It is the job of the Breeder, through selective breeding, to try and minimize (not eliminate) these conditions -- in good faith.
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Do the puppies have any known health issues?
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Puppies with health issues (with the exception of inguinal or umbilical hernias) are not offered for sale. If a puppy has a non serious health issue it will be disclosed before purchase. We do not fix puppy hernias because sometimes the hernia will rectify itself as the puppy grows, if the hernia is still present at 9 months of age we suggest having the hernia repaired at the same time the puppy is desexed. This is so much safer for the puppy, going under anesthesia is always risky so it makes sense to only put your pet under 1 time and have everything done. Putting young puppies under anesthesia is risky, they are better able to handle this when they are older, besides, your vet will be making incisions in the same places that hernias occur anyway.
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Can you provide references from previous puppy buyers?
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References are always available upon request!
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What is the typical lifespan of your French Bulldogs?
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The average lifespan of a is 10-14 years. I am happy to say that most of our puppies have gone on to be 13-14 years of age. Proper feeding, and good vitamins to reduce free radicals and good vet and dental care can add years to the life of any pet.
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Do you offer a health guarantee or warranty for the puppies?
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We do offer a Lifetime Guarantee against screenable genetic diseases and against severe genetic disease that causes death or can not be treated effectively. More information here:
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What kind of diet do you recommend?
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We feed TLC Pet Food to our dogs. We feed the All Life Stages formula to all our puppies and to our adults. This food is very nutritious and contains some fantastic ingredients not commonly found in pet foods such as real Atlantic Salmon, Lamb and Chicken, it also contains Green-Lipped Muscles. TLC Whole Life Pet Food™ is made by caring pet owners who understand the important role our pets play in our lives. Feel confident choosing TLC risk-free thanks to their 100% Money-Back Guarantee. This food is rated 5 stars with DogFoodAdvisor!
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How often do you breed your dogs?
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There was a day when people thought it best to breed a female every other heat cycle, but many reproductive vets and breeders knew better,we have slowly been able to educate people on what happens when a dog is not bred after her cycle, not breeding her is actually more dangerous than breeding her back to back. Most reproduction vets now suggest breeding your female back to back and getting the genetics you want or need and then retire the dog early. This is the stand I have taken, this way my girls get to retire to a sofa earlier in life. Our bloodlines typically only cycle once a year or about every 10 months, we do not breed them on their 1st cycle but we do breed them back to back for 4 litters and then they retire around 5.5 years of age.
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Are there any specific care requirements for French Bulldogs?
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Frenchies can have allergies, often to chicken and certain tree pollens. Frenchies can overheat easily, be prepared to keep them cool, we use USB powered mini fans when traveling in the car. In hot, humid locations they can be prone to hot spots.
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How do you handle the weaning process?
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We start weaning at 6 weeks of age. For the first few days we take mom away from her puppies twice a day, 5 hours rest in the morning and 5 hours rest in the evening. After this we take mom away for the entire night and they get to spend time with mom for about 3 hours twice a day. Then we cut back to a 3 hour session once a day until mom is nearly dried up.
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How do you ensure the genetic diversity of your breeding program?
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The genetic diversity in purebred dogs of any breed is quite small. In some breeds it is not even possible to find specimens that are not related to each other anywhere in the world. No one likes the idea of inbreeding, in some cases, such as animal species that are almost extinct there is no alternative than to inbreed to save them. We breed our dogs assuring there are no common ancestors in their 4 generation pedigrees, if we can go further out, say 7-8 generations that is even better but not always obtainable.
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Do you provide support and guidance after the sale?
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Yes, we are always available to help answer questions and provide the "advice of experience".
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What advice do you have for first-time French Bulldog owners?
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Again, watch the heat, they can not tolerate the heat. Have a fan or cooling mat/vest handy, even a wet towel will work wonders for an overheated Frenchie. These guys LOVE to chew wood! Your cabinet corners and table legs will fall victim to Frenchie fangs, so be warned! They will poke holes in your favorite leather shoes and they will even fray the fabric corners of your furniture. Never allow them to jump off beds or sofas, even going down long flights of stairs they can seriously hurt their spines.
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Are the Frenchie puppies house-trained or crate-trained?
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Our puppies are crate conditioned meaning they are used to being crated for short periods of time. They are not "house trained" per say as every home is different and the puppy must acclimate to their new home. They are potty conditioned to our environment and they do go potty outdoors. When they can not go outdoors they are trained to a potty spot (turf). French Bulldog puppies can be crated up to 1 hour for every month of their age, so a 2 month old puppy should be able to "hold it" for 2 hours. As you train your puppy you will see progress, take very tiny steps in training and if there is an accident just go back to the last step that they were successful with and continue from there.
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What do you look for in potential puppy buyers?
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What breeder doesn't want the best home possible for their puppies. First and foremost we want our puppies to be members of the family, that is our intent when breeding them. We do not make unreasonable stipulations for adopting one of our French Bulldog puppies, we do not require you have a fenced yard because many people love to walk their dog on leash. We do ask that you do your homework, Frenchies can be expensive to fix when they break so know the potential for health issues.
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Do you have any contracts or agreements that buyers need to sign?
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Yes, we have a comprehensive Lifetime Guarantee that you must read and initial, you must be comfortable with everything in the contract, if you have any questions or concerns you can just email me. Here is the contract:
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