Caring for your Frenchie

There’s something irresistible about the wonderfully wrinkled French Bulldog. His small size, friendly personality, and playful nature make him an excellent choice for singles and families.

But before you bring your puppy home, you should learn how to properly care for their specific needs. Let’s take a look at some important French bulldog care areas you should be on top of.

Keeping Your Frenchie Fit

One of the most important aspects of French bulldog care is the proper feeding and exercise of the dog since their low physical activity allowance can easily make for obese pooches. It is said that French bulldog puppies should be fed 0.5 cups of high-quality puppy food three times a day until they are about six months old, according to various sources. After six months, the dog can graduate to an adult diet, eating around 1 to 1.5 cups of high-quality food each day, divided into two meals. These numbers should be based on an individual dog’s needs, so you may need to give your dog more or less food depending on his metabolism, size, age, activity level, and the food itself.

Help your Frenchie stay fit with short walks, a good play session each day indoors, and plenty of opportunities to explore new areas away from home.

Don’t try to take your pup out in hot weather, however. This breed is sensitive to higher temperatures. Walks are best in the early morning or later in the evening. If it’s too hot out for a comfortable walk, stick to indoor games such as fetch or hide and seek with a favorite toy.

A smelly caution

Stomach flatulence and gasses are widespread occurrences in the French bulldog breed. That’s why I recommend you to buy a feeding bowl that will prevent him/her from choking and fast eating. The following feeding bowl has a rotating bone inside if the plate that will prolong your dog’s meal and will make him/her work for his/her food.

Too Hot to Handle

French Bulldogs are very sensitive to the heat, so keep a close eye on your pup’s comfort level.

This breed is prone to heat exhaustion; stay indoors on hot days and keep your house cool with an air conditioner or proper airflow from fans. Keeping cool fresh water out at all times is a great way to keep your pup’s body temperature in a safe zone.

Watch out for excessive panting, lethargy, unusual drooling, and bright red or purple gums. These are signs of heat exhaustion and lack of oxygen.

Frenchies can get too cold, too. Watch out for shivering or breathing difficulties. As with other flat-faced dog breeds, breathing cold air puts extra strain on their respiratory systems. A warm coat and a long snuggle with you should keep your pal toasty on chilly days.

Grooming a French bulldog

The French Bulldog has a short, smooth coat, so maintenance isn’t a major undertaking. To keep your Frenchie’s coat clean and healthy, all you need to do is brush it once a week with a soft bristle brush or a rubber grooming glove. Your French Bulldog should only need to be bathed occasionally as well – about once a month. Make sure to find a quality dog shampoo as Frenchies might be prone to sensitive skin.

Keep in mind that while French Bulldogs don’t shed excessively, they will blow their undercoat twice a year during the spring and fall, so you should be prepared to do a little extra grooming during that time to control shedding. Using a stripping comb and a grooming glove is the best way to remove shed hairs.

Fold, Nails & Ears

Like all bulldogs, the French Bulldog has wrinkled folds of skin, primarily on his face. Depending on how deep your Frenchie’s wrinkles are, they can harbor infection-causing bacteria so you’ll want to keep them clean. An important rule to remember is to never get your dog’s face or ears wet while you are bathing him – the moisture can become trapped in the skin folds and might increase your dog’s risk for infection. The same is true for his ears – wet ears can become a breeding ground for bacteria.

Fortunately, cleaning your Frenchie’s skin folds is easy. Daily, you should take a warm, slightly damp washcloth and clean the wrinkles in your dog’s skin. Don’t use any shampoo or soap when you do this because it could irritate your dog’s skin. You can also use mild baby wipes or be able to find special dog skincare wipes at your local pet store.

Because a French bulldog’s nails do not naturally get worn down, they will need to be trimmed regularly since nails that grow too long can cause pain. Walking your French Bulldog on concrete helps keep the nails short, but if required, they should be trimmed weekly or every two weeks, depending on how quickly they are growing. Always be sure not to cut them too short.

Their wide-opened bat ears are something that set them out of the crowd from other dogs. However, since they are so opened, dirt, pieces of grass, and dust easily find their places in Frenchie’s ears. The ears should be kept clean from dirt and ear mites, which cause infection. A sensitive skin baby wipe or over the counter ear cleaner will do fine.

Be careful around water

You have probably heard about the fact that Frenchies don’t know to swim. In other words, they sink like rocks. So, if you enjoy spending time at the pool or at the beach, your Frenchie will definitely need a good safety life jacket. 

Watch out for Health Issues

Frenchies can have back problems, too. If your pup is having trouble moving his or her back legs, it could sign degenerative myelopathy or a herniated disk. Only your veterinarian can diagnose these issues, so don’t hesitate to bring any concerns to the doctor. Early intervention can extend your Frenchie’s life.

Eye problems aren’t uncommon in this breed, either. Look for any unusual redness, swelling, discharge, or signs that your dog doesn’t see very well.

Some French Bulldogs can develop allergies to fleas and other insects, fabric softeners used on their bedding, and even the cleaning products you use around the house. Watch for “hot spots” that your pup keeps licking or chewing on.

An ounce of prevention

All dog breeds will benefit from frequent, appropriate preventative care. If the face, ears and tail are all cleaned at the same time you can get yourself into a pretty good routine and shouldn’t have any real problems. The rest is just common sense.

In addition to regular bathing, skinfold care, and keeping an eye on your pup’s weight, you should stay up to date on your pup’s vaccinations.

This is especially important for Frenchies with active social lives and those who spend time away from home. Your vet will tell you how often your furry friend should visit. Be sure to ask about flea, tick, and heartworm prevention.