The French Bulldog is a breed of domestic dog.
Often described as “a clown in the cloak of a philosopher,” the French Bulldog originated as, and continues to be used as a companion dog.
The French Bulldog is an intelligent, lively, playful, and affectionate dog.
The breed is small and muscular with heavy bone structure, a smooth coat, a short face and trademark “bat” ears.
It stands 28 to 30 cm (11 to 12 inches) and ideally weighs no more than 13 kg (28 pounds).
Its short, fine coat may be any of a number of colours, such as brindle, grayish brown (fawn), or white.
The French Bulldog has an average lifespan of 11 to 14 years.
The breed is the result of a cross between Toy Bulldogs imported from England and local ratters in Paris, France, in the 1800s.
They were favorites of ordinary Parisians such as butchers, cafe owners and dealers in the rag trade and became notorious as the favorites of the Parisian streetwalkers, les belles de nuit.
By the end of the 19th century, the Frenchie’s popularity had spread across Europe and to America.
The breed was tougher sell in England. The Bulldog was a national symbol, and it rankled many Englishmen that their age-old rivals, the French, would dare adapt it to their purposes.
American devotees of the early 1900s contributed to the breed by insisting that the bat ear, as opposed to the “rose ear,” was the correct Frenchie type. It is by this distinctive feature that the Frenchie is instantly recognizable the world over.
After World War I the breed’s popularity began a decline that would last for the next fifty years. The enormous popularity of another small brachycephalic breed, the Boston Terrier, probably contributed to this.
A small number of Frenchie breeders in America and Europe kept the flame alive but by 1940 French Bulldogs were considered a rare breed and only 100 were registered with the AKC.
The years during World War II were difficult for all dog breeders and especially for those in Europe where many fine dogs starved or were put down for lack of food.
The 1980s witnessed a rapid rise in Frenchie registrations due to a newly energized French Bull Dog Club of America that included younger breeders who transformed the annual specialty shows into major events and who contributed to The French Bullytin, a new magazine devoted solely to Frenchies.
Today, French Bulldogs are very popular as pets. They were the second-most popular registered dog in the United Kingdom, and the fourth-most popular AKC-registered dog breed in the United States.
The French bulldog is not the breed to run along side you as you are jogging.
They enjoy short walks when the air temperature is moderate.
Never expose a Frenchie to higher heat as they are prone to heat stroke.
French bulldogs should not be allowed near bodies of water as they are not capable of swimming due to their bodily structure being so heavy towards their front.
They are very prevalent in social media culture. There is even a subreddit page that discusses “all things french bulldog”. This section discusses their cultural legacy in dog shows, movies and television shows, celebrities who own them, and French bulldogs in famous events.
The movie Due Date, filmed in 2010, starring Zach Galifinakis, Robert Downey Jr., & Jamie Foxx also features a French Bulldog named Honey.