According to the French Bulldog Club of America and to us, they are fantastic companions. They are fun to be around as they are always doing cute and amusing things, in fact they are downright funny which is why they are sometimes called the clown prince of the dog world. When they are not doing interesting things, they are very content to lie in your lap, on the floor by your feet, or in their kennel.
As you can see from the gallery pictures, they are WONDERFUL with children! They can have their ears tugged on or be poked or rolled on, and they take it in stride. They become very protective of babies and little ones.
Your new French Bulldog will love you, as all of ours do us, and will want to be around you as much as possible; although, fortunately, they are not clingy (like our Golden Retrievers and a few of our other dogs used to be). When you want to pet and shower your French Bulldog with attention, he or she will be there for you. But, when you want a break they will lie close by and be content just to be near you.
French Bulldogs love people and love to please. No French Bulldog should be mean, aggressive, or vicious. Based on our experiences and on what we have researched, French Bulldog generally adapt very well to new people, places, and things, especially when they have been well socialized and exposed to new experiences when young. It is a good idea to take your French Bulldog puppy visiting and to various places early in life. This helps your French Bulldog be a better dog and not overreact out of the fear of the unknown. It helps built confidence and character in your French Bulldog and gives you and your French Bulldog an easier time when you separated or when traveling.
One thing that is important to understand is that your French Bulldog should not be penned for extended periods of time on a regular basis. He or she needs to be a big part of your life. Certainly there will be times when you will be separated from your French Bulldog for several hours. If your French Bulldog is well house trained, you can just leave him/her in the house with a few toys. If the weather is nice and you have a secure fenced in backyard, you can put him/her outside where he/she will surely enjoy himself/herself. In a pinch, you could leave him/her in a kennel, but this should be minimized.
If you have a canine companion for your French Bulldog , it will be easier on both you and your French Bulldog to be separated. If your French Bulldog is socialized with another pet, they will have great times together and will not miss you so much when you can’t be with them.
French Bulldogs love people and need to regularly be around their masters or other people. In the ideal world there would be someone home all day with them; but in the real world this isn’t always possible. As long as they are not left at home alone everyday, all day, they are pretty content to lounge around until you get home. If you shower them with love and affection when you are there they will live very happy and full lives. It really is the quality of time you spend with even more so than the quantity. If they are left alone every day for a period of time, they will be a lot happier with a with a buddy until you return if it can be arranged, i.e., another dog, a cat, a rabbit, etc. – you get the picture.
Fortunately, French Bulldogs adapt very well to apartment living. They do not need big spaces to roam in order to be happy. We are fortunate to have a large fenced-in back yard, but it is certainly not essential. French Bulldogs only need a moderate amount of exercise, which can be accomplished by a walk around the neighborhood sometime during the day, a short play time in the back yard, etc.
One caution is that French Bulldog puppies should be kept away from dog parks and other areas where sick dogs may have been. Young puppies (less than 12 weeks old) do not have all of their immunities built up yet and could possibly pick up parvo or distemper in grass or other areas where sick animals have been.
Your French Bulldog puppy can also be taught to go potty on a paper pee pad or even on an artificial grass mat which can be placed in a strategic location in the house. This makes it possible for you to periodically leave your French Bulldog in the house without supervision for an extended period of time while you are away running errands, fulfilling commitments, etc. We have had good luck in this regard with our French Bulldogs that we have raised from puppies.
Fortunately, French Bulldogs require fairly little care compared with many other breeds of house dogs, which is a good thing since I also have to take care of five kids and a husband. About all we have to do for our French Bulldogs is periodically clip their nails and make sure their ears and the folds of skin on their faces are clean by wiping them out with a wet wipe every week or two.
Proper care for teeth is recommended for any breed. Some people recommend that you brush your French Bulldog’s teeth regularly, but we give our French Bulldogs lots of bones and chew toys and they do fine without daily brushing. There is a paste you can rub on their teeth on a regular basis which is all that is really needed. It does all the work for you and French Bulldogs tolerate it much better than having toothbrushes in their mouths; and it is certainly a lot more convenient. You should have your adult French Bulldogs teeth professionally cleaned at about 3 years of age, and then every year or two thereafter to insure their teeth are in good health and stay that way. Tooth problems not only cause problems in the mouth but tooth problems can lead to other health issues. The best treatment is always PREVENTION!
Almost all of the time we spend with our French Bulldogs is fun time. We love to pet and snuggle with our French Bulldogs, as well as watch them play with their toys, the kids, and with each other. There is really not a lot of work involved, excluding the yard cleanup and feeding (and we try to get help from the guys and the kids in this department).