French Bull
Dog -
Characteristics and Breed Standards
The French bull dog is a fairly
recent breed of dog that has its origins coming mainly from the English bulldog.
The most accepted theory of how the French bull dog came to be is that English
lace workers from Normandy may have brought them over to France when they
expanded their trade to the country. While English bulldogs are stocky and heavy
set, their French counterparts are said to be on the lighter side of things, but
with highly similar characteristics as the English ones. Many breeders and
fanciers call the French bull dog “Frenchies”.
Colors And Markings
The French bull dog is a muscular
dog with a short smooth, smooth coat that is close to a compact body. There is a
limit of acceptable colors that a French bull dog may have but the variety of
colors are numerous as well as some of the combinations accepted in most shows.
Masks on the dogs are acceptable on red or fawn dogs. On any other color it is
not acceptable in most shows or kennel organizations. Brindle and pied are also
common markings or colors on these dogs. Solid colors are shades of cream to
deep butterscotch. Colors that are disqualified are solid black (with no other
lighter colored hairs), liver, black and tan and black and white.
Health And Temperament
The health of the French bull dog
is basically well. They can be prone to dog type of hemophilia and conditions
related to the thyroid. One other common condition that occurs in French bull
dogs is Brachycephalic syndrome, which is the condition of having a much too
flat face. This condition leads to the dog having a cleft palate or a soft
palate. Out of the two, the cleft palate is the condition that usually leads to
the puppies being put to sleep since this condition if practically impossible to
correct. The soft palate often results to dogs that are prone to passing out
after just a bout of moderate exercise or labored breathing even without
exercise. This condition can be hazardous to the dogs and stressful to the
owners especially if not diagnosed earlier. Other conditions that are common to
the French bull dog are eye problems and spinal or back conditions. Many of the
females of this particular breed and other bull dog breeds are also prone to
cesarean section when giving birth. This is due mainly to the fact that the
puppies have large heads and may have some difficulty passing through the birth
canal. Since larger heads are prized in many of the bull dog breeds, this may be
the reason why there are more and more cesarean sections performed these days
compared to before.
The temperament of the French
bull dog is very good for a companion dog and a lap dog. They can be best
described as attached to their human owner to a very extensive degree and they
are also found to be relatively happy and content dogs. They may be exuberant at
times when their excitement level peaks, so when playing with children they
should be constantly monitored to prevent any incidents or nips from occurring.
Most of the flat faced breeds of dogs have some difficulty with their breathing
which is why these dogs, including the French bull dog cannot be expected to
live outdoors or stay extensively in warm or hot places. This can be blamed
manly on their flat faces and the bulk that they grow up to be when matured.
This is the main reason why they do not need to be exercised for a long time and
can do with just one walk daily. Monitoring the Frenchie when exercising or out
for walks is a good idea since they get easily tired and can have some
difficulty breathing when exercised too much. They are most likely to have some
difficulty traversing through water since they are built to have heavier tops or
fore bodies than their backs. The French bull dog is not a good swimmer.
Since the French bull dog has
some bull dog and terrier linage, it is to be expected that they can be somewhat
aggressive when they feel like it. Care should be exercised when approaching a
strange French bull dog.
Attention: To discover how
YOU can have the Happiest, Healthiest and Best Behaved Bulldog,
get a copy of this Bulldog Guide
NOW!
