Quick answer
A French Bulldog tends to be a wonderful family dog in a single-person or small-family home, since he demands your attention and does not love sharing it with a crowd. They are not big barkers, which suits apartment living, but their flat face brings real breathing and heat-tolerance issues worth knowing before you commit. Whether one fits your family depends more on your household size and climate than on the breed's temperament alone.
That compact body and squashed, big-eared face turn heads, so at some point you’ve probably asked it out loud: are French bulldogs good family dogs?
Like most breeds, the honest answer is that it depends on the home. A Frenchie is a wonderful family dog in the right house and a poor fit in the wrong one.
Let’s get into the details so you can tell which one you’ve got.
History of the French Bulldog
In the early 1800s, English lace workers crossed into France looking for work and brought their small bulldogs along, partly for company and partly to keep the rats down. The dogs were tough and even-tempered, they caught on fast, and before long English breeders were shipping them over to French buyers.
The breed has carried that air of refinement ever since. By the late 1800s and into the early 1900s, fashionable upper-class families and assorted royalty kept Frenchies as pets.
One even sailed on the Titanic. Its owner had insured the dog for $750, a small fortune at the time and a sign of how prized these dogs already were.
Some version of these little bulldogs may well predate the 1800s, but once those English breeders started selling to the French, a distinct new breed took shape. It’s only grown more popular since.
What the French Bulldog Is Like to Live With
The first thing you’ll notice is how much a Frenchie wants your attention. Wants is too mild, actually. He demands it. That makes him a great match for a single person or a small family, where he isn’t fighting a crowd for your lap.
They’re not big barkers, which a lot of owners love. A Frenchie barks when something genuinely warrants it and not much otherwise. He’s far from silent, though. Snorting and snoring come standard with the breed.
Housing barely matters to them. They don’t need much exercise, so a big yard is wasted on a Frenchie. His idea of a perfect afternoon is staying inside collecting every scrap of attention you’ll give.
And if what you really want to know is whether French bulldogs are good with kids, yes, plainly. Frenchies are big-hearted, mellow, and steady-tempered.
Pair that easy nature with their small size and you’ve got a fine companion for children of any age, toddlers included. Supervise the little ones either way, as you would with any dog.
French Bulldog Stats and Numbers
Before you bring one home, it helps to know the basics. Here’s the quick profile:
- Weight: 25 to 27 pounds for males and females.
- Height at withers: 12 inches for males; 11 inches for females
- Lifespan: 9 to 11 years
- Exercise requirements: <20 minutes per day
- Energy level: average
- Tendency to drool: high
- Tendency to snore: high
- Tendency to bark: moderate
- Tendency to dig: low
- Social needs: high
Bred to be a lapdog, the Frenchie carries naturally upright bat ears, a flat pushed-in face, and short, bowed legs. The coat is short and smooth, usually white, fawn, or black, sometimes with white mixed in.
Grooming sits in the moderate range. You should brush him, but a Frenchie won’t bury your floors in hair the way some breeds do.
The American Kennel Club lists the French bulldog in the Non-Sporting group, while the UKC files him under Companion dogs.
He doesn’t eat much, and that short coat stays clean with little effort. The wrinkles are the catch. Those facial folds need regular cleaning, because dirt and moisture settle in and turn into infections if you let them.
How a Frenchie Differs from Other Bulldogs
The French bulldog belongs to the non-sporting group and counts as a mid-sized dog, alongside the Boston terrier and the standard bulldog. People mix the three up all the time, but they’re distinct breeds.
A Frenchie is no mere shrunken bulldog. For starters, those bat ears are natural and never cropped or altered. The skull is its own shape too, flat across the top between the ears.
French bulldogs also stand shorter and weigh a good deal less than English bulldogs. When you’re trying to pick a true Frenchie out of a lineup, the bat ears are the tell.
The Quirks That Come With the Breed
A Frenchie may wear a permanently sad expression, but the dog underneath it is warm and genuinely funny. Puppies are little dynamos, tearing after balls through the house. The grown dog turns into a committed couch potato who’ll still happily take a daily walk, as long as it isn’t hot or muggy out.
With other animals he usually does well, with two caveats. He may go after small pets like gerbils or hamsters, and two male Frenchies under one roof can clash.
On training, know going in that the breed has a stubborn streak that can make for slow going. They’re sensitive dogs, though, and they come around with patience, consistency, and plenty of positive reinforcement. Start while he’s young.
Use the crate method for housebreaking, and budget up to six months for it to fully take. One serious warning if you have a pool: Frenchies cannot swim. Their dense, front-heavy build sinks them, and a Frenchie that falls in goes under fast. Never leave one unattended near water.
Who Should Own a French Bulldog?
A Frenchie is the right dog for you if you’re after a breed that:
- Is small but very sturdy and stocky
- Has a coat that comes in various colors and is easy to care for
- Doesn’t need a lot of exercise
- Gets along well with both people and other pets
- Doesn’t bark much
- Loves games such as chasing balls and others
Now the hard part. Frenchies are prone to a long list of health problems, a lot of it the result of careless breeding. Heatstroke is a constant risk because that flat face makes breathing inefficient, which is why your home really does need air conditioning if you own one.
Other conditions the breed runs into include:
- Eye diseases
- Heart disease
- Spinal disorders
- Joint diseases
- Ear infections
- Conjunctivitis (eye infections)
- Diarrhea
- Mobility issues
- Skin problems such as pyoderma (bacterial skin infection) and skin fold dermatitis
Those skin issues are exactly why cleaning the folds matters so much, and the folds aren’t only on the face. Wipe them out regularly with a dog-safe wet wipe and you head off most of the trouble.
How to Pick a Healthy French Bulldog
Choosing one gets simple once you’ve decided between adopting from a shelter and buying from a breeder. If you buy, dig into the breeder first and make sure it’s a reputable outfit that actually looks after the dogs it produces.
You can learn a lot just by watching a puppy. Pay attention to the eyes, the breathing, and the way it moves. Here’s what to look for:
- Look at their eyes to make sure that there is no squinting, watery eyes, or eyes that look glazed over
- Make sure that French Bulldog puppies are not limping
- If you notice that a dog’s leg movement seems “off,” listen for a clicking noise, which could indicate hip problems as they age
- Any breathing difficulty could indicate a possibility for BOAS (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome) later in life.
- A low-pitched noise when breathing or a gasping sound could mean breathing problems
Frenchies snore, that’s a given. But if yours starts snoring unusually loudly once he’s settled in at home, flag it for your vet. Heavy snoring can be an early sign of BOAS.
You can never be one hundred percent sure a puppy is in perfect health before you take him home. Checking these few things just tilts the odds in your favor for the years ahead.
Is a Frenchie Right for Your Family?
French bulldogs are lovable, and they make excellent family dogs even with young kids or other pets in the mix. Set the health concerns aside and a Frenchie is a joy to share a home with, the kind of dog you fall for within a week.
Give him the attention he’s constantly fishing for, factor in that stubbornness when you train, and budget for the vet bills the breed can bring. Handle those three things and the rest of life with a Frenchie is the easy part.