I know what you're thinking. I'm a breeder and in the business of selling puppies- so why would I tell you not to buy a Frenchie? Yes, I am a breeder and I do sell puppies. The thing many may not consider is that I love my dogs and I love their puppies. I don't want them going to shelters, being mistreated, bred irresponsibly, or for a family to ever be in the situation where they realize they cannot afford the time, money, or attention to raising this puppy responsibly.
The bottom line is, I want my puppies to go to good homes, where they will be loved, cherished, and cared for properly. There are a lot of pieces of the puzzle that need to align in order to constitute a good home. So let's go through them!
Don't buy a French Bulldog if you found a great deal.
We all know French Bulldogs regularly cost $2,500 and up if they are coming from Champion lines, health tested parents, and raised in home environments (no kennels/barns/horrible living conditions) but hey, maybe you found one on Craigslist for a couple hundred bucks. This is most likely a scam. It used to be pretty easy to pick out the fakes among real breeding programs. But nowadays even fake websites, instagram and Facebook pages can look legitimate. My best advise to avoid loosing your money is to ask to see the puppy in person, via FaceTime, ask for the puppies or parents most recent vet records with a time/date stamp, ask for proof of health testing, and really any question that may come to mind. The relationship between breeder and buyer should be an open book. Frequently Breeders will have questions for you too. Use your good judgement and don't let those adorable photos lead to an impulse deposit.
Choosing not to buy a puppy simply because it's a "great deal" goes hand-in-hand with understanding that breeding is an extremely demanding and expensive career. You may have read my previous blog posts about the financial, time, labor, and emotional investments I put into my litters. (If you haven't, you can click here and here to read them. Note that those blogs were written several years ago, before the record inflation we're all experiencing at the end of 2022. For example, regular vet exams have increased from $45 to $75, and a bag of puppy formula has gone from $70 to $140.) In short, each litter costs me between $5,000 and $25,000 upfront and requires a minimum of 560 hours of hands-on care. That's ten hours a day, seven days a week, for at least eight weeks. After subtracting overhead costs from the revenue from litters, I often find I'm working for minimum wage. Believe it or not, I haven't been able to pay myself for the entire year of 2022 due to these overhead costs and small litter sizes. Throughout 2022, I worked seven days a week for free.
Imagine how it feels to receive texts accusing me of overcharging for my puppies or questioning the value of my work, especially on my birthday. Most people see the sticker price and assume I'm "rolling in it," but if they truly understood the sacrifices and investments required to produce the very best quality dogs, they would never doubt the value. During a two-week vacation, I had to hire three different house sitters to care for my eight dogs, which cost $2,100. I returned to find a receipt for six Red Bulls—it took the sitter six Red Bulls to get through just five days of my regular work, which doesn’t include raising two human children, cooking, cleaning, administrative tasks, accounting, and customer service for the business.
The bottom line is that my world-class breeding program didn't just fall into my lap. I have worked incredibly hard for it, investing hundreds of thousands of dollars and dedicating years of my life. This is what my dogs and my program are worth to me and the families who trust me to raise their forever companions.
Sure, there are ways of making breeding more profitable and reducing overhead costs specifically. Breeders don't have to spend thousands on health testing and subsequently don't have to cut dogs from their program because they assume if the dog is alive it must be healthy enough to breed. They could breed a mamma dog endlessly instead of retiring her after a few litters. They don't have to spend thousands on stud fees and just breed whatever dogs they have access to- like moms to sons, fathers to daughters and so forth. They can do everything under the table instead of paying for licenses, registrations, and taxes. They don't have to buy new blankets, puppy pads and laundry detergent and just have the dogs live in their own filth in a barn. They don't have to pay for vaccines, dewormer, or medical care. They can let who lives live, and who dies die instead of rushing sick puppies to the vet for lifesaving care. They can stack cages on top of cages and keep a hundred breeding age dogs and push out dozens of litters per month. They can save time and labor by keeping dogs on wire bottom cages to let the poop and pee fall through the bottom instead of having the dogs exercising- after all a dog out of a cage is a dog you have to train and constantly keep your eyes on to stay out of trouble. You get the point.
I do everything in my power to enrich the lives of my dogs as much as possible. I treat my dogs as if they were my own children. And in my personal philosophy if it ever comes to the point where I can no longer provide the five star care to my breeding program then I won't be breeding at all. I see it as- I purposely brought these dogs into the world so I should personally be responsible for them. Just like human children, if you don't want to dedicate your life to being a mom or dad, then please for the childs sake DONT reproduce. Furthermore, its my responsibility to find these puppies homes that will provide the same level of care that I do, or better. That is why I ask my families to submit a puppy application and why I ask so many personal questions. I need to know that my puppy is going into good hands.
Don't buy a French Bulldog if you are never home.
French Bulldogs are well-known for their clingy personalities and strong desire for companionship. They dislike being alone, so it's crucial to consider your work and social schedule before committing to one. Families who can work from home, have family members at home, hire help, or bring their pup to work are in an ideal situation, as the puppy will always be with a responsible adult. This is especially important during the first few months when the puppy bonds with their forever human, learns a daily routine, and undergoes potty and obedience training.
Don't buy a French Bulldog as a gift
I always tell my puppy families that owning a Frenchie puppy is like having a baby. You wouldn't ever gift someone a baby out of the blue to "play with" Someone who hasn't been obsessing over preparing for a French Bulldog most likely isn't prepared to take on the role of a 24/7 caretaker with so little notice. Couples regularly take years to prepare for a baby, and children who ask for puppies typically need to first graduate from caring for a fish or hamster to show they have they discipline, consistency. love and tenderness to care for an animal that relies on them completely for their survival. So please, unless you and your family member/loved one is 10000% ready and able and prepared to care for this fragile, helpless, and extremely needy little creature do not gift them a French Bulldog.
Don't buy a French Bulldog if you have allergies
I don't recommend relying on an allergy pill every day. It can quickly become tedious, and when you eventually want to stop the medication but can't handle dander exposure, the dog might become a burden. It's crucial to consider how adding a dog to your home will impact your daily life and whether you're willing to make those changes for the next decade. If you can't commit to immunotherapy or daily medication, living without a dog might be your only option, as French Bulldogs do shed.
Don't buy a French Bulldog if you have an unstable lifestyle
There are several things to be said under this category. Just like when preparing to have a child there are a few "bottom line" must haves that go beyond the crib and stroller- This is the absolute foundation, do you have a home? Does your apartment or rental allow dogs? Is the back yard fenced? Is there any place that is even remotely convenient and safe for going potty 5-10 times a day? Tiny baby puppies need to relieve their bladder as frequently as every 30 minutes while awake and playing/drinking water. Is there a pool that needs to be puppy proofed? Are you aware that French Bulldogs absolutely cannot swim and WILL drown if they fall into a pool, even a shallow pond, water feature, kiddie pool? Are you constantly traveling or moving? And will you be able to take the dog with you everywhere you go? And if not, then where will the dog be while you are away. Would "away" time at least be consistent so that both the dog and the caregiver aren't left to fend for themselves? Do you have air conditioning? Are you aware that French Bulldogs are a brachycephalic breed and cannot tolerate heat or stringent exercise especially in humid conditions? Is there a space in your home that you can transform or dedicate to a puppy "safe area" where the pup can be while you are working/cleaning/running errands/working out/etc. Please be aware that I do not ever recommend allowing new puppies free roam of the house until they are fully potty trained and can be trusted not to hurt themselves or cause any damage to your home. Do you truly have the time to dedicate dozens and dozens of hours to training your new puppy? And are you willing to be consistent with training, essentially creating a new lifestyle for yourself in order to create a safe, enriched, and achievable living standard for your dog?
Don't buy a French Bulldog if you are living paycheck to paycheck
Like I mentioned in point #1, French Bulldogs normally cost $6,000 and up to purchase up front. But this is only the first expense involved with dog ownership. My recommendation is to at a bare minimum have $5,000 saved and tucked away for emergency situations. I personally require each one of my puppy families to purchase pet insurance. I cannot imagine being in a situation where the family must choose between a vet bill and their pets life. Accidents and emergencies DO happen. A broken elbow from a fall can cost $6,000 to repair. Something as simple as an upset tummy can easily cost $500- and you may leave the vet without even a diagnosis. Dental cleanings can cost $1,000. Now lets scale things up for a dog that is more medically fragile and needs treatment for something like intervertebral disc disease. This can cost $10,000 for the surgery alone- along with lifetime acupuncture, physical therapy, pain relief, and many other treatments that the dog may need to live a comfortable life. Beyond vet care there are endless expenses from premium biologically appropriate food ($150/month), treats ($50/month), leash, collar and harness ($100), beds, crates, sweaters, bowls, hygiene items and/grooming, how about a fence (ten grand), car seats, professional training (potentially hundreds to thousands), so on and so forth. Dog ownership is extremely expensive.
Don't buy a French Bulldog if you don't have patience
French Bulldogs are known for their stubbornness, and it's not uncommon for potty training to take up to a year before they can be trusted to roam your house alone for six hours without accidents. Besides being challenging to potty train, they can also be quite mischievous. While this behavior isn't unique to French Bulldogs, they can be particularly destructive if left unsupervised with nothing to occupy their time. You may have seen "dog shaming" posts on Instagram showing torn-up pillows, chewed-up furniture, unrolled toilet paper, and garbage scattered across the kitchen. Don't be surprised if you come home to similar chaos if your French Bulldog is left alone without proper training and stimulation. Training, routine, discipline, and respect require significant effort and time. If you lack the patience for thorough training or the resources to hire a trainer and maintain consistency, a French Bulldog might not be the right choice for you.
Don't buy a French Bulldog if you have a sensitive nose
French Bulldogs are well-known for their sensitive stomachs, digestive issues, including IBD, and notably extreme gas. Feeding a biologically appropriate diet of raw meat, vegetables, and supplements can greatly help with these problems, but even then, you might occasionally experience strong odors. I use an air purifier running 24/7 to manage these smells. It’s important to avoid synthetic scents from candles and plug-ins, as they can be toxic to dogs. Opt for 100% natural and safe scents, or avoid fragrances altogether if you can’t confirm they’re non-synthetic. Many chemicals in cleaning products and flea medications can also cause severe and sometimes irreversible neurological effects, such as seizures.
