Review of French Bulldog
Pros:
- Love children
- Active and playful
- Eat whatever you give them
- Fully adopt the owner’s personality
- Enjoy being around people
Cons:
- For me, none
Hello everyone!
I’m starting my review today, June 25, 2023, and I’ll be writing it over time since there’s a lot to share about the French Bulldog breed. I’ll update it as our dog grows. Honestly, I was never a dog person—more indifferent, really—and had no plans to get one. Walking a dog twice a day sounded like a chore, especially since I’m not a morning person, and my work schedule was already demanding. I always had cats, which I loved. I had two, but the last one stayed with my parents when my then-fiancé and I moved in together.
My husband, on the other hand, isn’t a cat fan, though he had one he left behind. He always dreamed of owning a French Bulldog, having had one as a kid. He even tried getting one before we met, but it didn’t work out, and he had to return the puppy. It all started when he began sending me funny French Bulldog videos. Watching them, I got excited and started wanting a dog too.
I have friends with dogs, and I’d often walk theirs when visiting since I generally love animals. It began with those videos, and I immediately picked a name for our future dog—Zeus. We wanted a blue coat, purebred with papers. Eventually, we settled on a fawn or brown color, which is also nice. After about a month of browsing listings, we found our Zeus!
This adorable 2.5-month-old bundle of joy arrived at our home. He was calm during the trip, sitting in my lap. The moment we saw him, we knew he was the one. We understood a purebred with a pedigree would be expensive. We planned to breed him later to recoup some costs, but that’s not important now. Zeus has become a true family member, and I can’t imagine life without him.
My biggest worry when bringing him home was how my daughter would react. She’s not fond of dogs, especially when they jump or lick her. Surprisingly, they bonded quickly, and now she loves him too. When we brought this wonder home, I had no clue how to feed or care for him, though I’d read up online beforehand.
My first mistake was overfeeding him. I didn’t know puppies lack a sense of portion control, so I gave him too much food. His stomach bloated, and we had to treat him. It was a tough time—I cried a lot, stressed out. To make matters worse, when my husband took him to the vet, Zeus caught a cold. At 2.5 months, he hadn’t had all his vaccinations, so he got sick instantly. Diarrhea, coughing, sneezing—it was overwhelming. There were moments of despair, but we got through it. This taught me to strictly portion a puppy’s food and avoid trips until all vaccinations are done.
At first, Zeus used pee pads, but by 7–8 months, he only went outside. Now, at nearly a year (11 months), he holds it and even signals when he needs to go out. He’s incredibly smart and not aggressive at all. He’s never bitten anyone or lunged at guests or strangers—he loves everyone and is always happy to see people.
Once he was fully vaccinated and the vet gave the okay, we started regular walks, which meant regular baths too. Zeus loves bath time and even jumps into the tub himself. After walks, he sits and waits for us to wash his paws. Now we feed him on a schedule, no longer leaving food out. He’s on dry food, though he ate natural food during his illness. We occasionally give him table scraps, but we’re careful—grapes, apples, and meat can upset his stomach. Grapes caused diarrhea for a couple of days, and he gets gassy, which isn’t pleasant.
Zeus is smart, calm, yet playful. He loves toys, running, and jumping—give him freedom outdoors, and he’s in his element. He’s friendly with other animals, though he’s a bit odd around cats since he’s never gotten close to one (we keep him leashed). As for sleeping, we couldn’t train him to use his bed. When we’re home, he sleeps with us on our bed. If it’s hot, he’ll lie on the floor. He uses his bed when we’re away, which is progress, and sometimes naps there during the day.
In winter, we buy him clothes since he gets cold but still wants to walk for at least 20 minutes. In summer, he overheats, so we got a portable water bottle for walks. I love that he mirrors his owner’s personality and listens well. The breed is smart but can act childish at times. If I scold my daughter, Zeus slinks away, afraid he’ll get in trouble too. He’s now mature, and we do correct him if he misbehaves. He only chewed furniture and shoes early on—not a big deal—and now, at 11 months, he leaves shoes alone.
My husband decided against neutering, hoping to breed him, but we learned it’s best to wait until he’s two. We’ll see how that goes. At home, he doesn’t mark, likely because we walk him three times a day. Even when alone from 8 AM to 5 PM, he doesn’t misbehave. We leave a pee pad just in case, but he holds it until we’re back.
Zeus is now a year old. He’s transformed from a clueless puppy into a smart dog, though he still loves playing, people, and sleeping with us. The next milestone I’m nervous about is how he’ll react to a new baby in the family. Time will tell, and I’ll share that experience later. He now eats when he wants but doesn’t overeat. He’s still curious about our food but gets treats sparingly. He’s fully grown and likely won’t get bigger.
On cold or rainy days, he wears clothes, which he doesn’t love but tolerates to stay warm and dry. When our new baby arrived, Zeus was amazing. A big plus is that he’s not jealous and understands the baby is a little human. Still, we stay vigilant since he can be unaware of his strength when playing, like jumping too hard.
A downside is that French Bulldogs can be prone to allergies, but we’ve barely noticed this with Zeus, so it’s hard to call it a major flaw.
Pros:
- Love children and won’t hurt them
- Friendly with people and other dogs (at least ours is)
- Mirror their owner’s personality, which I love
- Enjoy company
- Compact, small breed
- Stay playful and cheerful their whole lives
- Short coat makes allergies less likely (though it varies)
- Smart and understanding
These are the main pros, but everyone has their own breed preferences. I have no regrets about getting Zeus—he’s family, and life without him is unimaginable.
In conclusion, I recommend researching breeds thoroughly before getting a pet. Choose a dog that feels right for you, one that brings joy and happiness, like Zeus does for us!
Thanks for reading, and I hope my review was helpful!
