French Bulldog
A flat-faced companion breed with a rich history and enduring popularity.
Last updated
via Wikipedia: French Bulldog · see source
This breed came about from crossing Toy Bulldogs brought from England with local Parisian ratters.[1]
Biology and range
The AKC standard weight is at maximum 28 lb, and the head should be square shaped and large with bat-like ears.[2] The coat is short-haired, fine, and silky, with acceptable colors including brindle, fawn, cream, or white with brindle patches.[2] Stenotic nares occurred at 42 times the general population rate, and brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome was 30 times more prevalent.[3] A 2013 UK study of 2,228 French Bulldogs found that 72.4% had at least one recorded health issue.[4]
Brindle is the most frequent coat color, followed by fawn, while pied coloring occurs less often.[5] Research from the UK revealed that the French Bulldog had a notably higher prevalence for 20 out of 43 common conditions when compared to the general dog population.[3] More than 80% of French Bulldog litters are delivered via Caesarean section.[6]
What the specialist sources record
The French Bull Dog Club of America was founded on April 5, 1897, due to a dispute about ears at the Westminster Kennel Club show.[7] American breeders were incensed that English judge George Raper had put up rose-eared Frenchies at that show.[7] The bat ear is now universally recognized as a key element of a true French bulldog.[7] The club published nine issues of a magazine called The French Bull Dog in 1913 and 1914.[7]
By 1925 the club had 86 active members and published the hard-bound book The French Bulldog.[7] The FBDCA Centennial Show in 1997 had a record entry of 303 Frenchies.[7] A French source notes that the name "Bouledogue" is a French version of "Bulldog".[8]
References
- Wikipedia, "French Bulldog" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Le bouledogue Français, Ses origines", 'Official breed club created in 1898 (fr)'; Peltz, "U.S. still has a major case of French bulldog fever: But is another breed making gains? Of corso", The Frederick News-Post, 19 March 2025, p. A6 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "French Bulldog" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Club, "American Kennel Club - Dog Breed Standards"; Club, "American Kennel Club - Dog Breed Standards"; "French Bulldog Dog Breed Information", American Kennel Club; Club, "American Kennel Club - Dog Breed Standards"; "French Bulldog Dog Breed Information", American Kennel Club (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "French Bulldog" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: O’Neill, "French Bulldogs differ to other dogs in the UK in propensity for many common disorders: a VetCompass study", Canine Medicine and Genetics, 2021-12-16, p. 13 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "French Bulldog" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Demography and disorders of the French Bulldog population under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2013" https://cgejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.118 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "French Bulldog" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Club, "American Kennel Club - Dog Breed Standards"; American Kennel Club, "The New Complete Dog Book: Official Breed Standards and All-New Profiles for 200 Breeds, 21st Edition", i5 Publishing, 11 November 2014, p. 912; Club, "American Kennel Club - Dog Breed Standards" (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "French Bulldog" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Evans, "Proportion of litters of purebred dogs born by caesarean section", Journal of Small Animal Practice, 2010, p. 113–8; Pete Wedderburn, "Why do over 80 per cent of Bulldog births happen by caesarian section?", The Daily Telegraph, 6 April 2009 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "History of the FBDCA", French Bull Dog Club of America. facts only, no text reused. frenchbulldogclub.org
- "Le bouledogue Français, Ses origines", 'Official breed club created in 1898 (fr)'. facts only, no text reused. cbf-asso.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article French Bulldog (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: French Bulldog (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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