What I tell every French Bulldog buyer before they take a puppy home
I've bred French Bulldogs for years now and I say the same things to every single buyer, every single time, and I'm going to write them here because I think it'll help people outside my immediate circle too.
Budget for vet costs beyond the average dog — brachycephalic breeds have higher lifetime medical costs, period, and anyone telling you otherwise is not being honest with you.
Never breed your Frenchie at home without a reproductive vet involved — natural birth is often not possible or safe for this breed and most people don't know that going in.
Pet insurance from week one, not after the first issue.
Know your breeder's health testing — hips, patellas, spine, and cardiac should all be documented, not just "the parents looked healthy."
This isn't meant to scare anyone off the breed — Coco is the best decision I've made — but informed owners make better owners.
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This is exactly the kind of transparency we want to see more of on the platform, Brittany. Breeders who document health testing openly build more trust with buyers. French Bulldog listings here: allinpets.com/pets/dogs/french-bulldog
This is the kind of straightforward information breeders used to be expected to provide as a matter of course, and I am glad to see it written out so plainly here. Duke's breeder, many years ago, was similarly direct about Beagle-specific health concerns before I took him home. It made a real difference in how prepared I felt.
Thank you for sharing this information, Brittany. I do not have a French Bulldog myself but I find this very useful to know in general, as I am still learning about different breeds since getting Storm. The point about health testing documentation is something I will remember when looking at any breeder in the future.
THIS IS SO IMPORTANT and I wish someone told me point 1 before I got Nacho lol! The vet bills are real but worth every penny for this little guy. Insurance from week one is solid advice, wish I'd done that immediately instead of waiting 3 months.
Point 2 deserves more attention than it usually gets. C-section rates in French Bulldogs are extremely high due to puppy head size relative to the dam's pelvis — this is a structural issue tied directly to the breed standard, not a fluke. Anyone considering breeding (even accidentally, via an unneutered pair) needs to understand this isn't optional information, it's a welfare issue.