Spay and Neuter: French Bulldog Edition

As responsible pet owners, we always want what's best for our furry friends. Spaying and neutering are common procedures unanimously recommended by veterinarians for various reasons, but it's essential to consider both sides of the argument before consenting to an irreversible procedure. Here, we'll dive into the pros and cons of these surgeries, giving you a well-rounded view to help you make an informed decision for your beloved pet. Spoiler alert, if you don’t want to read the whole article, jump to the bottom for the To Long Didn't Read summary, you’re welcome;)

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Pros of Spaying and Neutering:

1. Population control: Spaying helps control the overpopulation of stray and unwanted animals, reducing the burden on animal shelters and the number of animals euthanized each year.

2. Health benefits: Spaying reduces the risk of uterine infections (pyometra- which can be life threatening and is an intense infection to treat. I have personally had a girl hospitalized for five days due to pyometra), ovarian cancer, and mammary tumors in female animals. Neutering reduces the risk of testicular cancer, cystine crystal formation in intact males, and lowers the incidence of certain prostate problems in male animals.

3. Behavior improvement: Spayed females are less likely to exhibit heat-related behaviors such as yowling, spraying, and roaming to find a mate. Neutered males are less likely to engage in roaming, aggressive behaviors, and marking territory with urine. #IYKYK a bitch in heat is a force not to be reckoned with.

4. Elimination of heat cycles: Spaying eliminates the heat cycle in female animals, which can be a challenging and messy time for pet owners. Albeit, dogs only have a heat (menstruation) once in 6 months, lasting about 10-16 days.

Contrary to popular belief, French Bulldogs CAN naturally tie and mate. In fact, the functionally bred French Bulldogs who can thrust their healthy hips and breathe clearly, has no problem mating without human intervention. While absolutely no moral individual would consciously contribute to animal euthanasia via unplanned reproduction, there truly is another side to this argument.

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The cons of Spaying and Neutering:

Surgical Risks: Just like any surgical procedure, spaying and neutering carries inherent risks. There's a possibility of infection, adverse reactions to anesthesia, and, in rare cases, complications during surgery. It's crucial to discuss these risks with your veterinarian beforehand. With brachycephalic breeds especially, we recommend only an experienced vet to perform your surgeries.

Potential Incontinence: In some cases, spaying may lead to urinary incontinence, especially in larger dog breeds. This condition can be managed with medication, but it's still a consideration to keep in mind especially for indoor dogs like French Bulldogs.

Behavioral Changes: While spaying can reduce some undesirable behaviors, it might also lead to changes in a pet's behavior. Some female animals may become more timid or less energetic after the procedure. While neutering often reduces aggressive behaviors. The degree of behavior change varies widely among individual animals. My best friends male French Bulldog completely stopped humping after his neuter.

Luxating Patellas: Luxating patellas occur when the kneecap slides out of its normal position, causing discomfort and mobility issues. It is thought that spaying/neutering at a young age may impact the development of bones and ligaments, potentially increasing the likelihood of this condition.

Hip Dysplasia: Hip dysplasia is a hereditary condition in which the hip joint does not form properly, leading to joint instability and eventual degeneration. While genetics is a factor influencing hip dysplasia, studies suggest that early spaying and neutering might also play a role in its development. The hormonal changes caused by spaying/neutering could affect the timing of skeletal growth and joint development, potentially influencing the occurrence of hip dysplasia.

Growth Plate Issues: Spaying and neutering can alter the timing of growth plate closure, which is critical for proper skeletal development in young animals. If the growth plates close too early due to early spaying/neutering, it may lead to disproportionate bone growth and increased risk of orthopedic problems.

It's important to note that while there is evidence suggesting these potential risks, the relationship between spaying/neutering and orthopedic issues is complex and can vary depending on factors such as breed, size, and the age at which the procedure is performed. I.e. the earlier spay and neuter is performed, the greater the chances for orthopedic complications. Furthermore, these issues can be potentiated by injuries, impoper traction, too much exercise, too little exercise, and too much weight.

Hypothyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormones, resulting in a range of symptoms such as weight gain, lethargy, skin problems, and changes in behavior. The thyroid hormones play a crucial role in regulating metabolism and maintaining overall health in dogs. Spaying/neutering at a young age, especially before sexual maturity, has a more significant impact on hormonal balance. Gonad removal is the most significant cause for the development of hypothyroidism in dogs. Thirty percent more spayed and neutered dogs develop hypothyroidism compared with intact dogs. The image below is an example of hypothyroidism related hair loss and weight gain.

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There is a third option in which we maintain the dogs sterility, while avoiding the negative side effects of spay and neuter. Organ-sparing spay and neuter, is an alternative approach to traditional spaying and neutering. Unlike the conventional procedures, which involve the removal of the entire reproductive organs (ovaries and uterus in females, testicles in males), organ-sparing surgeries preserve at least a portion of the reproductive organs while still preventing reproduction.

Organ-Sparing Spay (Ovary-Sparing Spay):

In an organ-sparing spay for female animals, only the uterus and cervix are removed, while the ovaries are left intact. This procedure is commonly performed in young female dogs to prevent unwanted pregnancies while retaining the beneficial hormonal effects.

Organ-Sparing Neuter:

For males, organ-sparing neuter involves the removal of only a portion of the testicles, leaving the bulk of the testicular tissue intact. This approach still achieves the main goal of neutering, which is to prevent the male from reproducing, while also allowing the retention of some testosterone production.

Ultimately, responsible pet ownership involves weighing the pros and cons, staying informed about current research, and working closely with a qualified veterinarian to make the best decision for your furry companion's health and well-being. Each situation should be tailored to your specific needs and circumstances. Personally, as both a breeder and pet owner, I would choose to delay a traditional spay and neuter by at least 2 years of age. This allows the dog enough time to fully mature and close all growth plates, while simultaneously helping to reduce sexually driven behaviors such as marking and humping by removing the sex hormones altogether once the procedure is completed. This is only my personal opinion, YOU DO YOU my friends. As always, sending all of my love and all of my hugs your way <3

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For a scientific explanation to the detrimental effects of spay and neuter, consider the fact that sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone have profound effects throughout the entire body, not just for sexual maturation. These hormones are critically important in the role as a negative feedback signal to the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary gland in the brain. In the intact postpubertal mammal, the hypothalamus secretes gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), which stimulates the anterior pituitary to release luteinizing hormone (LH). LH stimulates the secretion of gonadal hormones, which negatively feedback to the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary to decrease the secretion of GnRH and LH, respectively. Because there is no negative feedback in the gonadectomized postpubertal mammal, LH will remain persistently elevated at supraphysiologic concentrations for the remainder of the animal's life. Source: Dr. Michelle Kutzler

LH is mostly known for causing ovulation. However LH receptors are found throughout the body, and are in significant concentration at the gastrointestinal tract, thyroid gland, adrenal gland, anterior cruciate ligament, and lymphocytes. Spayed and neutered dogs will have a LH level as much as 30 times higher than normal due to loss of sex hormones. It is this unnaturally high level of LH which causes the negative effects discussed above such as hypothyroidism, orthopedic detriment, high cortisol, incontinence, and even lymphoma.

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TLDR: Spaying and neutering a dog before they are fully mature can cause luxating patellas, hip dysplasia, growth plate inconsistencies, incontinence, behavioral changes, thin and hyper pigmented skin, hair loss, and low energy, increased weight. Gonad sparing spay and neuter can help keep the hormones (preventing all of the above stated issues) while preventing pregnancy. We absolutely must do our part in preventing unwanted pregnancies and preventing euthanasia of pets due to over population and poor breeding practices. AS A BREEDER, my preference is to do traditional spay and neuter after the last planned pregnancy as the dogs are fully mature, and the removal of hormones past 2 years of age will not cause as much of a significant detrimentation to their health, while removal of hormones significantly helps mood swings and aggressive behavior in cycling bitches and seeking out/restless/marking/humping behavior in males. As a responsible pet owner, I would seriously consider gonad sparing spay/neuter especially in situations where the dog is always under supervision, and/or not in frequent contact with menstruating females.

Reading: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10040599

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8 Reasons Not to Purchase a French Bulldog

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!

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1. Don't buy a French Bulldog if you found a great deal.

We all know French Bulldogs regularly cost $6,000 and up if they are coming from Champion lines, OFA 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.

Going along with not buying a puppy since its a "geat deal" is that breeding is an extremely demanding and expensive career. You may have already read my blog posts about what I personally invest into my litters in terms of money, time, labor, and emotional investment (if you would like to read that post please click here and here- and btw those blogs were written several years ago before the record inflation they everyone is feeling as I write this blog now end of 2022- regular vet exams have gone from $45 to $75, a bag of puppy formula went from $70 to $140, so on and so forth). In short, each and every litter costs me $5,000-$25,000 upfront, and a minimum of 560 hours of hands on care. That's ten hours a day, seven days a week, for a minimum of 8 weeks. Once I substract my overhead costs from whatever amount of money made from litters I frequently find I have been working for minimum wages. Believe it or not, I haven't been able to pay myself for the entire year of 2022 due to these over head costs and small litter sizes. All of 2022 I. have been working seven days a week for free. Imagine how it makes me feel when I get texts telling me how I overcharge for my puppies and “how dare I price a puppy like this”, yes I legitimately received a paragraph long text on my birthday letting me know that my puppy isn’t worth what I’m asking- its actually a slap across the face. Ofcourse, most people just see the sticker price and think I'm "rolling in it" but if they ever truly knew everything that was poured into and sacrificed in order to produce only the very very best quality dogs, If they only spent one week in my shoes- they wouldn't ever doubt the value. In fact, I left for a two week vacation and had to hire three different housesitters to stay at my home and watch my eight dogs while I was away, totaling $2,100. When I got back I saw a receipt on the counter from Safeway with 6 Red Bulls. It took this poor person 6 Red Bulls to get through 5 days of my regular everyday work- and that wasn’t even including doing all the things I do apart from just caring for the house- like raising two human children, cooking, cleanings, administrative, accounting, and customer service work for the business. Look. The bottom line is that the World Class breeding program that I have now didn’t just fall into my lap. I worked REALLY hard for it. I have invested HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of dollars into it. I have dedicated YEARS of my life to it. That’s what my dogs and my program are worth to me and to the families that have put their trust into me raising their forever companion for them.

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.

2. Don't buy a French Bulldog if you are never home.

French Bulldogs are most famous for their clingy personalities. They don't want to be alone. So please consider your work/social schedule before factoring in all the extra snuggle time. Some families are lucky enough to work from home, or have family members home, can hire help, or can bring their pup to work- these are all wonderful situations considering the pup will almost always be with a responsible adult. This is especially important during those first few months where a new puppy bonds with his/her forever human, learns a daily routine, and goes through potty and obedience training.

3. 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.

4. Don't buy a French Bulldog if you have allergies

I just don't recommend taking an allergy pill a day- trust me this will get old fast and when you no longer want to take the medication but cannot live normally when exposed to dander all of a sudden the dog will become nuisance. It's so important to consider what you will need to do or change to your daily life to ensure this addition to your home will work- and if that change is something you can commit to for the next decade. If it is impossible to undergo immunotherapy, or take medication on a daily basis, then a dogless life may be your unfortunate reality because French Bulldogs DO shed.

5. 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?

6. 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.

7. Don't buy a French Bulldog if you don't have patience.

French Bulldogs are notoriously stubborn. Its not uncommon to take an entire year to potty train a Frenchie to the point where you can leave them alone to free roam your house for 6 hours and come home to zero potty accidents. Not only are they difficult to potty train they are extremely naughty. I don't necessarily believe this point is exclusive to French Bulldogs but they certainly can be destructive if left to themselves with no supervision and nothing to keep them busy. Have you see the instagram posts of "dog shaming" and they show photos of all the fluff torn out of pillows, drywall and moldings eaten away, shoes and couches eaten up, toilet paper completely unrolled and all over the home, garbage tipped over and all over the kitchen, and even entire doors broken though? Well, yep don't be surprised if you come home to this when you let your dog home alone with nothing to do and zero training. Training, routine, discipline and respect takes A LOT of effort and a lot of time to create. So if you don't have the patience to properly train, or at least the money to hire a trainer and stay consistent with the training they have done for you then a French Bulldog might not be for you.

8. Don't buy a French Bulldog if you have a sensitive nose.

French Bulldogs are notorious for having a sensitive stomach, poor digestion, even IBD, and EXTREME gas. Feeding a biologically appropriate diet of raw meat, vegetables and supplements can help with this issue tremendously but even then once in a while I find my dogs can clear the room. I actually have an air purifier going 24/7 in my home to help suck up those odors. Please know that synthetic scents from candles, and plug ins can be toxic for dogs so its very very important to switch to 100% natural and safe scents in your home or just don't use fragrances altogether if you cannot confirm that the fragrance is not synthetic. These chemicals, along with many chemicals in cleaning agents and even flea meds can cause severe and in some cases irreversible neurological effects such as seizures.

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On a final note, having a French Bulldog can be life changing in all the good ways too. Frenchies are truly a soul dog, a best friend. Frenchies don’t care what you have accomplished in life, what you look life, where you have been or what you are going through. They will be there for you through thick and thin, and their love is unconditional. It’s hard to describe just how special they are. They are truly closer to humans than to dogs in personality and I hope that you can experience their love and companionship if its something you want:) As always, sending all of my love and all of my hugs from NW Frenchies.

Please leave a comment if you feel I’ve missed anything from this list!

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French Bulldog Coat Colors in Depth | NW Frenchies

Let’s first distinguish colors vs patterns. Colors in French Bulldogs are black, cream, blue, chocolate, cocoa, lilac, and Isabella. Patterns are brindle, pied, merle, fawn, tan points, and solid (aa).

One of the most common coat patterns is brindle. Brindle creates a striping effect on the coat and varies in its coverage. The color of the stripes are fawn (fawn is typically beige, but fawn can range anywhere from off-white to dark red). Some dogs have very minimal striping and some are what we call reverse brindle where the striping is so heavy that you mostly see the fawn. Brindle is inherited in a dominant manner, so it only takes one copy of the gene to produce this coat pattern. Any coat color can display the brindle pattern over top. For example, black brindle, cocoa brindle, chocolate brindle, lilac brindle, and Isabella brindle. Genetically, this is the “Kbr” locus. KbrKbr and KbrN is a brindle dog. NN is a non-brindle dog.

This is a blue brindle puppy. You an see the faint stripes of fawn popping through the dark grey base coat. Brindle is easier to spot on the sides of the body and legs compared to the head.

Brindle puppies are typically born looking as if they are solid in color. However, as they start to grow the brindle striping becomes more apparent. My foundational female had two copies of brindle, however didn’t show any brindle even as an adult despite being ayay for her agouti locus. Many of her offspring also had brindle that looked nearly solid, while a few brindles were born with the apparent stripes that this pattern is known for.

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The second most common coat pattern is pied. Pied breaks up the coat into spots separated by a white base coat. The areas that receive color can be predicted in the offspring based on where the parents patterns were. Some pied dogs retain most of their coat color and this is called an Irish pied. Some pied dogs have so little color retained that they appear nearly completely white- we call this extreme pied. There are some health concerns surrounding the pied coat color especially in extreme pied dogs. When the areas around the ears and eyes lack pigment these dogs can be at risk of being born congenitally deaf, and though uncommon sometimes with diluted icy-blue eyes (lack of pigment in the eyes). So it is favorable to select breeding stock with a good amount color on the head, at least if breeding pied in your program. Pied is typically inherited in a simple recessive manner, meaning you need two copies (one from mom, and one from dad) to produce this coat pattern. I have come across a small number of dogs that display a pied pattern but only carry one copy of the pied gene or even no copies of the gene- this is very rare and not yet understood, nor do we have the genetic testing available to distinguish the responsible gene. Pied can be combined with other coat patterns, such a brindle and merle. Genetically pied is the “S” locus. SS and Ss is a non-pied dog. ss is a pied dog. Again, pied is a coat pattern- not a coat color. So you can have a black pied, blue pied, cocoa pied, etc, dog.

This is Grand Champion Peerless Hannibal owned by Jacqueline Rose Salgado.

This dog is a lilac fawn irish pied, owned by Peerless French Bulldogs in Texas. This French Bulldog has excellent head pigmentation. Both the eyes and the ears are completely covered in color.

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 Merle is a coat pattern that breaks up the coat color into splotches. Merle is a deletion gene, meaning it deletes pigment from the coat in a random fashion. Merle is inherited on a spectrum. Some dogs display only small cracks in the coat color while some dogs coats are deleted so much that only small dots of the original coat color remains. Merle is also a dominant gene, meaning it only takes only one copy to display this coat pattern. It is advised to never breed a merle dog to a merle dog due to health concerns in the offspring. These health concerns mirror those of extreme pied dogs. When too much pigment is deleted from the eyes and ears in double (one merle gene from mom, and one merle gene from dad) merle dogs, they can be born deaf, blind, and even missing eyes in the most severe cases. There are no known health concerns with breeding a merle dog to a non merle dog with regards to the double deletion- as only one deletion will happen as only one parent is merle.

As mentioned, the areas that are affected by this coat pattern are random. If the merle pattern randomly lands over the eyes one time, it turns the iris an icy crystal blue. Sometimes only one eye is affected by the merle gene and you get a dog with one blue eye and one hazel eye. This is called heterochromia. Furthermore, it’s common that only a portion of the eye is affected by the merle gene and so you have a regular hazel iris with just a spot of blue randomly. The merle coat pattern can combine with any other coat pattern as mentioned previously with pied and brindle. Merle over a black coat typically deletes the pigment to an off white. Merle over a cocoa or chocolate coat deletes the pigment to a beige. Merle over a blue coat deletes the pigment to a light grey. And Merle over a lilac coat deletes the pigment to an off-white/very light grey. Genetically, this is the “M” locus. MM is a non-merle dog, and Mm is a merle dog. mm is a double merle dog.

This dog is a blue and tan merle. You can see that her left eye is just partly icy-blue.

This dog is a lilac fawn merle with heterochromia. She does have splotches over her body as well, though faint as the base coat color of fawn is a light beige as is, and is diluted to a white in the areas that merle deleted pigment.

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 The “a” or agouti locus encompasses three distinct genes. “ay” is the fawn or sable gene, “at” is the tan points gene, and  “a” is the recessive solid black gene (or solid gene). Fawn (ay) a hue of beige, anything from a very light off-white, to a deep red fawn is possible. The hue of fawn inherited is dependent on a separate gene called the intensity dilution gene “In” locus.

Let’s take one moment to interject with the intensity dilution gene before we move on with the rest of the agouti locus. This gene is called intensity DILUTION. Meaning, when the dog has one copy the hue of fawn is diluted from red to beige. Two intensity dilution genes create a very light beige fawn. All too often I read forums of breeders discussing the “intensity” gene and they leave out the other half of the name- which makes it sound like the gene is doing the opposite of what it does! So don’t forget that carrying intensity dilution makes the fawn less intense. InIn is a deep red. InN is a medium red. And NN is a light beige.

This puppy is a standard black masked fawn. This is the most common hue of fawn seen in French Bulldogs- the beige fawn,

This is a standard black masked fawn with a red hue of fawn. This color is also referred to as just red fawn.

Fawn (ay) can be modified by sable. Fawn and sable are somewhat interchangeable as sable is inherited and displayed on a gradient. When sable is minimal or non existent visually we call the dog fawn. When a breeder decided to call a dog a sable vs a fawn is up to their individual discretion. Sable will take whatever base coat color the dog is (i.e., black, cocoa, chocolate, blue, lilac, isabella) and add those darker hairs mainly along the back and face. Sable can be so widespread that the dog appears tan pointed or even solid in color. Again, as mentioned fawn/sable can be displayed over any base coat color, for example a black fawn (also referred to as a standard fawn) will have a black nose/eye rims and a varying hue of fawn hairs on the rest of the body. Cocoa and chocolate fawns will have dark brown and brown noses/eye rims. Blue fawns will have dark grey noses/eye rims. Lilac fawns will have light grey noses/eye rims, and Isabella fawns will have peanut butter colored noses/eye rims. Typically standard black fawns and sables have the deepest hues of red (when selected for red). While the most diluted coat colors such as lilac and Isabella have a lighter beige fawn. My hypothesis from years of breeding is that the least diluted coat colors (black) have more pigment in the hairs to begin with- not just in the black hairs but in the fawn hairs as well. Which is why I have seen super super dark red standard black fawns (with black noses), and only orange, at most, fawns in lilacs (with light grey noses).

These puppies could all simply be referred to as standard fawns, or sables. Or one might call them starting from the left: red fawn, standard fawn, sable, red sable,

Another angle showing how sable covers the coat vs fawn. From top to bottom I would call these puppies standard fawn, red sable, sable, and red sable. Again, its up to the breeders discretion. We could simply call them all fawn or all sable as well.

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The second allele on the agouti locus is the tan points gene, “at”. Tan points is a recessive gene and requires two copies to make the pattern. Tan points create lighter socks, chest, eyebrows, and cheeks over the base coat color of the dog. The color of these features is the color that the dog would have been as a fawn (anything from nearly white, to a red/orange). The remainder of the dog is their base coat color (i.e. black, cocoa, chocolate, blue, lilac, Isabella).  

This dog is cocoa and tan., Owned by Calihouse Frenchies in California.

This dog is lilac and tan and also carries brindle. The tan points are muddled as the brindle gene covers them up. Tan and brindle dogs are also referred to as trindles.

The third allele on the agouti locus is the solid or recessive black “a” gene. Solid is a recessive gene and requires two copies of the gene to display the coat pattern. This “pattern” makes the coat solid (no other patterns will show up in a solid “aa” dog, including brindle, pied, and merle- the only gene that can override aa is cream.) And so, we have one locus with three possible genotypes, meanings we have 2 x 3 genetic combinations that can fill this gene. Ay is dominant to at, which is dominant to a.

Ay/ay = fawn/sable

ay/at = fawn/sable

ay/a = fawn/sable

at/at = tan points

at/a = tan points (sometimes less prominent tan points due to the a)

aa = solid

This dog is solid lilac aa. There are no stripes from brindle, tan points, nor fawn/sable markings. This is a solid coat. Only merle and cream are dominant to solid aa, and can modify the coat. Otherwise solid aa makes a spotless stripless coat and is my personal favorite to work with.

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Moving right along! Is your brain fried yet!? Or do you love coat color genetics as much as I do

The e locus is similar to the a locus, where it also has three possible genes. The first is Mask “Em”, maskless “E”, and cream “e” Mask is dominant to maskless, which is dominant to cream. As you may have guessed by the name, the mask gene puts a mask over the nose and mouth of the dog. We see a mask most easily in fawns and tan pointed dogs. Although cream is recessive, once you get two copies of the gene, it will cover up every other coat pattern and color in cream, and that is all you will see. Creams typically are white, though I have also very rarely seen yellow, and orange creams as well.

Em/Em = mask

Em/E = mask

Em/e = mask

E/E = maskless

E/e = maskless

e/e = cream

This dog is a lilac fawn.

This dog is a maskless lilac fawn.

This puppy is a cream.

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 Finally, we get to the base coat colors- black, blue, chocolate, cocoa, lilac and Isabella. Black is the “standard” fully pigmented coat color. Each one of these other colors are simple recessive and dilute the pigment and produce a lighter coat.

This puppy is a solid aa black.  

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This puppy is blue brindle.

Blue, also known as the dilute gene is designated by the “d” locus. Blue is recessive and requires two copies to modify the coat into a dark grey. DD and Dd is not a blue dog, and dd is a blue dog.

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This puppy is chocolate brindle.

Chocolate is designated by the “b” locus. The genetics companies will refer to this as the brown gene. Though among French Bulldog breeders we now just call it chocolate. Chocolate is a recessive gene and requires two copies to modify the coat into a medium brown. BB and Bb is not a chocolate dog, and bb is a chocolate dog.

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This dog is cocoa brindle.

Cocoa is designated by the “co” locus. Cocoa is a recessive gene and requires two copies to modify the coat into a dark brown. COCO and Coco is not a cocoa dog, and coco is a cocoa dog.

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This dog is lilac brindle.

When a dog is both blue and cocoa at the same time, we refer to this double diluted color as lilac. Lilac itself is not a gene- rather a combination of two genes. Genetically lilac is “coco dd”. Anything other than “coco dd” is not lilac.

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This dog is an isabella brindle.

When a dog is both blue and chocolate at the same time, we refer to this double diluted color as Isabella. Isabella itself is not a gene- rather a combination of two genes. Genetically Isabella is “dd bb”.

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When is dog is both chocolate and cocoa at the same time, we refer to this double diluted color as double chocolate, genetically “coco bb”. Sadly, I have no photo of a double chocolate to share with you today. But I hope to add one in from my own productions in the near future!

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This puppy is a New Shade brindle

Finally, you can have a dog that is simultaneously cocoa, chocolate and blue. French Bulldog breeders refer to this triple diluted coat color as “new shade” although I personally thing that champagne would have been a more fitting name. Genetically this is “dd bb coco”

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There are so many combinations of colors and patterns, all with predictable results based on if they inherit in a dominant or recessive pattern. If you have the full color panel of both the mother and the father dog, you can predict exactly what colors and patterns their puppies will be born in.

This is a cream long haired puppy.

One last bonus topic I would like to discuss is the long hair gene. In French Bulldogs we have L1 and L4. L1 vs L4 doesn’t affect the length, thickness or curl of the hair. It will simply make long hair. Long hair is a recessive gene and requires two copies of the gene to result in long hair.

Thank you for sticking around for one of my favorite topics. If you have future questions, please post your comment below and I will read and respond! Lots of love and hugs from NW Frenchies XOXO

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The Truth About Health and Diet | NW Frenchies

I am a strong believer in self help. I believe in taking responsibility for our health, and taking control over our lives. The thing about health and medicine, is that there is no doctor in the world that has more concern over your health than you do. You have your own best interest. And I want to give you the tools to empower that self interest. Because the fact is, that in the US medical doctors/dentists/chiropractors/veterinarians must fund their own education. The difference between medical doctors and veterinary doctors however is that an MD earns twice as much and often times even more than twice the amount of income compared to a vet. The catch though, is that their education expenses are similar with regards to the amount of debt new graduates come out of school with. And regardless of how much you earn, you are expected to pay that debt back. For those veterinarians that own their own practice they have the additional pressure of meeting overhead costs, paying their employees, insurance, and hundreds of additional expenses. It’s a broken system. Health and well being should never be a for-profit business, unfortunately in the US though it is. Regardless of the ethical oaths sworn to treating patients, these veterinarians still feel the weight of their debts on their shoulders. This pressure to escape debt and sometimes just to survive with overhead costs to run a veterinary practice has resulted in the backwards, band-aid approach to healthcare we receive today for our pets. This is where I believe medicine went wrong.

Unfortunately, the for-profit model is not only applied to health care for our pets, but to every aspect of our lives, most notably for the purposes of this discussion is pet food/kibble which ties in closely with health and the subsequent reliance on medicine and the expertise of veterinarians. Pet food companies exist to make money- the most amount of money for the least amount of input. The sad reality of pet food that we must realize is that companies will use the cheapest ingredients and best marketing strategy to trick us consumers into believing we are doing our animals a favor by feeding a certain brand. This is the farthest from the truth. Commercially prepared dog food has only been available for the last several decades. Before highly processed kibble became available domesticated canines were fed primarily left-overs that had been prepared for the family i.e. human food and unwanted parts from animals such as green tripe, hooves, and various organs. Prior to that canines fed themselves in the wild with a raw meat prey diet, i.e. they caught animals in the wild and ate them fur, guts and all. The diet that dogs are most adapted to eating is a prey style raw meat that their ancestors ate for thousands of years. Take it from someone that has two degrees in a relevant field, it takes hundreds of thousands of years to evolution to occur- and one hundred years of eating kibble has not been enough time for dogs to evolve to actually digest kibble. This means that dogs cannot digest kibble well enough to make it an appropriate source of nutrition.

There are five major factors that make digestion of kibble and processed foods inefficient and even detrimental to their health. First, dogs have much stronger stomach acid. This stomach acid is designed to destroy the microorganisms that would make people sick (like e. coli and salmonella) whereas these are actually normal bacteria to be found in the intestines of a canine (in small amounts) and it doesn’t cause sickness in them. Second, dogs also have much shorter intestines compared to humans, meaning their food goes through the process of digestion much more quickly and less time is available for the growth of bacteria. Third, dogs have teeth designed specifically for ripping off pieces of flesh to swallow, and they do not have to the teeth that are needed for grinding plants down into digestible (small enough) particles. Fourth, dogs secrete different kinds and amounts of digestive enzymes to help break down their food for absorption compared to animals that are designed to eat grains/legumes/high volumes of plant matter. Finally, dogs have a completely different balance of bacteria in their intestines which aid in digestion and immune health compared to animals that have evolved to eat plant matter. Dog are designed in every way to eat raw meat, and thrive!

Now don’t get me wrong. Dogs are incredibly resistant organisms and can survive on a kibble diet. However, they will not thrive on a kibble diet. To bring more context to this idea I can compare with humans again. We as humans are also very resilient to attacks from the environment. We can also survive on a fast food and processed diet. However, we have had enough studies done to know with certainty that we will die from this diet. I recently read a book called How Not to Die by Dr. Micheal McGreggor that explained how people diagnosed with heart disease, hypertension, breast cancer, colon cancer and many other diseases can reverse their disease by changing their lifestyle (diet and exercise). While backing up every single claim with evidence based research. This is not an opinion, its fact! These diseases are life-style diseases, not just a genetic predisposition. We know that a processed diet causes cancer in people, and we also know that dogs fed a kibble diet have a 1.6/2 chance of dying from cancer. That’s more than half of all dogs dying from cancer. Unfortunately we don’t have similar studies in dogs with regards to food and its effects on the lifespan and disease process besides those studies sponsored by mega companions like Hills Science and Purina in which there is an obvious conflict of interest. This is because its too expensive to fund research that will take millions of dollars and decades to complete, unless ofcourse you’re a dog food company and can spend millions of dollars on manipulated research designed specifically to make your brand look better than others and make more sales.

I swear I could write a book on these topics, and how passionate I am about proper diet and lifestyle for radiant health.

One more piece of information to consider is a few examples of the many sad stories to be seen in veterinary medicine. A dear friend of mine owns a mastiff with severe allergies that was treated with conventional methods offered by her vet. This included immune suppressing drugs (the cytopoint shot) that where incredibly expensive, needed to be administered every 4-6 weeks (so not a permanent solution but rather a band aid over the real problem) and over time this immune suppression cause her dog to begin developing tumors on his ears- a side effect to the drug. Not only had conventional medicine failed her dog, it caused more health problems that could have been avoided. My friend knew that she could do better and this was not a life for her dog. So she found a new vet that practices holistic medicine. Her holistic vet encouraged her to try a raw meat diet. Within a few months not only did she stop using the drugs that were prescribed for allergies, the allergy itself completely disappeared! He was healed! She exclaimed that her mastiffs coat became full and soft again, his bowel movements became smaller and less smelly, flatulence had disappeared, and he had more energy than ever.

I understand that maybe just one story is not enough to convince you of the healing power the body possesses. We have amazing bodies that will actually heal itself, if you just let it! Take this simple example, you hit your leg into the corner of your furniture, the result is damage to your body. Your body shows this damage through pain, inflammation, swelling, and bruising. However, over the course of a few days that spot becomes less painful to touch and the bruise disappears- the body heals itself ta-da! But imagine you hit that same spot on your leg every single day… three times a day- with each meal. Your body simply wouldn’t be able to keep up with the amount of damage done. It’s the same concept with diet related disease processes. For example, heart disease (a diet related, lifestyle disease) can be reversed with proper diet. However people continue eating saturated fats, processed foods, and junk foods that our bodies cannot keep up with the damage that is being done through poor diet. The damage I am referring to is the work that the body must do trying to absorb and eliminate chemical preservatives, trans-fats, pesticides, artificial colors, and many other chemical additives that make processed food taste good and keep it from shelf stable. Our bodies do not have to ability to efficiently remove these chemicals, so they build up in the body and cause disease, hormone disbalance, and cancer. Short terms effects are seen directly in the colon, where these processed foods change the bacterial population. A change in the colon microbiome has so many deleterious effects I cannot even begin to explain in a simple-to-understand language how exactly the wrong population of bacteria can cause sugar cravings, depression, colitis, and suppressed immune system. In fact, our immune system is in our gut. Poor gut health = poor immune system. Furthermore, we control our gut microbiome through the foods that we allow to enter our digestive systems. This exactly is the key point to understand about healthy/species appropriate diet and healthy immune system. Just like dogs are not evolved to eat kibble, humans are not evolved to eat processed junk food- the result in both cases is disease and eventually death.

The same exact thing is happening to our dogs. So here is my first-hand experience with one of my own dogs. Now over five years ago I purchased a dog a breeder across the US, a beautiful tiny blue French Bulldog and I lovingly named her Mira. After about one year of raising and loving her she began to develop rashes on her belly. I too, with good intentions went to my vet who prescribed topical sprays, creams, pills, allergy testing and even shots. After months of trying I realized that I couldn’t have Mira part of my breeding program due to her condition. I had a friend that earned her veterinary degree in a different country and she offered to take Mira because she wanted to try a diet change that she believed in so I trusted her, I was willing to do anything and everything for Mira to get better even if that meant letting her go to someone else’s care to make that happen. She immediately took her off of all medications and put her on a raw beef diet from cows she raised on her own farm (no antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, stress) just organic grass fed premium human grade quality raw beef. Within one month Mira was like a completely different dog. Her coat regained its shine, fullness and softness. Her rashes completely disappeared, and she was energetic and full of life.

I know what you might be thinking, well raw meat is more expensive than kibble. But just consider how much money you will save if you didn’t have veterinary bills. Its actually cheaper to feed your dog premium human grade food than it is to feed your dog highly processed kibble and then pay the consequences with vet bills. Not only will you save money in the long run, you will improve the quality of life in your dog and potentially increase the number of years that they will live. Maybe even after all of this you might think that I am simply not qualified to give advice, and you are right I am not. I am not a veterinarian, and please don’t take anything I say as medical advice. I am only sharing my own and my friends experiences, along with what I have researched myself about diet and health for years. But here is the advice of a licensed veterinarian that recommends this lifestyle and has cured countless dogs that other veterinarians could not, Dr. Karen Becker. Dr. Becker has a YouTube channel, as well as a recipe book for making your own balanced and complete dog food at home.

Here are YouTube videos showing examples of how to make a balanced raw diet at home which is cheaper than purchasing it premade, this one is completely balanced for an adult dog, here is a simplified recipe that I have made for my own dogs are home, here is a Facebook community with thousands of other pet lovers just doing the best they can to help their companions and eager to help. I also highly recommend watching the documentary, “Pet Fooled” which discloses the sad and disgusting reality of the dog food industry. This blog is where I got my first inspiration to look deeper into raw feeding in the first place.

I love my dogs like I love myself. If I was sick, I would do everything in my power to get better, and I believe that most of us dog owners would do the same for their pets, because our pets are our family. Unfortunately however, if you speak with a veterinarian, these medical professionals with years of experience will tell you the nutritional information taught in vet school is extremely limited and only considers a kibble based or processed canned food diet. This is because many vet schools are sponsored by dog food companies. And through sponsorship (lobbying) the dog food companies have a say in the veterinary schools curriculum, i.e. kibble and pharmaceutical companies “donate” money to those individuals in charge of curriculum and in return they get to decide what is taught to the students. I will confirm as a BSN that I too received zero information about nutrition in nursing school which is a shame given that one of the nurses most important roles is patient education yet we ourselves are not educated in one of the most important topics. You see, everything is about money. Medicine in the US is a for profit business and its about making money off of our sicknesses. A dog with allergies is guaranteed to come back every month for rechecks, more shots, and more pills- they have a customer for life. The more drugs, the more profit. The problem is that veterinarians cannot sell you practical advice- such as a complete diet change, giving more baths, and changing behaviors to reduce symptoms- they can only sell you kibble, drugs, and recheck exams. The sad part is that we as consumers as also not informed about our options, specifically the option to say no to medication and allow our bodies to heal naturally through proper diet. Obviously not every single disease can be treated with diet, but allergies, hypertension, heart disease, and many other diseases can be stopped from progressing and even reversed without prescription medication.

Please understand I am not against vets. Modern medicine is amazing at saving lives through sophisticated procedures and surgeries- it’s just not very good at helping chronic disease that are caused by lifestyle choices- because the solution is to change the lifestyle- not a surgery.

I would also like to quickly mention a point about various animal proteins. Chicken is typically the protein that you should avoid as this is the most inflammation causing protein. Commercially available chickens go from hatching to your dinner in less than two months, whereas heritage breeds take twice as long to mature and gain enough weight to be a proper table bird when foraging on a natural diet of insects and plants. Factory farmed chickens are fed antibiotics in order to make them gain weight more quickly. They are kept under extremely stressful, over-crowded, and filthy environments for their entire life. An animal living under extreme stress has enormous levels of adrenalin and cortisol (stress hormones) in their bodies. Cortisol is the hormone that also lowers the immune system. So when you eat this meat you are not doing your body a favor. The best type of protein to feed is one that is sourced locally, pasture raised, free of antibiotics and hormones, eating natural forage that has never been sprayed with pesticides, and raised/slaughtered/processed under humane conditions.  I understand that every dog is different but my personal experience is that organic grass-fed beef is the excellent choice of protein that can be readily purchased at any supermarket. For those seriously sick, the most hypo-allergenic proteins would be rabbit, quail, turkey and deer. For those wondering, dogs with allergies to proteins are usually allergic to chicken, beef, pork, and lamb. So the next most accessible and affordable option would likely be turkey.

Veterinarians, doctors, dog food companies, and pharmaceutical companions are not the only problems here, WE are also a problem. I believe we have adopted a culture of laziness. We don’t want to change our diet because its cheaper, easier, and more delicious to eat junk food. Instead we want the doctor to fix our problems with a pill. After all, its much easier to swallow a pill than it is to completely change our way of living. But that is exactly what it will take to get better. We never even question that the doctor is only putting a band aid over our problem and not getting to the root problem of the disease. It seems we as a society would rather keep paying the doctor for pills and continue living obese, diseased and miserable rather than take control of our own lives. But you have the power to stop the suffering. Put the responsibility of health into our own hands and put in the actual work and research into changing our live and our pets lives. Yes making raw food for your dog is more work. Yes its more expensive than kibble. But if you have already tired everything else under the sun and it hasn’t help why wouldn’t you try?

On a final note, please, if your dog is suffering from rashes, itching, diarrhea, bad breath, rotting teeth, shaggy coat and low immune system consider adopting the diet that is biologically appropriate and watch your dogs body begin to heal itself. Allow it to heal itself by fostering an environment of healing through lifestyle. Because ultimately, the health of your dog is your responsibility and is completely in your control- you control where your dog lives, what he/she does, eats, how much exercise, medications, love and attention they receive. So do the right thing for the companion that would give anything for you.

Hello from Pillow and I.

Wishing everyone radiant health and happy, wagging tails. Sending our love and our hugs from NW Frenchies.

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My favorite French Bulldog related products HERE

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Stud Service with Misha, Boozie, and Huckleberry HERE

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Why Do French Bulldogs Cost So Much? | NW Frenchies French Bulldog Breeder in Washington State

How much does a French Bulldog cost and why? I think it will help to understand the upfront cost when breaking down my personal investments into my dogs, my program and my vision.

To start off, I purchased my foundation female (a chocolate brindle girl) for $8,000 plus the cost of regular vet visits, food, supplements, toys, crate, leashes, collars, genetic and health testing, etc.

 The following costs apply to each litter, progesterone testing $300-$600, stud fee $2,000-$6,000, shipment of semen $600, implantation $500, c-section $1,500-$3,000, food & supplement costs until pups go home $1000+, vaccinations, dewormer, antibiotics, flea/tick prevention $1000. Litter exam $120, any additional/unexpected expenses

 Then there are things not absolutely necessary, but really nice to have for example a DSLR camera and multiple lenses for taking photos $4,000, a progesterone machine $5,000, incubator $2,000, professional whelping pen $2,000, oxygen concentrator $250, nebulizer $50, many other various medical equipment, props, outfits, multiple washable toys, new blankets, and the list goes on and on.

 After all of these investments, I cannot tell you how many times we have had a litter of one, or a failed pregnancy altogether. My dogs require my time and involvement 24/7/365, no holidays, no time off, and when there are newborn babies you better believe I don't sleep for days on end. If I DO have the rare chance to go out and practice a bit of self-care, I have to plan weeks or months in advance to make sure I have a dog sitter and baby sitter ready.

 Most ethical breeders don't set out to make a fortune on selling puppies. If any money is made at all, its invested right back into my beloved dogs and into improving this amazing breed.

NW Frenchies Lilac French Bulldog Puppy

NW Frenchies Lilac French Bulldog Puppy

NW Frenchies Lilac French Bulldog Puppy

We all love Frenchies but few people truly understand what is involved genetically in these exaggerated traits that we find so aesthetically pleasing. There is a reason why Frenchies have weak immune systems, loose hips, joint and spine issues. Most people know that dwarfism in humans causes a lot of medical issues but we forget that in French Bulldogs, we are selectively breeding a dog with dwarfism. And yes, that comes with some health issues which are considered “normal” for the breed.

French bulldogs are expensive to own and to breed. My fear is that due to over breeding, puppy mills, and breeding poor examples of the breed, the price of these dogs will drop to the point that people who buy them truly can’t afford a Frenchie, and the vet expenses that are common in this breed. These dogs will be dumped in shelters when the owners can’t afford the mounting medical expenses.

Selling this breed for cheap to everyone is not only setting up the new owners for failure but you are also setting the dog up for heartache and suffering. When people ask me for a “cheap” French Bulldog, I explain there is no such thing. They are not cheap to breed, to feed, to house, and to care for medically.

Breeders (especially first-time breeders) need to understand why our breed is costly. French Bulldogs have micromelic achondroplasia (dwarf breed), Brachycephalic (flat faced breed), and a mutation for tail shorting. Those are big words that come with challenges that require special care and added expenses.

There is no getting a “cheap Frenchie” so take the time to educate yourself, new breeders and buyers. This breed is not for everyone. Invest in a well bred dog and with a knowledgeable Breeder who will offer you a lifetime of “ Frenchie technical support” so they will help guide you in the challenges that come with owing this breed. I hope this post was helpful in explaining why French Bulldogs cost so much. Sending my hugs and my love.

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Great follow-up read for first time Frenchie Owner Advise HERE

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Stud Service HERE

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First Time Frenchie Owner Advice | NW Frenchies French Bulldog Breeder

What is your best advice for someone who has never had a Frenchie and is looking to bring one home? I get this question frequently, so let’s jump right in.

The short, sweet, and simple answer is: Research the medical concerns of this breed, plan your budget accordingly, and beware of scams!

Here are the details: Frenchies are a designer breed which resulted from hundreds of years of selective breeding to bring out their unique characteristics and features. As a result, Frenchies are a brachycephalic (flat-faced), short-tailed, micromelic achondroplastic (dwarve) breed. Although adora-BULL in their combination, it isn’t to say that each of these characteristics comes with a set of health consequences. 

French Bulldog Short Legs | NW Frenchies

French Bulldog Flat Face | NW Frenchies

French Bulldog Natural Bob Tail | NW Frenchies

Briefly: Having a flat nose makes breathing difficult, which impedes on heat exchange. Canines do not sweat like humans, so their primary mode of cooling down is through panting. Having a flat face narrows and partially obstructs the airway, which makes panting difficult. Because of this French Bulldogs are heat intolerant and tire easily. A Frenchie owner should be familiar with the signs of heat stroke and what to do in the event of suspected heat stroke. Some French Bulldogs may require surgery to remove tissue from the nostrils, soft palate, and laryngeal saccules to make breathing easier.

Furthermore, French Bulldogs tails are not docked at birth, meaning that this breed is naturally born with a short tail. However, despite having a short tail, Frenchies still have the same number of vertebra as any other breed with a full length tail. The result is that the vertebra are spaced much more closely together and often become malformed (hemivertebra). Every radiograph I have ever seen of a Frenchies back contains at least one hemivertebra, which is normal for the breed standard. However, this would not be normal for a breed with a full tail. Another manifestation of selecting for a short tail is intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) which is a degeneration or slip of an intervertebral disc (the shock-absorbing tissue between the bones of the spine). Both of these diseases present as variations of pain due to the pinching of nerves, loss of balance, dragging feet, incontinence in a potty trained dog, and paralysis. There are medical interventions that can help these conditions including medication, physical therapy, and surgery.

Conditions associated with dwarfism in the French Bulldog include shortened and weakened bones, enlarged and weakened joints, hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, incorrect bite, hydrocephalus, breathing problems, and fertility problems to name a few. This is by no means an exhaustive list of possible medical concerns in Frenchies, just a condensed list of breed specific conditions associated with their specific features.  

French Bulldogs are expensive to purchase upfront and I could write a novel on the cost of producing a health litter of puppies. But in short, Frenchies do not reproduce the way regular dogs do. They require intensive hands-on care and medical intervention to get through their first month of life. The Frenchie breeder community frequently jokes about how much we have aged since breeding due to the sleep lost and stress endured to bring these little angels into the world. Personally, my French Bulldog puppies start at $5,000 and the price goes up quickly depending on body type/conformation, pedigree, and coat color. When purchasing a puppy, you should have at least the cost of the puppy saved up in case of emergency and an unexpected medical bill, heaven forbid. If you are able to do so, I also recommend purchasing health insurance for your French Bulldog.

All of this being said, in your search you are likely to come across an ad for a blue Frenchie with blue eyes for $800. Don't walk, run! This is a scam. Any puppy priced $2,000 or less leads me to question the health of the puppy, the health of his/her parents, whether this is a pure breed, whether the puppy is stolen, or maybe the puppy doesn't exist at all. I hope you find this information useful, and as always, sending my hugs and my love from NW Frenchies.

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Puppy Diarrhea Explained | NW Frenchies French Bulldog Breeder in Washington State

Diarrhea. Its not the most exciting topic, but something we have all dealt with at least once. It seems Frenchies have extra sensitive stomachs, especially at puppy age. Many families bring their puppy home at 8 weeks old when they have recently been weaned from breastmilk and are still getting used to eating kibble. Add on top of that the stress from separation anxiety, and its highly likely to result in diarrhea. Separation anxiety is a whole other topic, so very briefly, it is a side effect of being separated from everything your puppy has ever known in his short life. The familiar faces, siblings, mother, sounds, smells, food, and area are all gone in once instant when coming home to his fur-ever family. The stress from this tremendous transition in life can cause many things, including diarrhea, and can even depress the immune system. This is one cause of diarrhea I have seen over many years of breeding and experience with my French Bulldogs. They need a stable, loving environment first and foremost.

Another cause of diarrhea can be sudden change in food, eating table scraps, eating rancid food, an intolerance to any specific ingredient, or food poisoning. If you think your French Bulldog might be intolerant (allergic) to an ingredient, ask your vet for an allergy test. If you are thinking about switching foods, do so slowly to avoid causing diarrhea. Mix the new food into the old food, each day decreasing the amount of old food, and increasing the amount of new food until you are only using the new food. If you think your Frenchie has gotten into something potentially poisonous which may be causing diarrhea please don’t hesitate to call your vet and get your puppy examined.

Next likely cause is parasites. It’s a bit of a nasty topic, however all part of life. Dogs like to lick their behinds, some lick other dogs behinds. Some dogs even eat feces that they find outside. No matter how clean you keep your beloved pet they are most likely carriers of parasites. Giardia (a single celled parasite) can be found in the water, and even on the grass. It will live for months in moist conditions so all it takes is your Frenchie going on a walk outside, coming home, and licking his paws. Your vet should have your French Bulldog on a regular deworming schedule. I personally deworm once or twice a year preventatively with fenbendazole for five days following my vets recommendation for dosage which depends on weight. Its very important to remember you must follow up with a second treatment in two weeks. This is because many dewomers only kill the live parasite, but not the eggs. The eggs take about two weeks to hatch, and if you don’t follow up with a second treatment then they will develop into worms and your Frenchie will continue to have symptoms (diarrhea). Not all dewormers target the same kinds of parasites. For example, fenbendazole doesn’t kill tapeworms or heartworms. The transmitter of tapeworms are fleas. So if your French Bulldog has fleas, treat the fleas at the same time as tapeworm. If you see “rice” in your dogs poop, they likely are infected with tapeworm. If you see blood in your dogs poop they are likely infected with coccidia (another type of parasite). Your vet can take a poop sample to test for parasites and give you medicine if you are not sure what they might be infected with and what to treat with.

I deworm my French Bulldog puppies preventatively with fenbendazole and albon before they come home to their fur-ever family. However, giardia particularly can be resistant to treatment and persist in the right conditions. The right conditions would be including stress, very young or very old age, during pregnancy, active disease or condition which depresses the immune system. I mentioned earlier that separation anxiety can cause so much stress to a newly rehomed puppy that it depresses the immune system. Only tender loving care, and time can help with separation anxiety. However there are other things you can do to strengthen the immune system for example feeding super premium, easy to digest food, and probiotics to help the gut. I also feed my French Bulldogs ground raw pumpkin seeds which are a natural dewormer and help to make the poop solid.

Yet another cause of diarrhea can be from a virus. Parvovirus and distemper both cause diarrhea and can be fatal. It is transmitted through contamination with infected feces and can be very difficult to treat in young puppies. Your vet can quickly test for parvo with a poop sample. My puppies come home with a minimum of their first set of vaccinations including parvovirus, distemper, parainfluenza, and adenovirus. That being said, the puppy will still need booster shots so talk to your vet about what vaccines your puppy might be due for.

If your French Bulldog continues to have diarrhea despite ruling out anxiety, food related issues, parasites, and virus I would talk to your vet about ordering a lab to check for pancreatitis. A friend of mine ruled this out in his Frenchie. It was an expensive test, but after finishing the meds his dog finally stopped having diarrhea. Also ask your vet for more recommendations, especially if the diarrhea is accompanied with vomiting and other symptoms you need to act fast. Please comment down below if you think there is something I missed or if you have an experience that you would like to share. As always, sending our hugs and our love from NW Frenchies.

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Read about safe “human foods” you can feed your Frenchie Here

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French Bulldog Puppy Potty Training How-To | NW Frenchies Washington

For the first few weeks our French Bulldog puppy’s mamma does an excellent job of keeping her puppies clean. However, its up to us to continue this work and train our puppies where to go potty. Potty training is important because diseases can be transmitted through feces and urine, and its essential to keep our fragile breed as healthy as possible during their most vulnerable time as puppies. The earlier potty training is started the better, as repetition and consistency will lay a proper foundation of learning and memory in the puppy’s neuronal network and developing brain. Over many years of training French Bulldog puppies, we have learned (so far!) the best method is to start with puppy pads. As soon as our puppies are able to crawl we direct them to the pads to potty. This typically starts at 3-4 weeks old. Some of our puppies are superstars and will crawl out of their bed and as far away as possible to potty every single time. Others need a little more help. Each time a puppy relieves himself/herself in an undesired location, we remove the feces and transfer to the puppy pad. Any dirtied area will be thoroughly washed to remove all smells completely using an enzymatic cleaner. Canines have an excellent sense of smell (40 times better than humans) so they will always go to the area that smells like pee and poop to do their business. If their entire living area smells like pee and poop you will have a lot of trouble potty training! Another reason why it is so important to keep their area clean, and why I like puppy pads. Once the pads are full, just throw them out and replace with clean. I recommend keeping the pad around for a bit even if it has a few pee spots on it especially for puppies still in training so that the smell can help direct them to where to go potty. When my puppies are not directly supervised, they are in a large playpen with their bed, food, water, and toys at one end, and their puppy pads at the other end. I always recommend purchasing a gate and keeping your puppy in a safe area like the one described. Once they are consistent with where they potty then you can make their area larger and larger until they have access to the entire house.

As the weather permits, our puppies will regularly have the opportunity to potty on the grass outside as well. I find that my French Bulldog puppies will poop within 5-20 minutes of eating, so if they are old enough to go outside, then they get a potty break outside after each meal. Peeing is more unpredictable with timing, however I find that my puppies will want to pee immediately after waking from a nap. If possible, don’t wait for your puppy to wake you up in the morning (because you may find that he/she already relived themselves) be the one that wakes them up in the morning and go immediately outside on the grass. French Bulldogs respond very well to positive reinforcement, so every time your puppy goes potty in the correct area give them lots of praise, attention, hugs, ear scratches, belly rubs, and even a small treat. If your puppy is getting older but still having trouble with potty training, then I recommend getting a journal and keeping a record of every single time they potty and what happened immediately before the incident. Any areas in your home that have been peed or pooped on must be thoroughly cleaned with an enzymatic cleaner including carpets, mats, blankets, toys, beds. Just because it doesn’t smell to us anymore, your Frenchie can still smell it and will continue to mark that same area over and over. Give my recommendations a try, and be consistent. It takes 21 days to create a habit, so don’t expect miracles overnight if your Frenchie has already created a habit of going potty on your carpet. If your puppy is getting older and have given enough time and consistency it might be time to get expert help from a reputable dog trainer or visit your vet to evaluate any potential underlying issues (such as a urinary tract infection). I hope this helps you in your journey to housebreaking your French Bulldog puppy, and if you have any additional tips or other methods that have helped you please leave a comment down below! Sending our hugs and our love from NW Frenchies.

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Read about how we socialize our French Bulldog Puppies and why its so important HERE

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Socialization for the French Bulldog Puppy | NW Frenchies Washington

An aspect of my work here at NW Frenchies that I take pride in is how socialized my French Bulldog puppies are. This is something only small, quality-focused breeding can achieve and is integral in forming positive human associations early in life. Socializing a puppy is important because the new owners certainly want a puppy that can trust and love their human companion from the start! Imagine being an 8 week old puppy, and in one day everything you know if life changes. For 8 weeks your puppy had the comfort and familiarity of siblings, mom, humans, living space, schedule, smells, food and so on. Now in one instant you no longer have anything you have always known, being in an unfamiliar place, held by unfamiliar hands. Its a traumatic experience and can cause a puppy loose her appetite, become sad, have diarrhea, and this stress can even damper the immune system. We do everything possible to facilitate a smoother transition home, and socialization is one of those very important things!

Chocolate and Lilac French Bulldog Puppies for Sale | NW Frenchies | Washington & Oregon

Notice in how many of my photos my puppies are being held, or are with my children. Its because we are constantly playing with, loving on, potty training, cleaning, feeding, bathing, clipping nails, cleaning ears, and administering medications and so on with our Frenchies. They hardly get time away from us! This constant interaction is forming critical neuronal associations in the puppy’s brain and building a foundation of proper behavior and trust to humans. A large facility/mill, or pet store will not be able to provide this kind of love and attention to their puppies (AND their mammas!) that a small, in-home, responsible and compassionate breeder can! Furthermore, a well socialized puppy is easier to train, and will suffer less separation anxiety when coming home to their forever family. So when choosing a breeder, please ask questions; find out where the puppies are raised, how many litters there are at a time, where their mothers are kept, and how many hours a day they are left alone. Please support responsible breeding as it will make a difference not only in your life, but your puppy’s life, and the life of your puppy’s mom.

Lilac, Chocolate, and Creme French Bulldog Puppies for Sale from NW Frenchies | Washington

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As always, sending our hugs and our love from NW Frenchies