Unique French Bulldog Traits and Characteristics (A look inside the Frenchie Personality)

I have had the pleasure of being a dog mom for most of my life. I have been a mommy to several breeds of dogs and to say that frenchies are a unique breed is an understatement. French bulldogs have many unique traits and characteristics that make them, well……Frenchie! They are by far the most affectionate breed of dog I have ever had. All three of my babies, Dozer, Molly, and Harley, follow me around like I am the momma duck and they are my little ducklings. It is the cutest thing I have ever seen. When I sit on the couch, they vie for my lap. Whoever wins, curls up in my lap and will stay there until I get up while the other two press up against my leg and curl up in the second and third positions. There is nothing better than having all three of my sweet little frenchies snuggled up in my lap. Of course there are many other breeds of dogs that are affectionate but I have never had any quite as affectionate as these little guys and gals.

In addition to their affection (and let’s not forget loyalty) they have many traits unique to the breed. I will start with their physical characteristics. They say one of the reasons we love these little guys and gals so much is because of their human-like faces. They have large expressive eyes and of course those trademark bat ears which make them irresistible to frenchie mamas and daddys alike. They are typically small with muscular bodies. Full grown frenchies can weigh anywhere from 12 pounds to 38 pounds with the average weight being around 25 pounds. They have short hair and shed very minimally, especially compared to other breeds such as golden retrievers. Of course, some shed more than others. Dozer and Molly hardly shed at all. However, Harley does shed a bit. The physical trait I get questioned about most often is their tails. No, we do not dock them, yes they are born with little to no tail.

Anal glands, tail pockets, and itchy bums

French bulldogs can not reach their back side to clean themselves or scratch themselves due to their small stature and the overall shape of their body. Therefore, when they have full anal glands, dirty tail pockets, or just itchy bums in general, they will display a behavior that I can only call the booty dance. They sit back real far on their bum and proceed to do the wiggle wiggle dance. My boy just did this for the first time recently. I had my veterinarian check him out and he did need to have his anal glands expressed so they did that. However, the booty dance continued. I tried a few things recommended by others such as giving him green beans but nothing was solving his itchy bum problem. That is until I bought this Squishface Wrinkle Paste – Cleans Wrinkles, Tear Stains and Tail Pockets – 2 Oz, Anti-Itch, Great for Bulldogs, Pugs and Frenchies. I cleaned his tail pocket thoroughly with wipes making sure to get in the folds of the tail pocket. I then applied the cream twice a day and I did this for a few days. Finally, the booty dance stopped. So, in my particular case, the booty dance was the result of a tail pocket issue. Some frenchies have tail pockets and some do not. If your frenchie does have a tail pocket, it is very important to keep it clean. This tail pocket, just like the wrinkle folds on their face, can build up bacteria and/or fungus and can cause dermatitis if not cleaned on a regular basis.

Do Frenchies Snore and Fart like I’ve heard?

I hear the question “Do frenchies really snore and fart like people say?” asked time and time again. The answer is “Oh yeah, they snore!!” and “Oh yeah, they fart!!” My cute little 24 pound Molly snores louder than anyone in the house and this includes my 250 pound husband. It seems the smaller their nares, the more they snore. Dozer has the most open nares of my three frenchies and his snoring is not as loud as the others. Molly has the most closed nares and, as I mentioned, she’s the loudest of the bunch. I do, however, find the snoring endearing. I just love laying in bed at night and hearing all my little ones sound asleep and snoring. As far as the farting goes, they just love to lay down with their little butts right towards your face and then decide that is the appropriate time to let one loose. This is just another reason to feed your frenchies a good high quality food. They are going to fart. However, feeding them a good high quality food will help them to fart less and help those farts (that will ultimately end up in your face) be a little less stinky.

Alternative Names for French Bulldogs

French Bulldogs have many nicknames due to the unique characteristics they have. The most recognizable name is companion dog. Yes, frenchies were bred to be companion dogs and have been bred since the 1800’s. Citizens of England in the lace trade longed for a “toy sized” bulldog so they bred for smaller bulldogs. Many of these citizens moved to France where they crossed these bulldogs with ratters from France. Apparently, the frenchie bat ears we know and love come from the ratters.

Another name I have heard french bulldogs called is Velcro Dog. This is due to their inherent need to be near their humans at all times. The term Velcro dog is meant to infer that there is an imaginary piece of Velcro attached to your dog and the other end of that Velcro attached to you. Of course there is no actual Velcro, it’s just that frenchies love touching and being near their humans very much. Frenchies love human attention and are not good at being left alone. They can develop separation anxiety so make sure to spend plenty of time with your frenchie.

Frenchies are also called “Apartment dogs.” This is because they are just as comfortable living in apartments as they are living in a house with a large yard to play. Frenchies, for the most part, do not require a lot of exercise. This does not mean, however, that you should never exercise your frenchie. Frenchies are prone to being overweight so if your frenchie is leaning towards the chubby side, you should exercise them more. You do have to be careful, especially in high temperatures, because frenchies do overheat very easily. We live in Florida and the high temperatures right now are in the mid-90’s. Therefore, my frenchies only get 15 minutes walks in the early mornings and late at night right now. All other potty breaks are limited to going outside, doing their business, and coming right back inside.

Another cute name I hear frenchies called is “Frog Dogs.” If you’ve ever seen the unique way in which a frenchie lays down, you will know why this is. They looks like little frogs when they are all sprawled out laying down. This is yet just another trait that makes us love them so.

Are French Bulldogs Protective?

French bulldogs have a profound love for their owners and I have seen some protective frenchies. However, my frenchies love every single person they see so I would be interested to see if something were to happen, which way it would go. Would they lick them to death or go into attack mode? I just don’t know. My frenchies have to go say “Hi” to every single neighbor we pass on every single walk we take. Good thing all my neighbors love my little guy and girls. French bulldogs are also more playful than many people may think. You always hear about frenchies being lazy. However, mine are anything but lazy.

Zoomies

As I mentioned, people say that french bulldogs are lazy. While frenchies definitely have their lounging moments and their cuddling moments, don’t let that fool you. These little guys and gals can be full of energy. As a matter of a fact, there is a term used very commonly in the frenchie world: “The Zoomies.” If you don’t know what the zoomies are, you probably don’t have a french bulldog. These little guys and gals will literally run back and forth in a crazy frenzie that may last up to ten minutes straight. If you want to see what I am talking about, type “frenchie zoomies” into YouTube to get a good laugh.

Frenchies are lovable, curious, stubborn, smart, and at times mischievous little dogs with many unique traits and characteristics that make us fall in love with them. If you have any fun frenchie traits or characteristics I didn’t cover in this post, feel free to leave a comment.