Tag: frenchie bulldogs

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Is a French Bulldog Right for Me?

Maybe you have seen pictures of French Bulldog puppies with those adorable smoosh faces and funny bat ears or maybe your neighbor has a French Bulldog and has told you they are the best breed around. You may be mulling over purchasing or adopting one yourself but may also be wondering if it is the right breed for you. Let me start by saying these little guys and gals are not the couch potatoes you may think they are. While most of them love a good cuddling session, they can also be crazy balls of energy. As puppies, French Bulldogs can go, go and go some more and they must be watched every moment they are awake as they will try to eat everything in their line of sight. Let’s start determining whether a French Bulldog is right for you by talking more about the puppy stage.

French Bulldog Puppies

The first thing you should know is that puppies can only hold their bladder so long. The rule of thumb is puppies can hold their bladder for approximately an hour longer than how many months old they are. So, a three-month-old puppy can only hold their bladder for four hours and a four-month-old puppy can only hold their bladder for five hours. You get it, right? The point here is that you must be ready to lose some sleep in the first few months of bringing your puppy home because you will need to get up at some point during the night every night to let them do their business. So, the first thing you should ask yourself is: Am I prepared for months of sleep deprivation?

The next thing you should know is that French Bulldog puppies can take longer to potty train than other breeds and they need to be taken out often. I have an entire blog post dedicated to French Bulldog potty training (https://thefrenchiemamablog.com/2020/06/28/potty-training-your-frenchie-puppy/) but for our purposes here, I will just say that if you plan to get a French Bulldog puppy, you must have patience, lots of treats, and most importantly be able to stick to a strict routine. Therefore, the next thing you should ask yourself is: Do I have the time and patience to properly potty train a French Bulldog puppy?

Socializing a French Bulldog puppy is especially important because socializing them young will help prevent aggressive behaviors when they get older. Just be sure they have all their shots before allowing them to go around other dogs and especially before taking them to dog parks. French Bulldogs properly socialized will love to play with other dogs, especially other frenchies. They also love to socialize with humans particularly the humans in their family. They love always being with their families and can develop separation anxiety if left alone too often. So, another question you should ask yourself is: Do I plan to spend a lot of time with my French Bulldog? If the answer to this is no, you may wish to rethink this breed.

Finally, French Bulldog puppies tend to eat EVERYTHING in sight so teaching the “drop it” command early is particularly important with this breed. It is also important to have plenty of toys for them to chew on to prevent them from chewing on items such as furniture. Some of the toys I buy that my frenchies love are:

KONG Wild Knots Bear Dog Toy – Small/Medium – Assorted Colors #ad

KONG Floppy Knots Fox, Dog Toy, Medium/Large #ad

KONG Floppy Knots Elephant, Dog Toy, Medium/Large #ad

KONG – Puppy Toy Natural Teething Rubber – Fun to Chew, Chase and Fetch (Color May Vary) – for Medium Puppies #ad

(2 Pack) KONG Puppy Tires, Size Medium/Large Assorted Colours #ad

Frenchies are aggressive chewers and these Kong toys hold up great. Now let’s talk a little more about training.

French Bulldog Training

I am sure you have heard that French Bulldogs can be stubborn and that is an accurate assessment. However, they are extremely smart and if you know the correct training methods, you can teach your French Bulldog just about anything. Click here for training tips: https://thefrenchiemamablog.com/2020/08/01/behavioral-modification-using-operant-conditioning-training-your-frenchie/

Basic training commands are important for all breeds of dogs, not just French Bulldogs. The earlier you can teach these commands such as sit, stay, and lay down, the better. Once you have the basic commands down, you can start with the fun commands such as shake, high five, and play dead. Frenchies, just like any other breed of dog, love attention and love pleasing their humans.

French Bulldog Adults

While all French Bulldogs are unique, they do tend to calm down as they age. Unfortunately, many also tend to develop health issues as they age. Because of this, I suggest obtaining pet insurance. For information on some of the most recommended pet insurance companies, click here: https://thefrenchiemamablog.com/2021/01/02/best-pet-insurance-for-your-french-bulldog/

What is also important to know is there is a significant amount of maintenance involved in owning a French Bulldog. Please read this post about Frenchie Care before deciding to get a French Bulldog: https://thefrenchiemamablog.com/2020/07/11/caring-for-your-frenchie/

French bulldogs are not only expensive to purchase but their ongoing care can also be expensive so the last question you should ask yourself is: Am I willing to incur significant expenses to keep a French Bulldog?

What You Will Love about your Frenchie

If it sounds like I am trying to talk you out of purchasing or adopting a French Bulldog, nothing could be further from the truth. These dogs are loving, loyal, funny, and my favorite breed of dog. They will love you unconditionally and you cannot help loving all the unique personality traits they possess. They have these looks that just completely melt your heart. They acclimate well to any living environment whether you have a huge backyard or no backyard at all. The point of this post is to provide information so that you can make an informed decision as to whether this breed is right for you. If you have any questions about French Bulldogs, feel free to leave a reply below. Additionally, if this post helped you make a decision whether a French Bulldog is right for you, I would love to hear from you.

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French Bulldog Names

When it comes to naming your frenchie, there are several ways you can go about it. You could choose a cute name, you could choose a popular name, you could choose a different name, or you could choose a French name. After all, they are FRENCH bulldogs!

Whatever name you choose, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. Most importantly, dogs learn certain names more quickly than others. Your pup will learn and respond to shorter names more quickly. I would stick with one or two syllable names if possible. Two syllable names are preferable because they are less likely to sound like one of their commands which are typically one syllable words such as sit and stay. Have you ever noticed that many dog names end in the sound “EE”? This is because that sound is easier for dogs to register and therefore, they can distinguish it as their name. Other vowels such as “a” at the end of the name also work well since the vowel changes the frequency of the name. Your dog will pick up on this more readily. Ending your dog’s name with an “er” has a similar effect of changing the frequency allowing your pup to catch onto his or her name quickly. With these quick tips in mind, let us get to the good stuff! What are some good French Bulldog names?

Cute and Popular frenchie Names for girls

  1. Molly
  2. Zoey
  3. Daisy
  4. Bella
  5. Lola
  6. Lilly
  7. Lucy
  8. Addie
  9. Gracie
  10. Maggie

Cute and Popular frenchie Names for boys

  1. Dozer
  2. Chewie
  3. Gizmo
  4. Tank
  5. Frankie
  6. Bubba
  7. Yoda
  8. Georgie
  9. Louie
  10. Stitch

Different frenchie names for girls

  1. Lolly
  2. Mazie
  3. Desi
  4. Harley
  5. Carlie
  6. Fergie
  7. Arya
  8. Ava
  9. Pippa
  10. Nala

Different frenchie names for boys:

  1. Koji
  2. Ryder
  3. Echo
  4. Dolche
  5. Neo
  6. Yeti
  7. Kovu
  8. Kylo
  9. Paulie
  10. Simba

French frenchie names for girls

  1. Esme
  2. Bebe
  3. Sophie
  4. Jolie
  5. Adele
  6. Gigi
  7. Renee
  8. Marie
  9. Ava
  10. Fleur

French frenchie names for boys

  1. Pierre
  2. Henri
  3. Enzo
  4. Arthur
  5. Andre
  6. Franco
  7. Monet
  8. Beau
  9. Hugo
  10. Bleu

There are many names to choose from even beyond this list. Whatever name you choose, be sure to pick a name you and your family like and that will follow your dog into adulthood.

Good luck and congrats on your new bundle of joy!

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Frenchies are more like humans than you may think

Have you ever watched a specific behavior your frenchie was acting out and thought “Wow, that was very human-like?” Well, there is something to that! Dogs and humans may have more in common than you think.

While observing the interactions between my two female frenchies and while observing the interactions between my females and my male, I cannot help but make comparisons to human behavior. Both girls will share toys with Dozer and happily play with him. However, they are territorial over their toys with each other. Molly absolutely will not let Harley take a toy away from her. Both Molly and Harley play well when they are one-on-one with Dozer and they play well with each other when Dozer is not around. This behavior is intensified when the girls are in heat. If Dozer and Molly are playing and then Harley starts nipping at Molly, Molly will become very agitated and lunge at Harley. This leads me to believe that adding the male (in this case, Dozer) into the mix changes the dynamics of the relationships. With human behavior, females are known to compete for the attention of males and males are known to compete for the attention of a female. Is this what is causing the changing dynamics when Dozer is around? Do Molly and Harley compete for his attention? I do think so.

What other human-like traits do frenchies have? Well, for one thing, they pout. Yep, they will lay down, huff, and pout if they do not get their way. The areas of the brain that control emotions are very similar in dogs and humans and I do believe that frenchies get their feelings hurt.

Another thing we have in common is that dogs have an internal clock just like humans do. They understand the concept of time but they understand it differently than we do. They do not know the concepts of hours and minutes. However, they do know when it is time to get up, when it is time to eat, and when it is time to go to the bathroom. This is one of the reasons that routines are important for dogs. Since they understand when these things should occur, they expect them to occur at a certain time.

It has always been believed that dogs do not have a sense of self and while they do not recognize themselves in a mirror, they do know their own smell. Dogs sense of smell is greater than their sense of sight so it makes sense that this is the way they would recognize themselves.

Just as humans have distinct personalities, so do dogs. Dogs get scared, dogs get stressed, dogs feel love, and dogs can suffer from anxiety. Some dogs are more affectionate than others just like some humans are more affectionate than others. Some dogs are more independent than others, just like some humans are more independent than others. You get the point; they have personalities and OH do we love those quirky frenchie personalities!

Another commonality is that dogs love food just like we do. Interestingly, recent research has shown that the microbes in their digestive systems are the same as ours. Just like in humans, these microbes function better in healthy dogs than they do in obese dogs. So, not only do we have social and emotional similarities, we also have physical similarities.

Dogs and humans have been evolving together for an exceptionally long time and have developed an understanding of each other. The best example of this understanding is the fact that dogs look where you point. You can point to an object and the dog will look in the direction you are pointing. There are other animals, such as elephants, that understand pointing. However, no other animals understand our gestures like our canine companions do.

Take some time to just sit and watch your dog’s behavior and how they react to certain situations. If you really pay attention, you will see that your frenchie really isn’t that different from you.

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How Frenchies Changed My Life

For ten years my household was a one dog household consisting of only my Bloodhound Copper. Copper has always been a great dog and has always required minimal care. He has been my companion for a very long time and I never had plans to have multiple dogs, much less the four that I now have. I have always worked full time but have always had time after work for extracurricular activities such as biking, kayaking, and nature hikes. My life before frenchies was more about myself and the other humans in my life. Now, well….. it’s all about the frenchies!

Once we brought Dozer home I was a smitten kitten and really wanted a little girl frenchie. We found Molly and brought her home followed by her sister Harley a few months later. Little did I know how drastically my life would change. It is akin to having triplet toddlers.

First, let me start by describing what a typical day looks like for me now that I have three frenchies. I wake up at 5:00 a.m. to many many frenchie kisses on my face. Yes, they tell me what time to wake up. I carry Dozer downstairs and take him outside to pee. I put Dozer in the kitchen and then I take the girls out to pee. I then feed all four dogs their breakfast. My husband takes Copper out (Copper is a 70-pound puller so it’s easier for my husband to take him out). After everyone has eaten, I take Dozer for a walk and then I take the girls for a walk. I get ready for work and then take them all out again before leaving. I go to work and come home at lunch to take them all on a another walk. I go back to work, come home, and take them all out to pee. I feed them all again and take them all for walks again. Let us not forget that after each walk, I wipe their lady parts, boy parts, paws, and their bums. Once they are all fed and walked, I wipe down their faces with baby wipes. I then proceed to throw a load of laundry in the wash, do the dishes, and work on whatever other wifely duties are in store for me that night. These are all just the everyday chores. I also apply wrinkle balm weekly, grind their nails weekly, brush their teeth twice a week, and bathe them every other week. Of course, if they get into something, these things become even more frequent.

If you are a frenchie parent, you know that you must watch these little ones every second of the day. If you turn your back for five seconds, they will find something to put into their mouths. Not that I mind watching them in the least because they are constant entertainment! They are comical little dogs! It is very important to have plenty of toys laying around. If you would like to see a list of my favorite toys and some of my other favorite products, read my post titled “A Few of My Favorite Things.” This brings up another thing that has changed in my world; I spend more money on frenchie toys, frenchie treats, frenchie food, frenchie clothes, and frenchie care products than I do on anything else.

Perhaps the most extreme change in my life is that I went from being an active, on-the-go person to almost a complete couch potato. You see, these little guys and gals love to cuddle up with you on the couch and it really makes a person reluctant to move at all. It is immensely relaxing having three soft little love bugs laying all over and around you. They definitely are therapeutic and I can see why so many people have them as emotional support dogs. Frenchies are good for the soul!

My weekends that were once full of biking, kayaking, and hiking are now full of dog filled entertainment. My husband and I who were rarely home on weekends, now spend most of our weekends at home with our frenchies. When we do go out, we try to find activities that involve our frenchies. We love taking them on car rides and to parks for walks. Lots of frenchie car rides also meant that I needed to change my mode of transportation. Before having three frenchies, I drove a Camaro SS and I loved that car! What do I have now? That is right, I drive an SUV, a frenchie-mobile! Although I loved that Camaro, my frenchies come first and the Camaro was just not practical any longer. Boy do I miss that car! However, I have something better now, three little beings that fill my heart with joy and after all, these are the sacrifices you make for your “kids,” right?

It is a full-time job being a dog mom to three French Bulldogs, but I would not have it any other way. They dominate my time and require much maintenance, but they also bring so much love, joy, and entertainment into our household. Our hearts are full of love for these three little frenchies and I could not imagine my life without them now!

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The Zoomies

The first time I witnessed Dozer running as fast as he could across the couch, then down onto the ground, across the living room, back up on the couch, then over to the ottoman and back around again and again like a bat out of hell, I thought “What the heck is wrong with this crazy dog?” When dogs get the zoomies, it seems as if they go from zero to one hundred miles per hour in a split second. Sometimes they will tuck their bums under and explode into a sprint of what looks like utter merriment. While the zoomies are not specific to frenchies, I never personally witnessed this phenomenon until I became a frenchie parent. I relish when my frenchies get the zoomies. It is certainly entertaining to watch.

What are the zoomies?

Zoomies are short (or sometimes not so short) bursts of energy exhibited by dogs. They are the result of pent up energy. Zoomies are a natural dog behavior which can be expressed late at night, when going outside for a walk, while observing another dog, after a bath, or even after pooping. There is a formal name for the zoomies. It is Frenetic Random Activity Periods or FRAPs for short. Normally FRAPs are totally natural and show that a dog is a happy healthy canine. However, on the rare occasion, it could be a sign of something else such as obsessive-compulsive disorder. A dog chasing their tail for an extended period can be a sign of this disorder. Be sure to pay close attention to your dogs’ behavior before and after the zoomies to clue into whether they are normal happy dog zoomies or something else that could be a sign of an underlying issue.

Is it OK for dogs to engage in the zoomies?

It is absolutely okay for your dogs to break out into the zoomies! I have already mentioned that it is a natural dog behavior. By the way, it is not only dogs that get the zoomies. Other animals such as goats, horses, and cats also get the zoomies. If the animals are somewhere safe when the zoomies come on and they are not going to run into something that may hurt them, you usually do not need to interfere. There is, however, another concern for French Bulldogs in the running and jumping aspect of the zoomies. French Bulldogs are known to be prone to back and hip problems so if they are running and jumping on to and off of high furniture, there is a risk of injury. If you have high furniture, it would be a good idea to invest in ramps or steps and make sure your frenchies use them instead of jumping on and off furniture.

An interesting aspect to the zoomies is that it is extremely hard to distract your frenchie from the zoomies once they start. Neither their favorite treat nor their favorite toy will coax them to stop. But that is alright! Let them go, let them zoom! Zoomies are just one of the many things that make being a frenchie parent fun!

If you have any other interesting facts about zoomies, feel free to reply below.

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A Few of My Favorite Things

Frenchie parents are continually looking for recommendations on products other frenchie parents use so I am dedicating this post solely to listing and providing the links to some of the products I use on a regular basis and that have worked well for me.

So without further ado, here are a few of my favorite things:

Favorite toys:

KONG 41938 Classic Dog Toy, Large, Red, KONG Classic Large #ad

KONG KP24 Puppy Toy – Natural Teething Rubber – Fun to Chew, Chase and Fetch (Colors May Vary), 035585131214, Medium, Assorted Pink or Blue #ad

EASTBLUE Dog Chew Toy for Aggressive Chewers: Nearly Indestructible Natural Rubber Puppy Toy Durable and Tough for Medium and Large Dog #ad

KONG Floppy Knots Fox, Dog Toy, Medium/Large #ad

Kong Wild Knots Bears Durable Dog Toys Size:Small/Med Pack of 2 #ad

My frenchies all love stuffed animals. However, it is usually only a matter of minutes until they rip them open and I have to pull the stuffing out. I have found that the Kong Knots are the only stuffed animals that last any amount of time and all three of my frenchies love them.

Favorite treats:

Tylee’s Freeze-Dried 100% Salmon treats #ad

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Trail Treats Wild Bits Grain Free Soft-Moist Training Dog Treats, Duck Recipe 4-oz bag, Model:800068 #ad

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Trail Treats Wild Bits High Protein Grain Free Soft-Moist Training Dog Treats, Salmon Recipe 10-oz bag #ad

Minty Breath Bones

From this list of treats, the Tylee salmon treats are my favorite. All three of my frenchies love them and it is a single ingredient treat. They also love the Blue Buffalo treats and they do not upset my Dozer’s sensitive stomach. However, they do have ingredients that are not on my preferred list making them my second favorite dog treat. In addition to these treats, my frenchies love carrots, watermelon, and bananas. There are many fruits and veggies that are healthy choices for occasional treats. Make sure you research first though because there are some fruits and veggies that are toxic to dogs.

Favorite care products:

For weekly cleaning of face wrinkles: Natural Dog Company – Wrinkle Balm

For weekly cleaning of the tail pocket: Squishface Wrinkle Paste – Cleans Wrinkles, Tear Stains and Tail Pockets – 2 Oz, Anti-Itch, Great for Bulldogs, Pugs and Frenchies #ad

For daily cleaning of the face, bum, and girly areas: Baby Wipes, Pampers Aqua Pure Sensitive Water Baby Diaper Wipes, Hypoallergenic and Unscented, 12x Pop-Top Packs, 672 Count #ad

For bathing: TropiClean Hypo Allergenic Puppy Shampoo 2 Pack, Gentle Coconut, 20 fl. oz. or Natural Dog Company Sensitive Skin Oatmeal Shampoo

For ear cleansing after bathing: Animal Pharmaceuticals Sweet Pea

Favorite toothpaste: Well & Good Dental Health Kit for Dogs, Chicken Flavor #ad

Favorite all natural tooth powder: Keep Your Dogs Teeth Healthy, Try a Sample of 100% Natural Toothpowder! #ad

Favorite nail trimmer: Dog Nail Grinder, 2-Speed Electric Dog Nail Clippers Trimmer Grinder, Portable Rechargeable Low Noise Pet Nail Grinder for Small Medium Large Dogs Cats Pets Painless Paws Grooming, 2 Grinding Wheels #ad

Favorite bedding:

MIXJOY Orthopedic Dog Bed Comfortable Donut Cuddler Round Dog Bed Ultra Soft Washable Dog and Cat Cushion Bed (36” x 36”) (Brown) #ad (the small size works for me)

Extra Softness and Fluffy 350 GSM Lightweight Microplush Fleece Throw Blanket for Small, Medium and Large Dogs, Puppies, Cats and Kittens, Multi-Colored, 40 x 32 Inches #ad

Favorite products for walks:

Adjustable Dog Harness, No Pull Dog Harness Outdoor Vest with Easy Control Handle, Hook and Front Reflective Straps – No More Pulling, Tugging or Choking for Small Medium Large Dogs #ad

Max and Neo Reflective Nylon Dog Leash – We Donate a Leash to a Dog Rescue for Every Leash Sold (Orange, 6×1) #ad

Favorite life jacket:

Vivaglory New Sports Style Ripstop Dog Life Jacket with Superior Buoyancy & Rescue Handle, Camo Blue, S #ad

Favorite doggy cam:

TOOGE Pet Dog Camera Wireless Home Security Camera FHD WiFi Indoor Camera Pet Monitor Cat Camera Night Vision 2 Way Audio and Motion Detection #ad

Favorite pet trailer:

Schwinn Rascal Bike Pet Trailer, For Small and Large Dogs, Small, Green #ad

Favorite pill wrap:

Wrap a pill

Favorite supplement:

Natural Dog Company – Skin & Coat Supplement

This supplement is a must have for allergy prone frenchies. It treats allergies and overall health from the inside out!

Favorite probiotics:

Purina pro plan FortiFlora

Zesty paws probiotic bites #ad

I sprinkle Zesty paws on their food daily and use the Purina Pro Plan as needed to firm up their stool.

As the title of this post suggests, these are a few of my favorite things. I hope this list and the links help you in your search for the perfect products for your frenchie. As we know, not all frenchies are made alike. However, after testing many products, these are the ones that have worked best for me.

If this post helped you out, I would be honored if you would give it a like.

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Potty Training Your Frenchie Puppy


I have heard it asked time and time again: Why does my frenchie puppy keep going inside? Why is he or she so hard to potty train? Well, the answer to those questions is simply that they are not in as much of a hurry to get potty trained as you are.

Potty training a french bulldog puppy is much the same as potty training any other breed in that it takes consistency, patience, and sticking to a routine. However, with frenchie puppies, it takes MORE consistency, MORE patience, and sticking to a VERY STRICT routine.

With that being said, not all frenchies are made the same. Dozer, for example, took a good seven months to fully potty train while Molly only took a week to potty train.
If you recall from my original blog post, Dozer was my first frenchie puppy. I had potty trained many puppies and several different breeds before Dozer came along and they all took about a week (or two weeks tops) to fully potty train. So, of course, I thought the same would be true for this sweet little frenchie puppy of mine. I thought I could take him outside every half hour and give him a treat whenever he went potty outside and that was that. Well, of course, that was a great start. However, as I previously stated, frenchie puppies are in no hurry. Therefore, you have to ramp things up with frenchie puppies.

The first step is consistency. Take them out at the same times EVERY DAY and do not deviate from this schedule. Since you definitely have to take them out first thing in the morning, and say you wake up at 6 a.m., take them out at 6 a.m. followed by a feeding at 6:30 a.m. Take them out immediately after the feeding which, depending on your frenchie puppy, should be around 7 a.m. Proceed to take them out at 7:30 a.m., 8 a.m, 8:30 a.m…… You get the gist! Keep going at this until dinner time which we will say is 6 p.m. Take them out immediately after dinner at 6:30 p.m. Take them out at 7 p.m. and every half hour until bed time. It is very important to take them out immediately before bed time.

Speaking of bed time, DO NOT give them water within 2 hours of bed time. You are just asking for an accident to happen. Since you will be “cutting them off” from water before bed time, you need to make sure they are hydrated throughout the day. I do not suggest giving them free range to water as puppies though. This will just increase the frequency with which you will need to take them outside to potty.

You may be saying, “Becki, seriously, every half hour?” and I say “Absolutely!” In the beginning any way. As they get older, you can decrease the frequency to every hour or so. Slowly decrease the frequency as your puppy starts to get it. I still take mine out every hour just for good measure (and the exercise doesn’t hurt me either).

The second step is patience. You must remain patient with these little guys and gals. I see new frenchie owners getting frustrated and your frenchie puppies can sense that. They want nothing more than to please you so don’t get frustrated. Instead, when you bring them out, give them the “go potty” command and wait a minute. Give them the “go potty” command again if they haven’t gone yet. Continue with this until they do go and then give them a treat right away and make a big deal out of it by giving lots of praise. Do not get frustrated, give up, and go back inside because you have been outside 15 minutes already and they still have not gone potty. Once they get the routine down, they will know what they are supposed to do. Sometimes they will even fake potty to get the treat and praise.

Speaking of routine: Sticking to a routine is the third step in potty training your frenchie puppy. As I mentioned before, you must stick to your schedule of taking them outside frequently, but also stick to taking them to the same location every time. Take them to the same exact spot every time to potty. This will ensure they know that is where they are supposed to go.

If you’re wondering what type of training treats to use, find out what your frenchie puppy loves the best. I have found that using a different protein than their normal food is best. For example, the main protein in my dog food is lamb so I use duck or salmon treats. I also use small soft chews that I can break in half to give as the reward, Remember, you will be rewarding with treats often so the smaller the pieces are, the better. I will cover food and treats in more detail in my next blog post.

It is also good practice to crate train them for the times you can not be there with your puppy. Dogs will typically not “go” where they sleep. Make sure the crate is small, but not too small. There should be just enough room for them to move around. The biggest mistake I see many puppy parents make is buying a crate that is too big. Buying a larger crate is done with the best intentions wanting your puppy to be as comfortable as possible. However, this also gives them room to have a sleeping spot and a potty spot. This is not what you want. Remember, puppies can not hold it for too long so don’t keep them crated for long periods of time. The younger they are, the less they can hold it.

You also need to learn to recognize the clues to the behaviors your dog displays when he or she needs to go. Two of my frenchies start sniffing around while the other one will walk up to me and stare me down as to say “Look woman, I have to go pee!” Some other clues may include circling, scratching at the floor, or sometimes even whining.

One last note is you should always take your puppy out on a leash and harness to go potty. Harnesses are much better for your frenchie puppy so they do not pull and choke themselves. I personally use the adjustable no pull harnesses. You can find many versions of this harness such as Bolux Dog Harness, No-Pull Reflective Breathable Adjustable Pet Vest with Handle for Outdoor Walking – No More Pulling, Tugging or Choking on Amazon. Amazon also has these Max and Neo Small Dog Reflective Nylon Dog Leash – We Donate a Leash to a Dog Rescue for Every Leash Sold (Purple, 6×5/8) to go along with your no pull harnesses. I love these leashes!

If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to send me a message on my contact page. Also, be sure to like this post if you found it helpful.

Good luck on your potty training journey and remember patience pays off!

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