The French Bulldog is a small breed of domestic dog. French Bulldogs were the result in the 1800’s of a cross between bulldog ancestors imported from England and local ratters in Paris, France. The origin of the modern French Bulldog breed descends directly from the dogs of the Molossians, an ancient Greek tribe. A sub-family of the Mastiff were the Bullenbeisser, a type of dog used for bull-baiting. French Bulldogs had been bred for non-sporting reasons since at least 1800, and so their use changed from a sporting breed to a companion breed. To reduce their size, some Bulldogs were crossed with terriers, while others were crossed with pugs. These dogs weighed around 16–25 pounds.
At the same time, lace workers from Nottingham, displaced by the Industrial Revolution, began to settle in Normandy, France. They brought a variety of dogs with them, including Miniature Bulldogs. The dogs became popular in France and a trade in imported small Bulldogs was created, with breeders in England sending over Bulldogs that they considered to be too small, or with faults such as ears that stood up. By 1860, there were few Miniature Bulldogs left in England, such was their popularity in France and due to the exploits of specialist dog exporters.
The small Bulldog type gradually became thought of as a breed, and received a name, the Bouledogue Francais; boule (ball) and dogue (mastiff or molosser). The dogs were highly fashionable and were sought after by society ladies, as well as creatives such as; artists, writers, and fashion designers. However, records were not kept of the breed’s development as it diverged further away from its original Bulldog roots. As it changed, terrier and pug stock may have been brought in to develop traits such as the breed’s long straight ears, and the roundness of their eyes.
French bulldogs frequently require artificial insemination plus caesarean section (c session) to give birth, their joints & spines are to weak, over 80% of litters delivered this way since it is the safest route. Some French Bulldog studs cannot impregnate the dam since they have very slim hips, making the male unable to mount the female to reproduce naturally, both the stud and dam can get injured. Therefore, breeders must undertake artificial insemination of female dogs.
In 2015, they were the fourth most popular registered dog in the United Kingdom and in the U.S. the sixth most popular AKC registered dog breed, plus French Bulldogs were third most popular dog in Australia in 2017.
Typically French Bulldogs weigh 16 – 28 pounds, they are considered small to medium size breed.
