Need Genuine Advice about Overall Care [Archive]

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behsci

22nd February 2005, 11:37 PM

adora's mom

23rd February 2005, 12:53 AM

Let's see...where to begin...

What kind of dogs did you grow up with? They are much different than say a Golden Retreiver or a Lab.

I think it greatly depends on your personality and lifestyle whether or not they would be a good breed of dog for you.

A Frenchie might be the right breed for you:

If you want a dog who requires minimal exercise & grooming, is funny, playful, affectionate, fiesty, and absolutely the cutest thing around (IMHO). But be prepared for slow potty training, high expenses (cost of dog & vet), a serious stubborn streak, possible dog aggression, neediness, lots of odd sounds & smells :)

From what I've observed, they tend to want to run the show & you have to be equally determined not to let them :p

I really love bull breeds, and I find their stubborn streak & sassy demeanor endearing (I can relate :D ).

I suppose it just depends on you and what you want in a dog :rolleyes:

franp

23rd February 2005, 03:02 AM

Hello Everyone,

I'm looking to get a Frenchie. This will be my first dog as an adult (I'm 30). I'm not married and have no children. I haven't had a dog since I was a pre-teen. The last pets I've had were 2 cats about 2 years ago. I believe that I can fully care for a Frenchie, but I want your honest opinions. Overall, do Frenchies involve a lot of time (training, etc.) and money (vet bills, upkeep, etc.)? Do you think they're a bit too much to handle for someone who hasn't really had a dog?

I want honest opinions on what Frenchies are really like.

Thanks a lot!
First , there is an article here under adoption/rescue written by Charlotte Creeley about when to give your dog up. There is a paragraph about THE true nature of a Frenchie. About how possessive they are of thier owners; what truly demanding dogs they are.What REALLY lies behind the faces we love.

As for excersize; I disagree with Lesley.My girl and most I know THRIVE on at least 2 hours a day.Dari just turned 5 and is finally slowing down. A tired dog is an easily trained dog.

As Lesley said; these are stubborn dogs; some take more than a year to housebreak.They are dominant and can have dog aggressive streaks. Thier full personalities do not come out till they are 2 years old.

And even a healthy Frenchie can be expensive to maintain. If you are not willing to spend the money on the food (they tend to have sensitive stomachs)as an adult, what will happen if your dog needs a pallate clip for example?

You need to be flexible as to a breeder. If you limit yourself to a breeder in your area, the likelyhood of getting a dog in the near future is not good.

If you want a dog NOW, then I suggest you look for another breed that is easier to get. And if expense is a factor, that is also another reason to get another breed.

But IF you are willing to put out the time and the effort and the MONEY to go outside of your area. IF you realize that you must feed your dog the TOP of the line food for its whole life and go to a vet that specializes in these dogs and understand that this is NOT an easily trained dog. Then maybe this is the dog for you..

But , honestly I am not convinced.

behsci

23rd February 2005, 08:59 AM

behsci

23rd February 2005, 09:08 AM

franp

23rd February 2005, 09:33 AM

Thanks so far for that info, keep them coming!

Also, I want to go more in depth w/ finances. I know everyone's a little different, but about how much (US dollars) would you say you've spent in vet bills since you've had your puppy? Or better yet, how much have you spent annually in vet bills? How about monthly on good food? That's the top 2 things right, vet care & food?

I want to know if this little critter is a real money pit!
You seem to be preoccupied with the COST of the dog. That is NOT what these dogs are about.

My concern is that you are not hearing what the training and time issues are. The total commitment of having a Frenchie, or for that matter ANY dog. The cost of time can NOT be calculated. The expense of getting up in the middle of the night when the pup is first in your home and you are housebreaking it.
The time needed to teach the dog about how to be a good citizen.

These are abstracts.NOT what our vet bills are.Or what the cost of food is.Or what the dog walker costs.Or how many times a day you need to walk a dog.

Vet bills are vary by geographic location.As well as food.

behsci

23rd February 2005, 09:54 AM

You seem to be preoccupied with the COST of the dog. That is NOT what these dogs are about.

My concern is that you are not hearing what the training and time issues are. The total commitment of having a Frenchie, or for that matter ANY dog. The cost of time can NOT be calculated. The expense of getting up in the middle of the night when the pup is first in your home and you are housebreaking it.
The time needed to teach the dog about how to be a good citizen.

These are abstracts.NOT what our vet bills are.Or what the cost of food is.Or what the dog walker costs.Or how many times a day you need to walk a dog.

Vet bills are vary by geographic location.As well as food.

I think you misunderstood me. I'm well aware of the time aspect, such as walking and taking the time to train and waking up in the middle of the night to tend to it, etc. My 2nd posted question was simply wanting to know about the monetary aspect alone of having a dog like this. I know one doesn't have to be wealthy to raise a Frenchie, but I just wanted to get an idea of the average monthly and annual costs. But yes, I know it's not just about money, you have to walk, groom, housetrain, other training (sit, stay, come, tricks, etc.), play, feed and LOVE it.

Don't get me wrong, I plan to be the type of dog owner who gets clothes for my Frenchie and give it the best food and everything. I'm not married nor have kids yet, so it'll be my baby.

I just don't want to go through all this trouble being on waiting lists for breeders, etc. and finally get the dog only to regret it because I didn't realize how much it really cost in vet bills, food and any other monetary aspects. I want an honest idea of how much it readlly costs.

Hey, I'm an only child. If anyone knows about what it means to spoil someone or a Fenchie, it's me!! :)

Martina

23rd February 2005, 01:23 PM

Congratulations on taking a serious amount of time to get real advise from real owners before making this very, very big life-changing decision - Kudos!!

I am 35 and just got two girlies - Gigi and Lola - June of 2004. They were my first pets since living with dogs with my family (and the first puppies I'd ever been exposed to) - so very similar to your own situation. I researched, read, talked to people for about a year before I made the plunge and boy-oh-boy but things are not what I expected!

Fran is right - they need A LOT more exercise than the "official" stuff says. We take a 45min - 1hr walk everyday, plus 2-3hrs outside in the yard playtime and a good 2-3hrs playtime around the house. Even when it's hot - they don't care as long as there's water and shade. And they get so antsy if it's too cold for them to be outside like they're now used to. And this is them starting to slow down at 10.5mos. They are getting to be really consistent in napping between 2-5pm everyday.

On top of which, as you can see, I obviously am at home with them and they gets lots and lots of attention and are in my company alot. This breed really does WANT and need human interaction. They have been bred to be companion dogs and take their human interaction seriously. I don't know if it's age, but my two shadow me every where. My family is amazed at this. We never had dogs that needed this much human interaction. It's really sweet and funny, but they don't run from anything - not even the vacuum!

Shedding - aaaaagh!! There is another website and there was just a big discussion about shedding. Maybe it's dog specific, maybe it's climate related or food related, but my two shed and shed and shed. I've tried not brushing at all, brushing everyday, brushing once a week, brushing on even dated Tuesdays, etc, etc. Currently, what is working 'better' for us to keep the shedding down is a super-shed-ex wash and treatment at the groomers every two weeks. The first week is great with minimal shedding. The second starts getting bad, but I worry about bathing them too often.

We are still not housetrained and I sometimes swear we never will be. That said, we have good days and bad days, but they still can't last a whole night (but they have potty pads).

I find their stubborness funny and only mildly exasperating. Lola jumps on furniture, but knows she's not supposed to ... which means that she's on it till I turn around and look at her and then she immediately jumps off 'cause she knows she's not supposed to be there. Coffee tables - she likes exploring coffee tables - aaargh! For the most part with training, they really, really, really want to please. They love treats and praise, and as long as we keep the sessions fairly short with lots of both, they do well and seem to pick it up fairly quickly. We are currently working on "come" and "stay." They love come when it means something they want - on my lap, outside, treats - but hate it when it means time to go to the kitchen 'cause I'm leaving. Stay is really hard for them. I already told you how they follow me EVERYwhere and all the time - I'm thinking about hiring someone to come and work on it with me because we still seem to randomly hit and miss.

But now for the big question - MONEY. Lots and lots of money. Lola just went through "trash can stomach," which means that I fed her something that really, really disagreed with her stomach. We had 3 days of vomiting and diarrhea, two vet visits with stool samplings, blood work, IV fluid treatment, antibiotic, and a week's worth of dietary supplements - about $300. And that was a cheap situation.

We also went through a luxating patella scare where she didn't walk for two days ... emergency room visit, x-rays, supplements and follow-up vet visits - another $500 or so.

But the big, big problem was Gigi's intucussepted colon that turned into an anal prolapse. Three emergency room visits, two minor surgeries, lots and lots of medication, lots and lots of tests and finally major surgery. Probably cost about $2000 total.

In between all that we've had shots and ear problems and a minor rash and a long running bladder infection that I think has recently returned. We are on a special high-fiber, only-purchasable-at-the-vet diet because of Gigi's anal/intestinal and bladder situation. It's only mildly more expensive (by $5) than the high caliber kibble most people use - Wellness or something comparable. I don't know what the raw diet costs, but know that a lot of people feed their frenchies raw because of sensitive stomachs.

Has it been worth it - ABSOLUTELY :D :D!! They are super-sweet, super-lovable and loving and love all dogs, people and children (so far). They are amenable to every situation that I've put them in so far. They are flexible and easy to live with. They are charming and funny.

It was definitely a huge change for me to get used to, but worth every moment and every penny.

Good Luck!
Martina

behsci

23rd February 2005, 02:00 PM

Well, thanks so much for that in-depth summary! After hearing all this, I'm ready to get my 2nd or 3rd choice, a Boston or a Pug. That is one thing that concerned me about Frenchies: All their health problems. I don't want to have a dog, but never be able to shop again (I'm a big shopaholic).

Now is this what kind of things Frenchies on the average have to endure or is this just a special circumstance because I realize there's good and bad experiences w/ all dog breeds?

Martina, this is the kind of stuff I want to know about! You hit the nail on the head. I know they're cute & comical & all, but I want to know the ugly side of owning a Frenchie.

I want to hear more...tell me more everyone. Thanks a bunch.

Martina

23rd February 2005, 03:22 PM

As though I haven't written enough ...

Common with this breed:
palatte problems
narrow nares
allergies - food, pollen, dust etc
sensitive stomachs
acid reflux (sometimes related to palatte)
cherry eye
ear infections

Small breed problems not uncommon to frenchies:
patella (knee) problems
back - hemivertebrae and degenerative disk disease

Many people here have talked about palatte, allergies, sensitive stomachs and acid reflux. Three people here have some form of hemivetebrae/degenerative disk disease. I'm the only one with patella that I know of.

Many others have had zero problems whatsoever.

Dogs are like people. Some of us have allergies and wear glasses and suffer from arthritis, or have knee problems or bad backs and get colds and the flu and get upset stomachs, or ear infections - and break bones and have personality differences. Some never have a health issue (we hate them! ;)) however, most will probably have something go wrong at some point - just like a human. It might be small, but it might be big - you just don't know.

Gigi's anal prolapse/intestinal problem was just something that happened to her - completely unexpected. Lola's patella is not uncommon in small breeds, but now that it's diagnosed I keep an eye on it and she's had no more difficulty. Lola also suffers from acid reflux and allergies, but I control those by what and how I feed her.

Then there's the preventative medicines: heartworm (monthly) and fleas (warm weather months). And dogs can pass worms and giardia (rare) to each other - icky. On top of which you will have to take training/behaviour classes. But you'll have those with any dog.

Whatever breed you decide to buy, you have to be prepared to expect the unexpected.

Martina

PS: Pugs have many of the same problems as frenchies because they're a small breed and also braechecelephic (flat face).
Bostons are terriers - and that was enough for me to avoid them!
The point is, every breed has its problems ... again: be prepared to expect the unexpected, but don't let that stop you from getting a dog!!

Carolyn

23rd February 2005, 06:07 PM

Behsci....after reading all of your posts...I have come to the same conclusion you did....this breed is not a good match for you. This breed is high maintenance and no insult intended but I'd be willing to bet you are too. And that's ok! I would recommend that you join a more generic dog chat room....you can ask all kinds of questions regarding different breeds and get good information and sometimes from reputable breeders.

Those are my thoughts.

Carolyn

ps: I don't mean to burst your bubble but we spent well over $10,000 on one of our Boston Terriers who had a multitude of problems. Do I recommend Bostons? Yes, I do. I love them...but like everyone is saying...you just don't always know what you are getting til the vet bill is in front of your face.

franp

23rd February 2005, 06:23 PM

Excellent post Martina.

The only thing I would add; Bostons and Pugs are the other 2 very popular breeds;right behind Frenchies.

Dogs are a BIG commitment. My dog goes EVERYWHERE with me. If i can not take her, I do not go. The only place she does not go , is on vacation. And that costs me about $60 a day for the sitter to stay in my home and take care of her and my cats. The dogwalker costs me $20 a day. I do not approve of a dog staying alone for 8 hours without a walk.

So ,if this is cutting into your shopping, do not get a dog..

Borgan

23rd February 2005, 06:50 PM

Hi Behsci,

IMO (Fran - I'm stealing your shortcuts!), all dogs have the potential to be costly. Just for fun (and to avoid dealing with annoying clients), I tallied up our dog costs:

Monthly (pre-packaged raw diet, insurance & misc) - $145 CDN
Startup (dog price, shots, crate, spay, etc.) - $3,500 CDN

Luna is 14 months old and we have had one major vet bill ($500) for gut rot or Garbage Gut, as Martina calls it. We got 300$ back from the insurance. All this is to say that I think it would be wise to focus on the personality traits of the breed versus cost, because anything can happen to any dog. Whatever dog you get, buy insurance!!!

You mentioned Bostons and Pugs - those guys seem to be pretty needy, too. They're dogs! In my totally biased opinion (IMTBO), Frenchies are way funnier and cuter.

Have you thought about spending a day or two with a borrowed Frenchie, or hanging out with a breeder? That's what we did.

And if all else fails, get a cat. Or a stuffed dog, like the prop from "Scrubs".

-Brooke.

behsci

23rd February 2005, 09:01 PM

:)
I appreciate all of your input. You've all made good points. Dogs are cute, but realistically, they take sacrifice and commitment, amongst other things. I'm now 30 w/o kids & I guess my maternal instincts are starting to kick in. But I've wanted a dog for a while.

To Carolyn: When you said you had spent over $10K for a Boston, was that dog purchased from a reputable breeder or was that bought from someone back when you didn't know much about doing research? After all, one of the main reasons to seek a reputable breeder is to buy from someone who knows what they're doing & will try to weed out medical problems. But I realize even w/ the best of breeders, there's defective dogs at times. Regarding me being high maintenance. Honestly, I think I am to a certain extent, but probably not as much as you think. I don't have to have the best clothes, shoes, hair done weekly if that's what you're thinking. :D

To franp: I actually have the time to walk the dog myself. It will be great exercise for me & by the way, there's this very nice new outdoor shopping mall they've just built that's several minutes driving distance from me where I could walk my dog and shop! :D

To Borgan: I had planned on looking into pet insurance and the idea about borrowing a Frenchie or hanging out w/ a breeder is a good idea. But everyone's so far away, that would be pretty tough for me to do. I just got finished having 2 cats & it's just not the same. I'm more of a dog person, you can have more fun w/ them. :D

franp

24th February 2005, 04:15 AM

[QUOTE=behsci]:)
I
[To franp: I actually have the time to walk the dog myself. It will be great exercise for me & by the way, there's this very nice new outdoor shopping mall they've just built that's several minutes driving distance from me where I could walk my dog and shop! :D

Taking a dog with you is wonderful; remember a Frenchie in California in the Summer just does not do it. These dogs are not heat tolerant. Here in NYC the stores are dog friendly. Not in most of the country. And leaving a dog in the car is a death sentence.

When my dog walker takes Dari out in the summer , she wets her down constantly. And still is VERY careful of her.Overheating is the number one cause of accidental death of these animals.

If it gets over 80 I am extremely careful of taking her out. And Dari is one of the best breathers around.

Yes , it is a commitment. I get up at 5-530 and I walk her. The dogwalker comes at lunch and she goes out. I come home after work and walk her NO MATTER what the weather or my state of health. If I have to work, the dogwalker comes(an extra expense.). When I go out with friends and come home late, she must be walked before I go to bed.

Dari is the first priority no matter what.They do not understand if we are sick, or tired. They need to be taken care of.

My dogsitter moved out of state. I have no one I trust to take care of them. That means I do not go on vacation. My dog does NOT under any circumstances stay in a kennel.

Do you like to do things on impulse? That just does not happen.

Oh by the way; pugs shed; you can knit a sweater with the hair.And Bostons are NON stop. Get stock in a tennis ball company.

I have grown up with dogs. I would not be without one. But there are downsides. Like the $1000 that it cost when Dari had hemoragic gastroentoritis. And ,no, I do not believe in insurance. I sell insurance and the contracts do not make sense.

This is a FULL time commitment. Yes I am redundant. but there are 2 lives at stake. The dog and yours. And the dog will not understand when (and if ) you give it up.

Olivier

24th February 2005, 06:23 AM

Small breed problems not uncommon to frenchies:
patella (knee) problems
back - hemivertebrae and degenerative disk disease

Many people here have talked about palatte, allergies, sensitive stomachs and acid reflux. Three people here have some form of hemivetebrae/degenerative disk disease. I'm the only one with patella that I know of.

Many others have had zero problems whatsoever.

Thank you Martina for listing the diseases common to French bulldogs. I am making a page about health testing questions people should ask to breeders before getting a puppy. There are too many people buying from BYBs and puppy mills without realising the damage they create.

be prepared to expect the unexpected
I can't agree more with you here. We have to be ready financially (when Athlon had his totally unexpected spine surgery, the surgery/testing was about US$2,000, I had to take many days off too) and psychologically (how to deal for weeks with a dog who couldn't control his bladder per example).

Olly

adora's mom

24th February 2005, 09:43 AM

If you want a dog who requires minimal exercise & grooming

I may have been hallucinating when I wrote this! LOL :lol:

Adora is fairly energetic and at midnight last night she was on quite a bender racing up and down the hallway. Oh yeah, and minimal grooming - my foot! She requires frequent baths because she insists on standing under Beckham when he pees and she likes to play in mud outside.

Yep. We had quite an eventful evening...

:rolleyes:

Martina

24th February 2005, 11:57 AM

Adora ... requires frequent baths because she insists on standing under Beckham when he pees and she likes to play in mud outside.

Yep. We had quite an eventful evening...

:rolleyes:

HA HA HA HA :lol: That is tooooo funny!!

adora's mom

24th February 2005, 12:24 PM

:D

I definately thought I should amend my previous post!

BTW - Adora's littermate (Asia) has the same fascination with standing under her brother while he pees. Only her brother is a Chihuahua and weighs 8 lbs. Figure the mechanics of that one out :confused:

Weird little creatures...sorry I got off topic!
:o

Carolyn

24th February 2005, 10:28 PM

Behsci.....I didn't quite make my point. Our Boston was from champion lines and the breeder was my brother who is also a veterinarian. Jill had, among other things, water on the brain which can be seen in Bostons. This turned out to be the least of her problems. She had bi-lateral luxating patellas which were corrected surgically. She had surgery twice for mammory cancer and then was diagnosed with a heart based tumor. She went through chemo therapy like a trooper but did not survive the surgery to remove the tumor. Like I said, this was a good breeding and others from this line went into the show and gained champion status. Her mother was never bred again, of course. Yep...for all of our homework in seeking out a good, healthy dog...a pup is born that breaks your heart.

I am happy to say my two Frenchies are very healthy. Carolyn

franp

25th February 2005, 05:16 AM

Behsci,
I am curious;besides wracking our brains; what research have you done on Frenchies???

behsci

27th February 2005, 06:56 PM

Well, I seriously started my research I'd say since the last trimester of 2004. I've narrowed it down to Frechies and Boston Terriers. In addition to joining this discussion board to get in depth info, so far, I've read info on numerous websites. I bought a French Bulldog book and read all of that. I've bought several dog magazines. I've gone to about five dog shows by now as well as watched them on tv, I plan to go to 2-3 more shows within the next couple months. The last one I went to, I got several breeders' cards. I have a pretty good idea of what to ask breeders and I know that important documents to request.

But I'd say I'm only about halfway into my research. I have not yet visited any breeders yet. I've contacted about 30 breeders, who unfortuantely didn't have puppies available at the time. Whenever I do visit, I plan to bring my boyfriend and a typed list of questions and probably my tape recorder to record the conversation w/ the breeder so I don't have to divert my attention by writing down everything (I'll type up the answers I got when I get back home). I'll also bring a camera and take as many pictures as I can of the living area, the dam (and sire) and of course the puppies so when I get home, I can have a collection of pictures to refresh my memory of how clean the residence was, the puppies color, etc.

That is what I'm doing in my free time. I'm currently a substitute teacher, I just ended another job I've had for 7 1/2 years as an account services rep for a top credit card company. I also have an internet business that I run from home that I started in May 2004 and I'm a grad student working on a dual teaching credential in special education mild/moderate disabilities and multiple subjects and I'm about a half a year from getting my Master's in Education w/ a Special Education focus. It may sound like a lot, but I've been attending school and having a couple jobs at one time since graduating from high school, so I'm extremely used to it. It doesn't even feel like that much to me. As a matter of fact, I'm finally less busy now than I have been in over 10 years. I still have time to go to the gym and other things. Overall, I consider myself a homebody type, but I do like to travel. I try to go on vacation once a year or every other year.

And if any of you think that I'm too busy for a dog, I know I can handle it because I live at home with my parents. My mother still works, but my father is retired. The dog I get will hardly ever be home alone. My parents go walking every Saturday and Sunday and they'd love to bring along the new dog. I'd walk it the other days of the week.

Any info you can give me franp or anyone else will be appreciated. :)

Kelly+Manja

28th February 2005, 03:26 PM

I think i agree with pretty much every thing thats been said so far. My frenchie Manja is one of the dogs on the forum with a spinal problem (hemivertebrae).
I think that all dogs have the potential for health problems, each breed has their own unfortunate curses. If you are really mad on a frenchie I reckon you should go for it. After all a dog is a dog at the end of the day. How your frenchie turns out will depend on how you treat it, Whether you wrap it in cotton wool or let it romp and scuffle with the big dogs at the park. As for training... ALL dogs take time and perseverance.
Good luck

evangelie

6th March 2005, 07:13 PM

Hi, I have been reading all your responses and I thankyou for some more insight into the breed. I also want to get a French Bulldog and I am looking for all the advice I can take in. I am not necessarily in the dark about cost, training, exercise. I was curious to know if any of you have larger dogs in your home as well as your Frenchies and how they interact with one another. Do you find male or female Frenchies are friendlier with other dogs? I have a 4 year old male newfoundland and a 10 year old male dalmatian and I so want to add a Frenchie to our family. Thanks for any advice.

Borgan

6th March 2005, 10:58 PM

The thing about Frenchies is that they can definately hold their own. Luna used to come to work with me where there was a sweet Bernese Mountain dog & a Golden Sucky Retreiver, and to put it bluntly, she kicked their asses...rather, she pinned them down and humped their faces.

But if I put her in a room with another very dominant/aggressive dog, and threw in a coveted toy, it would certainly end in death if I was unable to intervene.

If I may generalize, it seems that most Frenchies have dominant tendencies to varying degrees. So, if either of your dogs also have a super dominant tendencies, it might be a bad idea. You don't want to worry about coming home to a crime scene.

Conversly, if you use a NILF technique from the start (ask Roosje about it), and have dogs that are mostly submissive, it should be okay. Infact, Frenchies seem to prefer the company of dogs their own size or larger to ensure a fair and competive wrestling match. Smack down!

Borgan

6th March 2005, 11:05 PM

ps. The males I've seen seem to be more chilled than the females, but I wouldn't concern yourself with that because you probably won't have a choice over sex, colour, pet quality or show quality. Litters are small, breeders keep the best of the litter, and many are spoken for long before they are born.

quinnybear

7th March 2005, 03:20 PM

i am also fairly new to this breed. but i did alot of reading and research before i got my rocky.i am getting the "hands on" experience now ! my husband is disabled and home full time. so he is with rocky until i get home from work. so he is never left unattended. believe me, frenchies are very smart and rocky can find things i never knew we even had ! we own our home also. thats one thing to consider in getting any dog. are you stable? when you get a dog , its for life. i,ve seen it happen alot, where people cant keep their beloved pet because they move somewhere that doesnt allow them. and although some say money isnt an "issue", it really is. because as a pet owner....you are totally responsible to provide medical attention if your pet needs it ! and it could be inexpensive or very costly. you have to be prepared. you are bringing a living being into your life, and like a child ,they will depend on you their entire life. we,ve been wanting a frenchie for about three years now but we waited until we were established ourselves so that we could provide for him well. he is our very spoiled and very loved little boy!!! :) :)

franp

7th March 2005, 06:06 PM

Judy,

I honestly think Rotties are easier.They are working dogs;bred to please.Eager to please.

Frenchies are stubborn little sob's..Bred to be pleased..The most stubborn dog I have ever owned.. Talk to me in about one year :) And tell me how easy this breed is.

As for the snoring and snorting;there is this misconception that Frenchies are supposed to make noise when breathing.NOT.A well bred FBD makes little or no noise when breathing at rest.And they do not snore.

Frenchies should not leave the breeder before they are 12-14 weeks; the later being preferable. They need the time with thier dam and littermates. These are slow to mature dogs. The longer they are with thier family the better socialized they are.

As for vet bills etc; there is a saying "If you have to ask, you can not afford it". I agree with you on the cost. If you have to worry , then donot get the dog.

Carolyn

7th March 2005, 06:28 PM

There is a lot of valuable information here and I thank everyone who posted.
I don't have anything to add except to reiterate that you must be willing to make a "forever" home when you bring a Frenchie home. They are truly companion dogs and it breaks my heart seeing so many given over to rescue because maybe proper research wasn't done or a pup was purchased from a puppy mill/importer. Carolyn

behsci

11th March 2005, 08:39 PM

There's some good info in this thread. I'm still doing research. It's so hard for me because the 1 or 2 breeders anywhere close to me are still a 1-2 hour's drive away, plus they have to be having a litter at the right time.

Whether I get a Frenchie or a Boston, I'd love to get a puppy the very beginning of June because my schedule will be the lightest it's been in years and I can really spend a lot of time with him.

I have a question. It's been said to get these 4 important documents:
1. Registration certificate
2. 3-4 generation pedigree
3. Health guarantee
4. Sales contract

Regarding the health guarantee, most breeders give you another puppy in their future litter if anything goes wrong with the first puppy within the first year of purchase. Of course it would be ideal to be able to just get your money back, but does any breeder actually do that anymore?

Also, changing the subject. I'm still wary about having a dog shipped. I hear that many times you don't get the dog that the seller shows you in the pictures. But the way things are happening, I won't be at the right place at the right time for who knows how long. Oh well, what can I do, but keep looking.