INFO TIPS AND TRICKS

How to prevent and treat overheating for French Bulldogs:

French Bulldogs have a much higher risk of over heating due to their flat faces. This can happen extremely fast and we cannot stress enough that you should always be prepared. If you are taking your frenchie somewhere like the beach or park with lots of sun and heat, think ahead of time about different ways to cool them off. Always check the temperature outside and we do not recommend taking this breed in excessive heat.

Having lots of water and something like a cooling bandana will help cool your dog down when they start to overheat. Be on the lookout for shaded areas or bring your own umbrella. Be sure to keep them in AC when you are gone.

What do you do when your frenchie does overheat?

This has worked for us over the last decade: First thing, squirt lemon juice (photo above) in their mouth, just a little bit at a time. Avoid squirting it directly down their throats to avoid choking/inhaling it. Lemon juice will break up that thick phlegm they work up when panting. I will then grab rubbing alcohol or antiseptic alcohol and wipe down their paw pads, bellies and under their neck. What this does is draws out the heat as dogs release heat from those areas. Remember, dogs do not sweat like humans. After that grab a towel and soak it with room temp/luke warm water, place it around them and put the fan directly on them. Do not use cold water as this could put them into shock. It is also very important to do your best to calm them down, try using a soft spoken voice and some affection. If you have medication to help calm your dog down give it to them. You can find dog melatonin or calming aids online. Remember when you are doing this don’t force them to drink water, wait until they have calmed down. The same goes for medication, don’t force them to swallow a pill if they are panting. Calming aids do come in liquid form and can be given drop by drop.

Having rubbing alcohol and lemon juice in your car and in your home is a great idea! We always bring water and a bowl for our dogs to drink out of when we go places.

Food and plants that are toxic to French Bulldogs:

Adjustment, food and training tips for French Bulldogs:

ADJUSTMENT - The first few days you have your puppy at home they will be adjusting to not being around their siblings. If you decide to crate train them (which we strongly recommend) be prepared for a loud few days. Remember, trust the process! We suggest setting them up in a different room and only go to them when they are NOT crying. If you go to them when they are crying they will learn that’s how they get attention and will become louder and louder to get you to let them out in the future. It will also set you up for an overall louder grown up. It can be hard to not run to them when they are crying but they will settle in and will have learned they get attention when they are quiet. It’s also important to teach your dog how to be independent. If you’re around your animal 24/7, it’s more than likely separation anxiety will occur whenever you two are separated. It’s very important to give them alone time without you.

FOOD - We advise our families to keep their dogs on the food we give them. Only change your dogs food if there is a problem or you need to switch them to an adult food when they are older. Do not switch or add anything to their food if you feel like they are being picky, believe us they will eat! Try soaking the kibble for 20 minutes this does the trick for our frenchies. Switching up their food it can do more harm than good and will teach them to go on a food strike whenever they want different food. The food changes can wreck havoc on their gi tract as well. If you do need to change their food, please do it gradually. We advise to keep their diets simple and avoid giving them high fat table scraps. Remember, dogs do not process fat like we do and giving them high fat foods can cause pancreatitis.

Separate eating and drinking by 3-4 hours. When frenchies eat and drink together it further expands the kibble in their stomachs and will cause them to vomit. Using a slow feeder will prevent them from swallowing so much air when they are eating. Fast eating can cause gas, stomach ache and vomiting. Frenchies are notorious for over doing it when it comes to drinking water. Keep an eye on them. Too much will cause them to vomit.

TREATS - We like single ingredient treats like freeze dried minnows, lamb lung and beef tripe. Vital essential has some good quality freeze dried dog treats. You can also boil a chicken breast, cut it up into little pieces and give those as treats throughout the week. Blueberries, seedless watermelon and carrots are a few as well. Keep it nutritious, plain and simple!

POTTY TRAINING - French bulldogs favorite reward is ATTENTION! When they potty outside make sure to go overboard on the praise. GOOD BOY, GOOD GOOD, GIRL GOOD POTTY!!! Also be careful with scolding them if they do have accidents inside, we recommend saying ‘No potty’ and take them outside where they are supposed to go. If you are to stern after an accident they could become scared to go potty around you which equals more accidents inside. Some frenchies can be potty trained easily and while others can take longer. Just remember, repetition and they will get it.

TRAINING - Getting your puppy used to car rides, nail trimming, people, other dogs and kids early on will teach them to be more comfortable with them in the future. They can be comfortable with anything as long as you introduce them to it positively and consistently!

Socializing your puppy is so important, but also remember to wait until your puppy is fully vaccinated to introduce them to any outside dogs. We recommend socializing with other dogs anywhere but a dog park. Dog parks are full of parasites and bacteria that your puppy can easily get sick from. Canine Parvovirus is a highly contagious virus that can found at locations like dog parks with younger dogs being the most at risk.

As far as basic tricks, remember repetition repetition and lots of praise. This breed is capable of learning all kinds of tricks. Be patient as some take longer than others but slowly and surely they will get there.

Be aware of your dogs body language. If you think they are becoming territorial or reactive in any way reach out to us for advice, watch training videos or get your puppy training immediately. They can be unruly if you are not the leader. The earlier you spot the signs and start correcting those behaviors the easier it will be to getting them back on track. As long as you’re the alpha in training and establish good behavior from your puppy they will be extremely well behaved.

FRENCHIES EAT EVERYTHING! Be sure to baby proof your house or have eyes on your puppy at all times. Crate training your puppy is an amazing tool to use when you’re busy and can’t have eyes on them. Crating them when. you’re not able to give them your full attention and when you leave your house is highly recommended. If they swallow something they can not ultimately pass this will result in a obstruction removal surgery which we want to avoid at all costs.

IVDD: What is it and how to prevent injury

French Bulldogs are more prone to back injury as most of their weight is in their head and shoulders. Please do not let your dog jump off of anything, as this will compress their spine like an accordion which can result in serious back problems. We always keep all of our dogs at ground level on all four legs at all times. They are extremely strong, like little bowling balls, but their spines are extremely fragile. IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease) is the most common spinal disorder in dogs and occurs when the spongy shock absorbing discs between the bones of the spine dry out and eventually rupture. When we play, we keep their toys low to the ground so they don’t jump up to fetch it. We also use a harness and not a collar to help support their backs. First time back injuries can usually be treated with a steroid, pain meds and VERY strict crate rest (again why you should crate train your pooch) but sometimes it will require a very expensive surgery. This is why we highly recommend that you never let your French bulldog jump, at anytime.