An unlikely combination? It all makes sense when you trace the unusual development of the small irresistible "Frenchie," capable of stealing your heart the moment one climbs into your lap.
The Beginning
The story of the French bulldog begins with the original, larger English bulldog of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, the great working dog of England whose value extended from the farm to the marketplace. Capable of chasing and catching all livestock - particularly cattle - the breed was designed to hold onto a bull and not let go until so instructed. To maximize its holding power, the muzzle was shortened without diminishing jaw strength.
The bulldog had to be all muscle yet light and quick on its feet. In breeding for these features, occasionally a smaller bulldog would emerge. For a while, miniature or toy bulldogs existed beside their larger, more formidable siblings. Usually the smaller variety became pet stock, and these pets continued to reproduce a diminutive-size dog.
More likely the smaller bulldog came to France as a consequence of an enterprising contingent of lace makers from Nottingham, an English center for machine-made lace. As industrialization threatened the old agricultural way of life, many fearful and ignorant people went about smashing machines wherever they could be found. To escape from this Luddite movement, three Nottingham craftsmen managed to smuggle their lace machines out of England and establish a machine-made lace trade in the northern port town of Calais, France. Within a decade, a large group of English lace makers had settled permanently in France, perfecting a machine version of Chantilly lace while still maintaining certain beloved English traditions such as plum pudding tea time and miniature bulldog companions.
By the end of the 19th century the expatriate bulldog had arrived in Paris. On its way the little dog may have been bred with a few French native breeds. Still quite light at 16 to 18 pounds, the Frenchified bulldog was thinner and rangier, longer legged and longer bodied than its predecessor. Even so it kept that distinctive face with its slightly wrinkled forehead, alert inquisitive expression and buttoned-up nose. During the 1890s the little dog with the jaunty air found popularity with Left Bank society, including artists, dancers and prostitutes. Perhaps because of this notoriety, the little dog also became the darling of the more socially acceptable cafe society.
Many a well-to-do lady demanded her own dog of the Parisian boulevards. Wealthy American women were also attracted to this breed; in fact their relentless dedication helped to standardize these dogs. The women organized the first French bulldog club in an effort to immortalize the hallmark bat-like ear of the breed.
An English gentleman fancier, George Krehl, gave the breed its name. According to Anne Heir, breed historian and chairwoman of the French Bulldog Club of America's Education Committee, at the 1893 Crystal Palace exhibition in London, Krehl placed a sign above his six French imported small bulldogs. The sign jokingly stated "French Bulldog of British Origin." The breed became known as Boulledogge Francais, keeping that name in England until 1906. Already known as the French bulldog in the United States, 100 breed specimens had been entered in the Westminster Kennel Club show of 1896. The breed remained popular until World War I, when the Boston terrier gained overnight celebrity, supplanting the French bulldog as high society's favorite little dog. Since that time the breed spent half a century in comfortable obscurity.
In the last twenty years, interest in the French bulldog has reawakened. Reputable breeders and members of the French Bulldog Club of America have attempted to protect this breed from puppy mill profiteers. With a small population, French bulldogs are not readily available. Despite their seemingly compact muscularity, these little bulldogs have some inherent health problems that can be traced back to the origins of the breed.
Brachycephalic dogs such as the boxer, bulldog and Pekingese may have been developed for a particular purpose, but their facial characteristics result from mutations of the standard canine head shape. Those changes to the nose and jaw compromise normal function (please see Breathing Problems sidebar below).
Another serious defect originated from the continual breeding of smaller, inferior stock by English lacemakers and others. Normal size bulldogs have the length and breadth of body to house a normal size spine. But the miniature versions created shortened spines in shorter torsos, which led to inherited and weakened vertebral conditions of chondrodystrophy (please see Back Problems sidebar on page 48).
Common sense dictates that a potential French bulldog owner find and work with a reputable breeder who understands and has experience with the breed. Responsible breeders carefully evaluate their Frenchies at all stages of life and should provide and explain health testing and ratings given by appropriate veterinary organizations such as the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). Not all Frenchies suffer extreme symptoms; dogs mildly affected can achieve excellent quality and length of life.
Understanding the Frenchie
Frenchies are loyal, yet they'll scamper into anyone's lap at the slightest invitation. Breeder Lafayette McGowan of LJ Kennels notes that the breed is totally human-oriented.
Given the opportunity to play with other dogs or a member of its human family, the French bulldog will consistently pick the human. McGowan further asserts that Frenchies are trusting and that "they will approach anybody or any dog, big or small, with the sole intention of playing." He adds, "their greatest reward is letting them jump into your lap after they've done what you've asked."
Frenchies want to please, yet they can be outrageously stubborn. Breeder Connie Hughes of Mon Petit French Bulldogs qualifies this negativity as extremely amusing. Carrie Morgan of Sympa French Bulldog said that when scolded, "Frenchies will turn their backs to you and sit down." It's easy to change the mood and stance of a French bulldog; just picking it up will engender a cuddle and kiss.
Whatever was amiss is forgotten and forgiven.
Frenchies are social, yet their curiosity may lead them into innocent but serious trouble. Responsible breeders will rarely sell a French bulldog to a family whose property includes a swimming pool. The Frenchie is a head-heavy breed. As a consequence of their uneven weight distribution, these dogs would like to but should not be allowed to swim, even under supervision. They sink and will drown in a matter of seconds. Totally focused on being in the company of their owners, they will follow their human family anywhere without regard to personal safety. In every respect the French bulldog is indeed a breed to be babied. Many dog breeds adapt to all sorts of living conditions. To the contrary, the French bulldog is a breed whose family must adapt to its needs.
Frenchies are completely lovable, yet they are capable of creating havoc in your life. Hughes describes two typical personalities: the cozy couch potato and the hyperactive rascal. She firmly associates each personality with a particular physical type. "The mellower Frenchie has the more compact, bulky body while the bouncier Frenchie is lighter boned and longer backed." McGowan even suggests that coat color has something to do with personality as well.
French bulldogs come in a rainbow of colors and in fact should be a blend of hues rather than a solid shade. For example he has found that the redder-coated dogs are more likely to exhibit assertive, controlling behavior. Brindles are generally sweeter. Creams are considered the stereotypic ditsy blonds; as McGowan quips, "they may run full speed into a glass door-many times!"
Choosing Your Frenchie
Be prepared to interview breeders, and be prepared to be interviewed by them as well. Reputable breeders look for a family with children usually no younger than three. Breeders want to meet the whole family, not only to make the right match between a Frenchie and its future home, but also to observe how parents supervise their children. Children may innocently hurt a puppy if not shown how to pick one up or hold it.
Most breeders will caution a prospective owner that the French bulldog is a high maintenance breed. It is not a rough and tumble athlete with unlimited endurance. Although capable of playing in a fenced yard in comfortable or cool weather, the Frenchie must be considered an indoor dog. This breed cannot tolerate heat, dry or moist, because of its facial and nasal structure. Similarly these dogs should not be allowed to jump off couches, chairs or beds because of their spinal formation. Hughes sets the example by providing stepstools everywhere in her house so that her Frenchies can always get up and down without harming themselves. She says, "it's just a good rule not to let them jump off anything high."
Another good rule involves diet. Some foods can be too highly preserved or contain too much protein that may lead to skin problems. Many breeders also avoid soy or corn-based foods. Naturally preserved kibble, no more than 24 percent protein, will serve the breed well. Some Frenchies are peculiarly picky about food, preferring a raw or fresh diet and even a human diet. Rawhide treats and pig's ears should not be given because they can get easily lodged in this little dog's throat.
Leave Breeding to the Experts
Living with a Frenchie for its lifespan of 10 to12 years is emotionally rewarding. Breeding and raising Frenchies is hard work. Because of the size of a bulldog head, puppies are delivered by Caesarian section. Newborn Frenchies are fragile and require constant attention from the breeder as well as their dam for the first few weeks of life. Expert breeders will keep their puppies for as long as four to five months before sending them on to new homes. Unlike some breeds, which have optimal periods of socialization and bonding, the French bulldog has no hesitancy in establishing social relationships. Breeders need that crucial time to determine the health and structure of their puppies, including preliminary detection of hip dysplasia, luxating patellas (dislocated knees), hypothyroidism, cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart) or heart murmur.
Despite the tender-loving, extra-special care that Frenchies require, the unconditional love and endless amusement they provide make this breed a favorite of its fanciers. An outstanding companion of young and old alike, friendly with other pets, likely to make more noise snoring than barking, the French bulldog may well be what breed historian Anne Hier describes as "one of the best kept small dog secrets in the world." Perhaps the time has come again, as it did a hundred years ago, to acknowledge the clown-like charm of this sociable little dog.
No comments:
Post a Comment