How my love affair for the Lilac French Bulldog started.
For the past several years I have debated whether to get a pet. We have only one child and I thought it would be fun and rewarding to give him a dog. Secretly, I wanted it for myself. I work from home and spend about 8 hours a day by myself. My wife has always had cats and I was never allowed to have a dog. I was the youngest of 10 children and one of my older brothers was allergic to pet dander so that was that.
I have always been a distant lover of dogs and the urge grew and grew. I thought I would get a chocolate lab then I thought maybe a golden retriever. Or I had that Australian dogs were really smart. I was never one of those that wanted a little lap dog. My male ego just wouldn’t allow me to get a poodle or bijon or something like that.
The thought of getting a dog would be shelved for awhile but it always hung in the back of my mind like a favorite shirt that I’ve out ground but not able to wear any more but not able to throw out either, thinking I will lose the weight to get back into. Dust collected on the shoulders where it hung.
We lived in an apartment, so getting one of those bigger dogs would be out of the question. I considered getting a small dog for the first time in my life. Once again, the thought was shelved and a few more years went by until one day. I had a used car that was I selling, and I put it online and got a call from a guy that was interested. He came out and without much haggling or hassle, he bought it. We started talking and he told me what he did for a living – He was a bulldog breeder in Murrieta California about 2 hours from my house. He invited me out one day to hang out. Told me to bring my family.
Butt Wiggling French Bulldogs is only the beginning.
Finally, I thought I would take him up on the offer and called and planned to meet. I figured I’d go out alone and check it out first. After that, I remember seeing bulldogs everywhere. On TV ads, walking down the street, at the park, in cars passing by. It’s like when you buy a new truck and suddenly you start seeing trucks everywhere you turn. I thought to myself that I always liked bulldogs but knew very little about them. All I knew was that they were funny looking and had a personally of someone jamming to the beat of their own drum.
Once I got to the bulldog breeders’ house I thought I would hear a bunch of distant barking. Nope, not a peep. I pulled slowly up the driveway still nothing. I looked to my right and I saw about 15 or so dogs all pressed up against a fence. Some standing to see who was coming. Still no barking just a lot of jostling for position, running up and down the fence line. As I pulled my car closer this mob of activity came to life and some barking started but not much.
Mainly a lot of butt wiggling. I got of my car close to the garage and started walking nearer and nearer as I did, the barking stopped, and the butt wiggling really started. The where all this strange, exotic color that I’d never seen before. As I got closer I started noticing with greater detail the white ones with spots.
They looked like fat, stubby Dalmatians with huge wrinkles across their noses. Pink noses, with a cute under bit. Some were light purple and some were chocolate and tan colored. I thought how beautiful they are and the uglier the face the more attractive they looked to me.
The way they walked with their shoulders doing all the work and their hind legs just coming along for the ride. There was another run in the way back with just three dogs standing jumping up and down to get my attention and that’s when I saw Emperor for the first time. I asked my new friend what they called. He says, “those are my Frenchies”. It’s a French bulldog. I’d seen them before but I just thought they were pugs or something. I never really made a distinction. He let me into the dog run and I walked back to where he kept his French Bulldogs.
As I came closer to them the excitement started to escalate and I thought they were going to jump right out of their skin. I opened the door and went inside and I couldn’t get enough. I remember thinking right then and there that I wanted one of them.
One of the dogs had this black coat that shined in the sun. So healthy I thought and the other one had a purple hue. I am was told that it was lilac or sometime known as blue. He couldn’t get enough of me. I thought right then that I had to have him. It was an electric sensation. An attraction like no other dog. I imagined him coming home with me right then. Not even sure if he was for sale. I hinted around at it but when I heard the price tag I almost gagged. Really, I thought. That much? He must crap gold bars I joked. Nope he said, he is my champion, pure breed, AKC registered stud. He is world famous.
Like Love at first Site. I am hooked on this LILAC French Bulldog named EMPEROR!
I know what your thinking a sucker is born every day but I thought to myself I have to have him. I have waited, literally my whole life for this dog. Who know that a little 22 lb Blue French Bulldog would steal my heart.
Anyway, the fix was in. I took my son out to the bulldog breeder’s house and we hung out for awhile and I introduced Emperor to him and he too loved this little lilac French bulldog- so we bought him. I kept him with the breeder for awhile so that we could get things organized for him to come to home with us. We bought a leash, a proper collar- not one of those that goes around his neck but one of the harness style collars, so he wouldn’t choke. We bought a doggie carrier for the ride home, some dog toys a bed and a cage for him to sleep in while he learned how to potty train. He had been living out doors for all his life so potty training him would be a challenge. We put in a little dog run or our own in the backyard for him to hang out in while we were away.
After a month of mentally preparing for his arrival, I was getting concerned that he might get lonely or need a pal to play with. After all the French Bulldog is a social animal and likes to have friends around so for a 2 fer deal we were able to negotiate a deal for a female playmate. We went from a zero dog house to a two dog in just over a month.
I have seen grown men carry little dogs around before and always said that I would never be that guy. I don’t know much about the French bulldog breed but I know what I like. I like his physicality, his personality and friendly disposition. His color was important but not as important as his happy go lucky attitude that almost all Frenchies share. They are good with children, even infants. They are protective but don’t insist on it like some breed. They have a stubbornness that is, for some strange reason, acceptable. I am not a micro-manager of people why should I be of my dog. He will often ignore the simplest of commands, but I don’t mind because he shines the best attributes you could hope for in dog- love.
He makes me laugh, my son giggles uncontrollably, and my wife is finally coming around to the benefits of having him in the house.
The two of them bring a new found excitement to the Cook house. Together they add a certain circus like atmosphere. They help me relax, not take life so seriously. They are the life of the party and provide conversation and spark to everyday.
- Blue Frenchies
- Tan Frenchies
- Cream colored Frenchies
- White
- chocolate
- Brindle
and I’ve even seen pink Frenchies, spotted Frenchies called Merle’s all have one thing in common- they are just plain fun to be around.
Frenchies don’t require a lot of exercise which is nice because we don’t either. I am about 60 years old and am slowing down. Even though he is a puppy in my eyes he doesn’t need a lot of walking. I go golfing if I need a good walk. He doesn’t require a lot of expensive food, they are not finicky and don’t take up a lot of space. The French bulldog is the perfect breed for someone who is a bit of a couch potato to be honest. This might be the reason the French bulldog is quickly becoming one of the most sought after breeds in the world as we move more into city dwellings as a people near jobs and big cities the French bulldog is perfectly suited for this.
I read that English bulldogs were bred with rat terriers to make them small enough to travel with for French aristocratic lady. You couldn’t board a train as easily back then with a large hunting dog so they combined the all the nice qualities of the English Bulldog with the size of smaller terrier. No one knows for sure where the French bulldog descended from could have been any number of smaller dogs, maybe even a pug or Jack Russel for all we know but it doesn’t matter to me.
I asked about health concerns and what to look out for when buying a French bulldog. They main thing is because they have a “smashed in nose” that they have trouble breathing. The are all muscle so they have trouble swimming but that’s not to say they can’t swim, just like anybody they can learn. Watch out for the cold and the hot. They don’t do well in either of those extremes. I’ve heard to look out for their knees and shoulders and hips can get dysplasia but so can larger dogs like golden retrievers. So that shouldn’t deter you when buying a Frenchie. If you are worried about the health of your animal have it checked by a vet or ask for papers of recent tests. Good breeders keep all the paperwork on file.
After finding Emperor and his girlfriend we were shocked to find out that he is one of the most sought-after studs of French bulldogs in the world. The breeder, after we bought him emailed me about a month after he came home and told me to check out the studbook.uk. He had landed in the top 10 of lilac blue French bulldogs by shear luck he was moved into that position. I have no idea how they determine that but I think it has a lot to do with his lineage, his structure, his health and his coloring. People order his semen from around the world. We did a DNA check he carries the gene for Lilac Chocolate and cream.
The one thing that I haven’t mentioned was that he has some of the most beautiful tan points. To me, tan points are like eyebrows on a woman. I have to say, I don’t look at those first but once you get familiar with them, hey those are kind of nice.
The Benefits of Owning French Bulldogs for Your Wellbeing
I have a sense of well being, stress is gone.
The biggest thing I learned about my two Frenchies is that they add so much to my daily sense of wellbeing. I also read that having a dog reduces stress, gives you purpose and just makes you feel better.
There are also studies showing that those who own dogs get sick less. Their immune systems are stronger. I feel more connected to my neighbors when I take a walk and for every time I heard that “my dog doesn’t bite”, I can really say that with conviction. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that people walking their dog and when I go to approach them they snap at me, anyway.
I could have bought the English Bulldog but when I saw Emperor I was taken aback with his Winston Churchill like facial expression. His compact, muscular build and happy disposition. A friend of mine commented that he looked like Winston Churchill had sex with a mouse. I have a sense of humor and if you think you do there will countless opportunities to inject wit about your Frenchy. English Bulldogs have a lot of character in their faces too but they are simply too big for the house.
Here’s my thoughts about Breeders. I have heard the horror stories about puppy farms so if you are going considering buying a French Bulldog do some research before you plunk down that kind of money. Is the breeder reputable. You can find that out very simply online. Type in the breeder’s name and a bunch of information should come up. Check out the date when they first had a site or look at yelp. Google them on google maps to make sure they exist. I have heard nightmares mostly online where people have sent money through paypal to purchase a French bulldog only to see their hard-earned money go up in smoke. Have the breeder face time with you holding the dog if you live far away. Plenty of people have been dogs online and shipped have shipped the dog without consequence but make sure they are reputable people…
As far as stud service goes for French bulldogs you couldn’t find a better candidate then Emperor. He has amazing color, amazing structure and great disposition. He has been DNA tested, No brindle, no pied and beautiful tan points. There is no real way to guarantee the color of puppies from your dam but there is a greater percentage using my Emperor.
Another thing about Frenchies is that we can send their chilled semen anywhere in the world. Emperor has been chosen by over 30 Dams for his semen worldwide. He is recognized as a top performer. We will re-mate if your dam doesn’t get pregnant for any reason. We charge $3000 for stud fee and prefer a deposit to know that people are serious. Once your Dam shows the proper levels we can send a live video of his sample so that you know he has some serious swimmers.
Who knows what I would be getting into when I got Emperor and Fashion. It’s been a real learning experience and a work of love. They both only need love, some food and a lot of attention. French bulldogs are a delight to have around.
I learned the hard way that Frenchies don’t swim. We were fooling around by a pond the other day and Emperor was all excited. I took off his leash and started to take pictures. I was completed dressed, with watch, wallet and phone in hand. He disappears for a second and comes out from under the doc and jumps head-long into the water. Before I know it I am jumping in after him as he struggled to keep his head above water. I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and all 22 lbs and out we came. All muscle, no fat. He sank like a stone so be careful if you go to a pool party. I found a pretty cool swim vest with a shark fin on the back that I thought was funny looking but did the job. Now he loves to put it on and take a dip. Soon I will teach him to swim without it. They can learn but it takes some work. I taught my son Levon and I can teach him.
One thing he does that I don’t know how to stop, is to jump up on me. It can be quite annoying even though I think he just wants attention. Who could turn down that face. The big question is how to get him to stop. I’ve never owned a dog before, but I have spoken to people and they have given me advice. I know its common sense, but I want to say it to emphasize to people that there is a good way to train an animal, any animal. If you think about it you should never use your hands to change behavior. Never hit a dog. I know that sounds obvious, but some people still do it. Remember, you do a lot of things with your hands with your pet. You feed your pet with your hands. Comfort your pet with your hands. Pick up your pet with your hands. If you hit your pet with your dogs they will be afraid of your hands and ultimately afraid of you. There is a way to train your pet. It takes patience and a little more love and some encouragement, but they will figure it out.
At the end of the day getting a French bulldog was the greatest addition to our family. He has brought energy and happiness to our home.
Humor is his greatest attribute. He makes me laugh and provides companionship. He teaches my son responsibility and can be the greatest friend when he needs a good listener. There are many types of dogs but the French bulldog was for me. There are plenty of dogs that could be rescued and give you the same kind of thing. But if you are addicted to Frenchies than go get one, it’ll be worth it.