The Retriever, Dog, & Wildlife Blog

Posted in dog breeding | Tagged French bulldog | 24 Comments

24 Responses

1. on March 7, 2013 at 8:14 am | Reply Jen Robinson

   Don’t know about the USA, but in Oz, Frenchies top the list for puppy prices and length of wait to get a pup. Veblenesque? “I’m cool, cause I have one of these expensive, costly to maintain, snorting, baby faced dogs.”
   Granted, they tend to have great temperament for a house pet.

   
   
   • on March 7, 2013 at 11:12 am | Reply Nora

     My understanding is that they are pretty much all dysplastic too, to one extent or another. Maybe not QUITE as bad as Bulldogs, but close.

     
     
   • on March 8, 2013 at 7:44 am | Reply bearcoatpei

     They’re ridiculously expensive here in the UK too. They’re like the new chihuahua for the wannabe WAGs who go shopping in 6 in platform heels, so much fake tan they look like a teak sideboard and more hair extensions than cousin Itt.

     
     
   • on March 8, 2013 at 9:04 am | Reply UrbanCollieChick

     They’re the IN dog in Manhattan, that’s for sure. Most folks don’t give all the health consequences a second thought. Maybe too many of them have the cash to make vet bills a non-issue.

     
     
2. on March 7, 2013 at 8:55 am | Reply peg4x4

   I have been thinking about getting a dog,but have several restrictions.
   Not over 20lbs. Quiet,laid back. Not misshapen,must look like a dog. Short hair.. Best I’ve found so far is a cat. *sigh* Every smallish dog I’ve found has some horrid genetic problem.
   Oh,I’m in a powerchair,so it’d have to be smart enough to move.

   
   
   • on March 7, 2013 at 10:46 am | Reply Nora

     Italian Greyhound. Get an adult rescue. They have periods of activity, but mostly if you want to nap, THEY want to nap. Main problems are leg breaks in young dogs (some lines have low bone density, but basically the puppies are daredevils who climb up on things and then launch from the top) and teeth problems (helps if you’re willing to brush teeth).

     
     
     • on March 7, 2013 at 2:33 pm | Reply peg4x4

       They are nice,but how are they on recall? I forgot to list trainability.

       
       
       • on March 7, 2013 at 2:57 pm | Reply Nora

         Mine have been an absolute joy to train. They respond really well to clicker training, and figured out really fast how to offer behaviors. The downside is that they don’t take drilling well, and will get frustrated if it takes too many tries to understand what you want. And I would not try to let them loose in a field where there were rabbits and squirrels to chase and then recall them, no.

         
         
     • on March 7, 2013 at 5:57 pm | Reply massugu

       Also spend some time with one just in case you’re allergic. My Mom had one that absolutely adored me. Unfortunately I was terribly allergic to her–the only time before or since that I’ve had an allergic reaction to a dog.

       
       
   • on March 7, 2013 at 1:52 pm | Reply kittenz

     Cats are great :-D. But there are lots of great “little fellas” among dogs, too. I agree, the best way to know what you’re getting is to adopt a grown dog or at least a young adult. Their puppy shenanigans are behind them and you can choose one as laid-back as you want. Maybe something like a beagle or a chihuahua mix would fit your needs.

     
     
     • on March 7, 2013 at 2:36 pm | Reply peg4x4

       Thanks-yes,an older dog would make sense..

       
       
   • on March 8, 2013 at 7:35 am | Reply bearcoatpei

     Go to a decent rescue that will fix you up with the right dog for your circumstances. No reason why you have to have a pedigree or a puppy as there are many wonderful, ready house trained little crossbreeds out there that need a home. Many through no fault of their own due to family break ups etc…

     Don’t dismiss a medium sized dog (unless the under 20lb rule is about your housing contract). You could train even a middle aged dog to help you do stuff you struggle with.

     
     
     • on March 8, 2013 at 10:03 am | Reply peg4x4

       Yes,housing rules on the weight… I just don’t know if I could live up to my end of the “contract”…. Walks,Vet trips (no car,can’t drive) and I’d hate to get one and then my health take a downhill turn again .. Like I said,gonna think an all sides of this. Sure miss my dogs and horses – I even miss the chickens..

       
       
       • on March 10, 2013 at 11:42 am | Reply bearcoatpei

         My sympathies – I’m not A1 myself and it’s only the beasties that keep me going, physically and mentally. I hope you find a suitable little companion, whatever the species.

         
         
         • on March 10, 2013 at 12:00 pm | Reply peg4x4

           I’m afraid if I outlive these cats they’ll be the last pets I can have…. my son would take whatever I had,and take good care of it,but……well,you know..

           
           
           • on March 10, 2013 at 2:37 pm | Reply UrbanCollieChick

             They do require care, but then again, you are a person, and if this is what can help make you happy and put a bright spot in your days, it surely shouldn’t be seen as too much to ask for.

             Surely something can be worked out. Enjoy!

             
             
3. on March 7, 2013 at 2:00 pm | Reply DesertWindHounds

   “You don’t need a muzzle when you’re cute.”

   Brachycephalic dogs are not cute.

   
   
   • on March 7, 2013 at 2:54 pm | Reply Nora

     Agreed.

     
     
   • on March 7, 2013 at 3:26 pm | Reply peg4x4

     I agree.
     I like dogs that can walk and breathe.

     
     
   • on March 8, 2013 at 9:06 am | Reply UrbanCollieChick

     SO agreed!

     
     
   • on March 9, 2013 at 10:37 am | Reply pennypup

     I don’t think they’re that cute either. I just feel sorry for them. =[

     
     
   • on March 9, 2013 at 2:10 pm | Reply ellamenno

     Rule: muzzle must be at least 1/3 of total head length in order to be cute.
     Pretty cute: http://cdn-www.dailypuppy.com/dog-images/super-dave-the-pug-mix-2_33739_2009-09-04_w450.jpg
     Pretty disconcerting: http://api.ning.com/files/PVL2h72iXqmHrfnD*Tr5r80qHwKpnvCNFC2XgCZS3ERVAO7qdwLWaGLtCYerMsydkCwhayiRNkQlNv0r-RyWuLOlFqw903he/DSC00606.JPG

     One confounding thing for the puppy-buying public: puppies of brachycephalic breeds tend to have more muzzle than adults (and everyone knows it’s the puppies that sucker them in) http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_malpjofVrd1qfmuuko1_1280.jpg

     
     
     • on March 10, 2013 at 7:26 am | Reply bearcoatpei

       Tibetan Spaniel = very cute to me at least
       show quality Pekingese = frankly, upsetting to see

       Papillon – cute and never been brachycephalic
       Japanese Chin = looks exactly like a pappilon that’s run in a wall loony tunes style

       Cavalier King Charles Spaniel = popular cute
       King Charles Spaniel = who booted my cavvie one under the chin?
       (incidentally, a King Charles has won the toy group at Crufts)

       
       
       • on March 10, 2013 at 10:30 pm | Reply ellamenno

         In the cat world, people love persians with their broad doll-like faces, but they are generally not so fond of show-quality “ultra-faced” persians. Fanciers just can’t resist botching classics…

         
         

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Enter your comment here...

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Email (required) (Address never made public)

Name (required)

Website

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out / Change )

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out / Change )

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out / Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s

Notify me of follow-up comments via email.

Notify me of new posts via email.