Finding a Frenchie

Nothing is cuter than a Frenchie puppy, those ears, those shiny brown eyes and that gremlin-like personality. All it takes is one meeting and most of us are smitten. Well, you are thinking about adding a totally dependent, living breathing creature to your life. This is a big decision and not one to be taken lightly! You might first want to ask yourself a few questions and ponder a few realities…

• Why a Frenchie? They are great companions, cuddlers and entertainers. They are NOT good exercise/running partners, guard dogs, and do not tolerate heat.

• I want one NOW! Frenchies are a slightly more unusual breed and you may wait, a long time if you have your heart set on a certain age/color/sex. Be prepared to be patient. Personally, I would be suspicious if a breeder had puppies available all the time and in any color. I BEG of you, be patient and buy from a good breeder, someone who cares about the BREED.

• I want to pick mine! With a breed like Frenchies, litter sizes are small and the breeder you are working with will probably call/email and tell you a puppy is available. With Frenchies the personality should always be loving, warm and fun. The differences between the puppies personalities, in my experience, is relatively little. Now within that, there are bolder puppies or ones that need to be with other dogs or even some that are a bit shy. As a breeder, I spend a lot of time determining the personality of each puppy and the person she should live with.

• I saw a Frenchie from Russia/the Ukraine/Poland in the paper, what about them? Of course, we cannot lump all dogs from one country together under one umbrella of shame, but the USA has been flooded with poor quality puppies from other countries and it is a very disturbing situation. As a rule, these puppies are shipped over here at a VERY young age, sorted out to the various “brokers” throughout the country and sold. They are marketed as “more healthy, natural, free breeders, papers available,” all kinds of sales oriented phrases. These poor little dogs are NOT the same Frenchies that we have here in the USA. Our American Frenchies are usually MUCH softer and sweeter in temperament, smaller in size and as a rule easier to live with. Rescue has been flooded with Russian Frenchies – almost always due to aggression and temperament issues. These unfortunate dogs are also often sold through pet stores (another deplorable situation) by commission greedy sales people. This situation is very, very upsetting to most of us breeders that have the best interest of the French Bulldog at heart.

The ONLY way to stop puppy brokers and importers, puppy mills and pet stores from selling dogs is to NOT BUY FROM THEM – it seems so simple and it is!

• What can I expect to pay? Pet Frenchie puppies will probably range in price from $2500 or so on up and that can be WAY UP – depending on sex, color, availability, part of the country, etc. If you find a puppy markedly less expensive than this, I would wonder why! I cannot tell you how many times I have had people tell me they have a “million dollar” Frenchie due to a bargain they found in the paper.

• What about newspaper and Internet classifieds ads? I would advise you look for a few “red flags.” Does the breeder have several breeds of dogs available? Does the breeder have all colors/ages/sexes available? Does the breeder just flat seem too commercial? Does the breeder seem interested in the BREED as a whole? Do they show or are dogs shown at AKC shows? If for any reason the situation seems funny RUN AWAY!!!! You will not be helping the puppy by buying it to “get it out of there” you will just be perpetuating the problem.

These are just a few tips, but in today’s information saturated world, there is no excuse for saying, “I didn’t know!” Take the time to find out and most importantly, BE PATIENT!!!

• I want a Frenchie from a GOOD breeder, tell me what to do! Call/email/contact breeders that have either been referred to you or that you like the looks of their dogs and/or their philosophy. Please, do NOT send a one line email. “How much are your puppies?” is NOT going to get a positive response from most breeders! Tell the breeder about yourself, your home, your situation (kids, other pets, etc.) and ask a few well thought out questions. If you do not hear from them within a coupe of days, please try again. Establish a rapport with that breeder and then ask to be put on their waiting list. I also try to refer potential puppy buyers to other breeders if I do not have any puppies. Keep in touch with the breeder and if you are working with more than one breeder, give them all the courtesy of an e-mail if and when you DO find a puppy. This is a very simplistic nutshell bit of advice on how to find a breeder, but I will stress that YOU should take the initiative on keeping in touch with the breeder.

by Kathy Dannel Vitcak