He’s on patrol! It’s Treat Watch Dog!
Learn about the breed
Order this easy-to-read booklet about French Bulldogs and the best way to find one for only $5, and that includes shipping!
The Austin French Bulldog Meetup
Ribbons from the show circuit in Florida, January 2007.
Our pups will be coming home to an icy, cold drink of water thanks to the ice storm which hit most of Texas this week.
Why would you take a puppy or dog and stick them in a box?
That is the first reaction to anyone not familiar with crate training and the benefits gained from crate training a dog.
So, why would you?
To a dog, the crate appeals his/her instinctive need for a den, a safe place. They like the security it offers.
The crate is a safe place to keep a puppy or dog. It’s safe for them and your household. They aren’t chewing on furniture, electrical cords, your IRS return, your best shoes… You don’t come home and throw a dog-confusing fit because a bored dog has damaged your possessions. (Why would it confuse a dog? They are glad to see you, you are mad about something they did hours ago. Now they think you are angry to see them. Very confusing.)
It accelerates housebreaking. (And Frenchie owners knows, any acceleration is a good thing!) The puppy learns to not eliminate in his/her “den”. It might take a few days, and you have to match the number of hours between breaks to how old they are. The basic ratio is the number of months they are, that’s how long they can go between breaks. 6 months = 6 hours. But you should still give them as many potty-breaks as you can. And no, if you dog is 120 months old, you can’t let them go 120 hours without a break!
Crate training is endorsed by the Humane Society and respected dog trainers. Follow the links below for more information or check your favorite bookseller for in-depth guidance.
The Humane Society on crate training
Bark Bytes Cyber Magazine on crate training
For those who are interested in how our guys are doing, a page has been created with their ongoing show placement. Check the page “Show Scorecard” for the latest show results.
Two dogs at second place, their first time in the ring, at a French Bulldog Specialty!
Cocoa won Second in Open class. Monty won Second in the 6–9 Month Puppy class. We don’t know what Vivian would have done. There was a paperwork mix-up.
The Speciality show was January 4, hosted by the French Bulldog Fanciers of Mid-Florida. The Premium List had a total of 66 dogs entered.
Still waiting for the official results to be posted, but we are tickled at how well our guys did at their first dog show.
Does your Frenchie snort? Wheeze? Grumble? Chances are, he or she does along with making lots of other interesting noises. It never ceases to amaze, as soon as you think you know what this breed sounds like, you meet a new dog and they have yet another unique noise to add.
Around our house, it’s a constant symphony of snorts, snuffles, grumbles, and one very soothing purr. We have our little “uh huh” dog. When he’s tired, it truly sounds like he’s agreeing with you. “Are you ready to go to bed?” “Uh huh,” he hums. He’s also our “ha ha” dog. When he’s bouncing around the yard playing, he makes a happy “ha ha” sound, as if he’s laughing at his own joke.
Can’t leave out Percolator Girl. When she’s happy she makes a little snort like the gasp of a coffee maker at the end of a brew cycle.
Another girl has a deep, commanding “Scratch my tummy now!” rumble-grumble.
One boy shows his interest in things with a rollercoaster scale of snorts and whooffles. And when he’s happily sleeping on your lap, he sounds like a slow, sawing log.
Then there is the mysterious, quiet, high-pitched Squeaker. At first you’re not sure you are hearing something, then it registers. And of course you have to figure out where the sound is coming from and give him a hug.
Then we have the inhuman-baby Noisemaker. When he’s unhappy and wants his way, he’ll set up a whine that is unearthly and LOUD! Have you heard about the Frenchie Death Yodel? He could very well be a Master Yodeler. (Interestingly, he’s also our purring dog.)
Most any dog owner will tell you their dog communicates to them. But it just seems as if a Frenchie’s vocabulary is more expansive than other breeds and the “conversation” a bit livelier. There are so many little noises and snuffles a Frenchie uses to express a wide range of emotions and to communicate. And if snorts and sounds are the vocabulary, the ears are the punctuation, and their expressive eyes carry the dialogue. Learning their vocabulary is an ongoing process and can take a few years to become proficient. And of course, each new dog has his or her own voice, which adds to the fun.
Next time you pet or meet a Frenchie, listen a little harder. You might hear them “talking” to you, too.
It’d be interesting to hear what unique sounds your Frenchie makes (front end only!). Add your comment below, or just drop us a line.
Cruised through a Muttropolis last week in Tucson, Arizona. This San Diego based chi-chi pet boutique chain has lots of goodies for the the fashion conscious pooch, feline, and their owners.
We are particularly impressed with the liberal use of Frenchie models for their products.
Found a big, vinyl duck toy, which Montaigne loves to carry around by the beak. It’s probably for the Retriever set, but that never stopped a Frenchie. Also succumbed to a buttery, leather harness and leash set for him, which fortunately, was on sale.
The sales clerk demo’ed a new product: sheen for your pooch. It’s a pearlized, sparkly spray that you apply to your pet’s fur, or you, to add sparkle for the holiday. However, it has a rather strong, artificial vanilla smell, and only comes in vanilla. It’s not listed on their web site, but if you call one of the shops and describe it, they could probably ship it out to you.
The sales clerk said there has been talk of a Muttropolis coming to the Austin, Texas area. We’ll have to keep an eye out for any notices.
Our dogs are SO smart, we’ve sent them to an Ivy League school … in a test tube! 
What they actually did is dontate samples of DNA to a Cryptorchidism research study at Cornell University in New York. What is this? It’s when a male puppy’s testicle or both testicles don’t descend from the abdomen.
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/cryptorchidism
This is a very common issue in French Bulldogs and an EXTREMELY common issue in English Bulldogs. (The British have actually altered the British Bulldog standard to allow showing dogs with only one testicle in conformation events.) The purpose of the research study is to find genetic markers or mutations causing this disorder. Then dogs who carry this gene can be identified, and breeders can alter their breeding program so two carriers aren’t paired or the carrier dog might be removed from the line.
Cryptorchidism doesn’t effect the quality of life for the pup, as long as he is neutered and the vet removes the undescended testicle. The true danger is leaving the testicle in place and running the risk of it becoming cancerous later. If a breeder has a puppy who is a cryptorchid, the puppy is usually is slated as a pet. In US conformation events, a missing testicle is a disqualification. However, being altered or neutered does not prevent a dog from participating in Obedience, Agility, or other non-conformation events. It does NOT keep the pup from growing up to be a wonderful pet.
This study is not limited to Frenchies. Any canine breed is eligible. Providing the DNA of a parent pair, the affected offspring, and any normal male siblings, is the best sample set for the study. This is only one of the ongoing studies.
For more on this study, please visit:
Baker Institute, Cornell University
Democracy in action. The title of the blog has now changed from “Good Blog!” to “Good Bloggie!”
Thanks to all those who participated.
