Questions To Ask A French Bulldog Breeder

Can you guess how many questions I asked Yoda’s breeder when we went to meet Yoda for the first time? The same number of questions I asked Luna’s breeder when we went to see her for the first time. NONE. I asked ZERO questions. Okay, maybe I asked some questions but I feel like they were very general and obvious dog related questions.

Lemme tell ya, when you go to see Frenchie puppies for the first time your brain might actually explode. You’re going to be delightfully overwhelmed by all of the tiny-baby-squishy-face-wiggle-butts from the litter you are picking from that you will not be able to think straight. Or maybe that was just me?

As you’ll hopefully learn from me: Frenchies are known for a wide range of health issues and for a wide range of reasons. National Geographic featured a great article about Frenchie breeding and what caused the influx of irresponsible French Bulldog breeders. As you probably already know (and if you don’t then let me make you aware) Frenchies are NOT cheap. If you find a really low cost Frenchie I would definitely question why the cost is so low. I live in Michigan and when we were looking for our Frenchie’s we found price ranges from $750 all the way up to $8,500. The normal range for our area was around $2,500 per puppy. So that must tell you that a breeder can make a pretty decent income off of these puppies. I don’t want to dismiss the fact that it’s also expensive to breed Frenchies as most of the time puppies are delivered by c-section.

In 2013 the French Bulldog was the AKC’s 11th most popular breed and in 2017 it jumped to the 4th most popular breed. That’s a pretty big jump for these little guys! This created a demand and when there is a demand sometimes that can create really shady and inappropriate breeding practices. These shady practices have caused disregard when it comes to breeding French Bulldogs with apparent health issues because the supply needs to meet the demand. It’s really sad and it can be really hard to know as a first time (or even second time in my case) Frenchie owner how to spot poor practices.

So when you go to look at the Frenchie of your dreams make sure you are prepared to ask some tough questions! I can’t go into great detail here because there are people in the world that are much more qualified than me to tell you what to look for when it comes to French Bulldog Breeders. However, I do suggest looking up information on “specialty” colors in French Bulldogs and how those are achieved. I know what you’re thinking, “Tiffany …. isn’t Yoda a specialty color?”. Yes, he is what is referred to as Lilac Fawn and I will tell you first hand he does have some health issues. Is this from him being bred to be a specific color? I don’t know but from the research I’ve done I do feel like it could play a part in some of his health issues. With that being said I’ve met and spoken with Frenchie parents who also have specialty color Frenchie’s and they don’t have any issues – so it’s really up to you to find out if there’s any underlying health conditions or sketchy breeding practices going on.

Why are questions important? I would have taken Luna either way but I probably would have had a better idea about her allergies had I asked the breeder for her parents health records. It’s also important to know your budget when it comes to how you will care for your Frenchie for their entire life. I follow so many AMAZING Bulldog rescues and what I see most in these rescues are French and English Bulldogs that are 2+ years old that have been abandoned because their owners cannot afford their ongoing healthcare and general maintenance.

My vet  also recently let me know that  when they looked at individual client revenue in 2019 that we were their top spender (YIKES!). Not because we have four dogs that need care but solely because of Luna’s allergies. Most of our expenses have come from trying to figure out and treat her allergies. So when I suggest taking questions it’s because I don’t want you to be blindsided by the expense of caring for a Frenchie that needs extra care. I love having a sweet little baby that needs me everyday but everyday really means e-v-e-r-y-d-a-y.

So here is a list of questions I would suggest asking. I know this can’t be ALL of the appropriate questions so if you have a suggestion on additional good questions please drop them in the comments below. 

1. Ask if you can speak over the phone or message to one or two former customers.
   • Most breeders should have a reference list. Utilizing social media can also make it easy to try and contact someone that has used to breeder you’re looking into fairly easy as well.
2. Can you meet the parents and how old are they?
   • Many articles I’ve read suggest that Frenchie Bulldogs should not be bred until they’re at least 2-3 years old.
   • You can also get a feel for the parents temperament. We were only able to meet the mother but both Yoda’s and Luna’s mom had very silly personalities! Luna’s mom was also bossy which DEFINITELY shines through in Luna.
3. How many litters do you raise each year?
   • This answer can really shine a light as to whether or not your chosen breeder is breeding responsibly.
4. Where do the puppies lived, how have they been handled, and how have they been socialized?
   • If a puppy is raised alone in a basement it will obviously be equipped with different social skills than a puppy that’s raised in a common with constant interaction.
5. Which puppy was the runt of the litter?
   • Luna was the runt and we have no idea because there was only one other puppy left from the litter and she was also small. We purchased her because we wanted a larger female and her mother was a healthy 28 pounds. Had I asked if Luna was the runt I would have known she would stay on the smaller side. Which is totally fine because I love having my tiny sweet little girl!
6. Ask about health related issues of the parents, if any puppies in the litter had issues, and a copy of health clearance.
   • I can’t cover all of the issues you should look into but here’s a short list of suggestions: Do either parents have allergies (food and environmental), history of deafness, hip/joint, soft palate, or respiratory issues, ask about a history of internal disc disease, and cherry eye.
7. If looking into speciality colors ask about the breeding practices followed to achieve the color. Also, don’t hesitate to ask how they are breeding to improve this specific breed of dog.
8. General things to understand and go over include: understanding the contract, ask for a list of shot records, you can ask what food the puppy has been on, and fully understand what happens if the puppy has health issues that the breeder is liable for.
   • We took Yoda to the vet within three days of bringing him home from the breeder. We found out he had Giardia and because we thoroughly looked over our contract we were able to contact the breeder and they actually paid for his treatment.

I know this might seem extensive but I want to make sure you go home with a healthy puppy and that going forward we try to support responsible breeding practices. Frenchies deserve to be bred in good health and not for supply/demand. 

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