Who doesn’t love puppies! We all love them but finding well bred French bulldogs can be a lot more challenging then it looks. When I started searching for my pup I was so excited but very quickly became overwhelmed. Finding a puppy is supposed to be fun but it is also a lot to think about. One major aspect of finding a good breeder is asking them how often they breed. A responsible breeder should not be breeding the same mom more than once or twice (not common in Frenchies) a year. This has a lot to do with the dogs cycle and allowing her body time to recuperate. Dogs also have a period of time where they are in Anestrus. This normally lasts a few months and the dog should not be sexually active. Think of this as a rest time for their bodies. It is not recommend to breed a dog during their first time in heat, so ask the owner how old the dog was when it was bred. Most dogs start going into heat around 6 months of age so that is a good way of indicating if the mom is being bred too young.

Now that we know a little about the breeding process lets talk about what to look for in the pups physical structure. Sometimes it is harder to tell when looking at a puppy if its structure is good or not. If you can see the mom and dad of the puppy that is a great way to see what the puppy’s structure will look like later on. Two of the major things I looked out for were hips and faces. French bulldogs are prone to hip dysplasia. This is a deformity of the hips. I looked at the build of the dog for this. I asked the breeder if the parents had any history of hip problems. Some will even provide veterinary proof. On the face I looked at the eyes to make sure they looked healthy and then the nose. Since French bulldogs have brachycephalic faces (flat, pushed in) they can have breathing problems. Make sure your French bulldog has wide open nostrils.

Finally, watch out for scammers! I never new this would be a problem until I started my search. Some pages will pop up as a ad. Be cautious of these. I would enter the name of the breeding site on another tab and see if the page would come up again. Sometimes when I did this warnings would pop up about the website and that it was a scam. Also be careful getting puppies flown in to you. Always try to see the puppy in person before you buy it not only to check on the health of the puppy but also to make sure it exists and they aren’t scamming you. Now that you know what to look for, have fun! Go out and find your “fur”ever friend.

Leave a comment below with any other suggestions you may have to help others find their new pup!

*Tip-

This is a great potty pad holder if you are training your new puppy to be pad trained. Saylor uses this and it helps her make sure she is all the way on the pad so that she doesn’t miss. It also helps with any leakage and is easy to wipe down which helps with odor! I have had great success with this pad holder . Although she mainly goes outside now it helps a lot at night.