The Bouledogue Français, native to France, is a famous small dog for families. It first showed up in Paris about the middle of the nineteenth century and was likely created by the breeding of English Toy Bulldogs with native Parisian ratters. This little, sturdy dog has a calm, sociable demeanor. The American Kennel Club ranks the breed as the number two most popular dog in the United Kingdom in 2020 and the number four most popular dog in the United States in 2020, attesting to the breed’s widespread appeal as a family companion.
It was the third most popular dog in Australia in 2017. In 2019, 33,661 French Bulldogs were registered in the United Kingdom, with 375 of them having export pedigrees. More than 36,700 Labrador Retrievers were owned, with Cocker Spaniels coming in at around 22,000 in last place. With over 36,700 dogs, while the Cocker Spaniel ranked last with around 22,000.
Contents
History
Since bull-baiting and other blood sports were banned in England in 1835, these “Bulldogs” are now out of work. These canines typically weighed between 16 and 25 pounds (7.3 and 11.3 kg), while smaller-sized dog breeds also had their own weight categories at dog exhibitions (5.4 kg). Concurrently, displaced lace workers from Nottingham, England, found refuge in Normandy, France. The group packed a menagerie of canine companions, including Toy Bulldogs. As the breed gained popularity in France, breeders in England began shipping over dogs they deemed too small or flawed, such as those with erect ears, for sale in France. Due to their increasing popularity in France and the efforts of dog importers, England had very few Toy Bulldogs remaining by 1860.
The French designation for the little Bulldog type is the Bouledogue Francais, and the idea that this as a breed has only recently emerged. This French version of the English name is a portmanteau of the words boule (ball) and dogue (mastiff). Artistic types like writers, musicians, and fashion designers wanted the dogs as much as the society ladies and Parisian prostitutes did. French Bulldogs are commonly associated with works by artists Edgar Degas and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Sadly, as the breed became increasingly distinct from its Bulldog ancestry, no records were recorded of its evolution. Long, straight ears, for example, are an acquired characteristic that came about as a result of crossing with a terrier.
The rise of breed clubs and the present day’s emphasis on recognition
Historically, bulldogs enjoyed widespread acclaim across Western Europe. The English Bulldog is an ancestor of this breed. In 1885, French Bulldogs were introduced to the United States to begin a breeding program. Prior to that, Americans had imported the dogs for other purposes. Society women initially started showing them off at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 1896. The following year, they returned with even more submissions, and the outcome of the breed’s judgment would have lasting effects. George Raper, the dog show judge in question, only awarded prizes to dogs whose ears conformed to the Bulldog standard and folded at the tips.
The ladies got together and wrote the first breed standard for French Bull Dogs, establishing the “erect bat ear” as the ideal. Dogs of this breed sold for as much as $3,000 when owned by prominent people like the Rockefellers and J. P. Morgans in the early 20th century. Almost immediately after the breed club was established, the French Bulldog was recognized by the American Kennel Club, and by 1906.
The French Bulldog jumped from being the 54th most popular breed in the United States in 2003 to the 10th most popular breed in 2013, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC). They were the ninth most common AKC-registered dog breed in the United States in 2014, and by 2017 they had risen up to the fourth spot. In 1893, when the new Bulldog breed first arrived in England, it caused a furor among local breeders since the French imports did not conform to the stricter breed requirements that had been established by then.
At first, the Kennel Club didn’t consider them to be a separate breed but rather a subgroup of the existing Bulldog breed. To revive the Toy Bulldog breed, some English breeders around this time crossed French Bulldogs with other bulldogs. 58 On 10 July 1902, a group of people gathered at the home of Frederick W. Cousens to establish a breed club and advance the cause of the French breed. 7 The same breed standard used in the US, France, Germany, and Austria was adopted. Fifty-nine petitioned the Kennel Club to separate the breed from the English Bulldog in 1905, but the club ultimately decided to change its stance.
Conclusion
The French Bulldog has a single, short coat and a damaged respiratory system, making it difficult for them to maintain a comfortable body temperature. This implies the dog is susceptible to heat stroke in hot, humid conditions and may suffer from hypothermia when the temperature drops. Itchy skin caused by allergies is a common problem for French Bulldogs. French Bulldogs, being a brachycephalic breed, are not allowed on commercial flights owing to the high number of fatalities that have occurred in this situation. This is because snub-nosed dogs struggle to take in oxygen when the weather is hot, and they are under a lot of pressure. When sitting at the airport, an airplane’s cargo hold may reach temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). The French Bulldog Health Scheme in the UK was established in October 2010. The first tier of the plan, Bronze, indicates a thorough examination by a veterinarian of all the breed-specific issues highlighted by the Kennel Club’s Breed Watch program. To advance to Silver status, candidates must pass a basic cardiology exam, a patella grading, and a DNA test for hereditary cataracts. A hip score and a spine examination are needed to get the Gold level, the highest possible.
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