8 Reasons to Never Buy a French Bulldog
If you’re considering buying a dog, you’ll likely see various promotions encouraging you to compare breeds for character traits you desire to suit your circumstances – but dogs are thinking, feeling individuals, not products to shop for. Breeding them for convenience and trivial human whims is cruel and terrible for their health. You’ll pay through the nose if you buy a French bulldog, but dogs pay with their lives.
Here are eight reasons to never buy a French bulldog:
1. Buying a Frenchie Supports ‘Torture Breeding’
French bulldogs are bred to cruel breed standards that cause them, at best, discomfort and, at worst, severe health problems throughout their lives. They are a brachycephalic – or breathing-impaired – breed (BIB), like pugs, English bulldogs, cane corsos, and other dogs who have deliberately been bred to have a flat face because humans like the way it looks. This squashed aesthetic leads to shortened airways that make it difficult for the dog to breathe, hindering their ability to run and play – the things that make dogs’ lives enjoyable. The breeding of dogs for vanity at the expense of their health is often called “torture breeding”, and it’s so cruel that some breeds are banned or restricted in countries like Austria, the Netherlands, and Norway, and certain municipalities in the US, with many other governments under pressure to follow suit.
2. French Bulldogs Have Loads of Health Issues …
French bulldogs are prone to suffering from a range of serious health issues. A study that compared the breed to other dogs found that French bulldogs had an increased risk of contracting 20 health conditions. They’re at risk of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, which can be fatal, and intervertebral disc disease, which can leave them unable to walk. Ear discharge and skin fold dermatitis are common complaints. The authors concluded that the health of French bulldogs “is very different, and largely much poorer” than that of other dogs because of the extreme body shape that defines the breed.
PDSA
Among French bulldogs’ many health issues is difficulty giving birth. Bred to have large heads and narrow hips, they have to deliver by caesarean section, which means female dogs exploited by the breeding industry undergo repeated invasive surgery when forced to produce litter after litter for profit.
Guardians of brachycephalic dog breeds have been found to deceive themselves about the state of their dog’s health. A 2019 study found that among guardians of dogs who experienced high levels of disease at a young age, the majority perceived their dogs to be in the “best health possible” or “very good health” and above average for the breed. The authors concluded that guardians’ overestimation of their dog’s health and deflection of the breed’s issues onto other dogs was “driven by cognitive dissonance” or “deeper psychological conflict”, whereby they’re aware of the health problems but find it “psychologically uncomfortable” to accept them in their dog.
3. Which Lead to Sky-High Veterinary Costs
French bulldogs are one of the most expensive breeds to buy, and the shelling out doesn’t end there. Due to their health issues, you’ll likely face high vet bills throughout their life. Some issues may require lifetime management or surgery, which is especially risky for French bulldogs because their weak health means they’re more likely to die under anaesthesia.
For the same reason, it’s expensive to insure French bulldogs – premiums come in at roughly twice the average cost of insuring a dog.
According to the PDSA, only 29% of people looking to acquire a dog look into the cost of guardianship before bringing one home. Accordingly, 60% underestimate the minimum monthly cost.
The expense of caring for a French bulldog is likely why the RSPCA reported a 7,000% increase in abandonments of this breed between 2020 and 2023 in England and Wales – the sharpest increase in abandonment of any breed of dog.
4. And a Premature Death
Given all their health concerns, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that French bulldogs typically have a shorter lifespan than other breeds. All brachycephalic dogs are up to 40% more likely to die younger than other dogs, but the situation is even worse for French bulldogs, who, on average, won’t make it to 10 years old.
5. French Bulldogs Have Onerous Grooming Needs
French bulldogs and other flat-faced breeds must be diligently cared for to keep their skin healthy and avoid rank body odour, which is a common complaint among Frenchie guardians. Skin fold dermatitis is common in BIBs because their wrinkled folding skin and likelihood of being overweight create pockets for yeast and bacteria to grow and cause infections. Skin folds must be cleaned and dried frequently to prevent painful skin conditions, and some dogs may require vet-prescribed treatments for their whole life.
6. They’re Prone to Allergies
Even if you succeed in caring for their skin folds, French bulldogs are susceptible to allergies, which also cause painful skin conditions. Allergies are most often present when the dog is between 1 and 3 years old. Determining what they are allergic to (there may be more than one thing) can be a time-consuming and expensive process, and the dog may require treatment for the rest of their life.
7. French Bulldogs Struggle to Enjoy Exercise and Enrichment
All dogs need regular exercise, but walks can be challenging for French bulldogs because they struggle to breathe. It can be impossible for them to run and play with other dogs or bond with their guardians over a game of fetch. Hot weather can be deadly – because dogs release body heat primarily through panting, BIBs are at least twice as likely as other dogs to suffer from heatstroke. Furthermore, their inability to exercise properly predisposes them to obesity and diabetes.
In addition to being deprived of the fun and games other dogs enjoy, a study found that French bulldogs’ facial deformities may also hamper their ability to smell. Not only is smell a vital sense that dogs rely on to navigate the world, but sniffing is also essential to a dog’s well-being. It calms them, activates their brain, and releases mood-boosting dopamine. These dogs are robbed of so much that matters to them.
8. Buying a Dog Contributes to the Homeless-Animal Crisis
Breeding French bulldogs is especially cruel, but there’s no excuse for bringing any more puppies into a world with more homeless dogs than there are good homes to care for them. Every time someone buys a dog from a breeder, one in a shelter loses their chance of finding a loving home.
Dogs are living, feeling individuals, and as over 100,000 of them are homeless in the UK, it’s plain irresponsible to continue to churn out puppies for profit. Please, never buy a dog. If you have the resources, time, and patience to commit to providing a dog with all the care they need for their entire life, adopt; don’t shop. And be sure to spay or neuter your animal companion to avoid contributing to the overpopulation crisis.
Take Action for Dogs
The Kennel Club’s dog show, Crufts, is a celebration of everything that’s wrong with the dog-breeding industry. The club’s breed standards, used to judge dogs at Crufts, list the distorted physical features that define the various “pedigree” breeds. These standards are responsible for the flat faces, elongated spines, wrinkled skin, and other features that dogs wouldn’t naturally have – they’re achieved by inbreeding and the encouragement of genetic deformity – and which lead to debilitating health issues.
In 2024, Crufts continued to put vanity ahead of dogs’ best interests by awarding a French bulldog with “no discernible nostrils” Best in Breed. The BBC stopped airing Crufts in 2008 due to the suffering of pedigree dogs, but Channel 4 continues to broadcast this grotesque parade. Please send a message urging Channel 4 to stop airing the show:
