Walking around the village, I feel as though I’m seeing more and more people with dogs, which is fantastic; dogs are wonderful things and ownership surged during the pandemic as people stuck indoors for months on end found themselves in desperate need of company.

One breed in particular seems to be an increasingly common choice for new dog owners, the French bulldog. These small, cheery looking animals have quickly increased in popularity in recent years with some studies putting them as Britain’s second favourite breed, just behind Labradors who are the long- standing champions. However, the opinions held by vets on this particular breed aren’t often so gracious, so I invited Ashleigh Howells, a vet friend of mine, to help me look into why that might be.

French bulldogs or ‘Frenchies’ have rapidly become one of the most popular breeds in the UK, but while breeding for their specific brachycephalic (short snorted) characteristics, Frenchies have rapidly developed susceptibility to a number of medical conditions that have made them frequent guests of vet clinics. The breeding of their shorter snouts has led to breathing issues, and the development of a condition called BOAS (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome) which causes them to be exercise intolerant, have issues breathing when their mouths are shut, and makes them susceptible to heat stroke. This condition can cost thousands to treat. They are also well known in vet clinics for developing allergies, which causes very itchy skin often in response to food such as chicken, or environmental allergens such as grass.

Ashleigh and I interviewed Jade Craig, who has two French bulldogs, to find out what owner perception is like within the breed. Both of her dogs suffered from allergies, and struggled to cope well with heat. She was very knowledgeable about the issues that Frenchies are predisposed to and took preventative measures to help avoid unnecessary vet trips for the two of them. She didn’t walk them in the peak of the day in summer, had them both on certain diets, and had just ordered little booties for one of them to help with his grass allergy. It was clear she had a good knowledge of the breed before getting her dogs which was encouraging; however, she did confess that she had not originally set out to get Frenchies and would avoid getting other brachycephalic (brachy) breeds in the future, precisely because of their potential health problems.

It is, however, easy to see why they have become so popular. Being small dogs, and having a childlike temperament, they are a breed that you might call ‘forever puppies’. While opinions on their looks can vary, many consider them to be very cute and on the whole their personalities are usually very agreeable too. Unfortunately, this can lead to over pampering from owners. A common misconception is that they, and similar breeds such as pugs, need very little exercise. This, incidentally, made them very popular during the pandemic. It’s certainly true that small dogs need less than big ones, but this perception combined with their breathing issues which, as mentioned, can quickly become exacerbated by exercise and heat, often leads to weight gain which only heightens these difficulties further.

At this point it is important that I stress that we are not complaining if you have a Frenchie, or any other brachy breed (e.g. Pug, British bulldog, Shi Tzu, etc.). We simply ask that breeders act more responsibly, and owners do more research on whatever breed they are looking to buy. Breeders are required to be licensed however this is rarely enforced, and Frenchies in particular are incredibly over-bred so as a potential buyer it’s important to do your due diligence and check that all of your animals come from responsible breeders. Find out if the breed you want is susceptible to any underlying health conditions. Also check how often they should be fed and how much they should be exercised. For example, Frenchies should only need two feeds per day, one in the morning and another at night. They should also get roughly an hour of exercise per day, perhaps again split into two walks to avoid breathing difficulties.

Again, we should stress that you are more than welcome to own whatever breed you like but some animals require more work than others and knowing what you’re getting can help prepare you for the potential cost of each dog.

Elliot Wilkes & Ashleigh Howells