Ashlan Frenchies

Choosing a French Bulldog breeder is the most important step to take before you buy a French Bulldog puppy. A good breeder will be your mentor, resource guide, veterinary referral source and shoulder to cry on when the puppy has eaten your new shoes. Learn how to choose a French Bulldog breeder before you buy your new puppy.

There are many different ways to find a French Bulldog breeder, but the following tips will help you to make sure you’ve done your research and screened the breeders you speak with.

• Meet the breeder in person. A good breeder should want to meet with you as much as you want to meet with them. Sometimes this initial meeting might be at a show or another event, but when it comes to picking up your puppy, you WANT to visit your breeder’s house, in person. Be suspicious of breeders who refuse to let you visit, who insist on dropping the puppy off in a parking lot or other similar place, or who won’t let you see where the dogs live.
• Meet your puppy’s dam (mom). A breeder who refuses to let you meet the dam might not be a breeder at all – be careful of “puppy brokers”, people who import puppies from Europe to re-sell at a marked up price. This shady practice often results in sickly puppies, or adults with serious temperament issues.
• Notice I said ‘mom’ – there’s a good chance your pup’s sire (or father) might not live with the dam (mother) of your puppy. A good breeder uses the best dog – not the closest dog.
• Healthy puppies start with tested parents! Ask the breeder about health tests they perform – in French Bulldogs, this commonly includes hips, patellas, spines and eyes. Some breeders now do DNA tests for Juvenile Cataracts, a disease that can lead to early onset blindness.
• Showing or competing in a sport with their dogs shows that this is a breeder who care for more than just producing puppies. A “show dog” is not just a fancier kind of dog – it’s a sign that the breeder you are considering has invested time and money into making sure his or her puppies come from parents who are a good example of the breed.
• Answer as many questions as you ask! A good breeder of French Bulldogs is going to want to know a LOT about you – where you live, how many pets you have, even how many hours per day you work! This is because they want to make sure that they have the BEST possible homes for their puppies.
• Ask about club affiliations – a good French Bulldog breeder will generally belong to at least one or more French Bulldog specific clubs, and perhaps a few all breed clubs, as well. Be cautious, though – registering a litter with the AKC (American Kennel Club) or CKC (Canadian Kennel Club) is not the same thing as being a club member.
• Cheaper is not always better. Breeding French Bulldogs well is an expensive and time consuming ‘hobby’. Health testing, quality veterinary care, showing expenses, small litter sizes and stud service fees can all add up. If you find a ‘bargain’ puppy, be careful to find out what corners have been cut.

Many potential Frenchie buyers find it difficult to get good information on breeders.

There is a long list of “Don’ts” for anyone who wants to buy a Frenchie. DON’T buy one from:

• a pet shop
• a dog auction
• a classified ad in the newspaper
• someone selling them out of the back of a pickup truck at a flea market
• from a website whose only criterion for selling you one is whether you have ready cash
• from someone advertising “Rare Colors” (‘rare’ also meaning ‘expensive’) or 'mini'
• from an on line link that lets you pay by paypal or credit card

• learn how to recognize a sound, healthy puppy of good conformation and temperament
• seek out a reputable breeder
• be prepared for as intensive a grilling as if you were trying to adopt a baby
• insist on getting AKC registration papers (not some foreign or other “registry”)
• get a copy of the pedigree, and ask to see the puppy’s parents if possible
• avoid websites that advertise “rare” colors, or “foreign” bloodlines