Breed clubs and modern recognition
Bulldogs were very popular in the past, especially in Western Europe. One of its ancestors was the english bulldog,Americans had been importing French Bulldogs for a while, but it was not until 1885 when they were brought over in order to set up an American-based breeding program. They were mostly owned by society ladies, who first displayed them at Westminster kennel club show in 1896. They arrived again in the following year with even more entries, where the judging of the breed would go on to have future ramifications. The judge in question at the dog show, George Raper, only chose winners with "rose ears"—ears that folded at the tip, as with the standard for Bulldogs. The ladies formed the French Bull Dog Club of America and created the breed standard which stated for the first time that the "erect bat ear" was the correct type.
In the early 20th century, the breed remained in vogue for high society, with dogs changing hands for up to $3,000 and being owned by members of influential families such as the rockefellers and the J.P Morgan . The AKC recognized the breed quickly after the breed club was formed, and by 1906 the French Bulldog was the fifth most popular dog breed in America. In 2013, the American Kennel Club (AKC) ranked the French Bulldog as the 10th most popular breed in the United States, enjoying a sharp rise in popularity from 54th place a decade before, in 2003. By 2014, they had moved up to become the ninth most popular AKC registered dog breed in the US and by the 2017 they were the fourth most popular.
This new Bulldog breed arrived for the first time in England in 1893, with English Bulldog breeders in an uproar as the French imports did not meet the new breed standards in place by this time, and they wanted to prevent the English stock from crossbreeding with the French. The kennel club initially recognized them as a subset of the existing Bulldog breed rather than an entirely new breed. Some English breeders in this period bred the French Bulldogs in order to resurrect the Toy Bulldog. On 10 July 1902, at the house of Frederick W. Cousens, a meeting was held to set up a breed club in order to seek individual recognition for the French breed. The adopted breed standard was the same one which was already in use in America, France, Germany and Austria. Despite opposition from Miniature Bulldog (the new breed name for the Toy Bulldog) and Bulldog breeders,in 1905, the Kennel Club changed its policy on the breed and recognized them separate from the English variety, initially as the Bouledogue Francais, then later in 1912 with the name changed to the French Bulldog.
It is commonly kept as a pet: in 2020 it was the second-most registered dog in the United Kingdom,and the fourth-most in the United States. They were rated the third-most popular dog in Australia in 2017. In 2019, in the United Kingdom, the French Bulldog had 375 export pedigrees and a total of 33,661 registered dogs. By comparison, the labra retriever had over 36,700 dogs and the cocker spaniel has fewer than 22,000.
According to the American Kennel Club, the French Bulldog has overtaken the Labrador as the most popular breed of dog. Before 2023, Labradors had held the top spot for 31 years.
From the beginning of the nineteenth century bulld were bred in the United Kingdom for purposes other than traditional blood sports such as bull-baiting, which were banned in 1835. By the middle of the century there were miniature bulldogs, often weighing some 7–11 kg (15–24 lb), though some weighed considerably less.
At the same time, lace workers from Nottingham who were displaced by the Industrial Revolution began to settle in Notmandy , France. They brought a variety of dogs with them, including Toy Bulldogs. The dogs became popular in France and a trade in imported small Bulldogs was created, with breeders in England sending over Bulldogs that they considered to be too small, or with faults such as ears that stood up. By 1860, there were few Toy Bulldogs left in England, such was their popularity in France, and due to the exploits of specialist dog exporters.
The small Bulldog type gradually became thought of as a breed, and received a name, the Bouledogue Francais. This Francization of the English name is also a contraction of the words boule ('ball') and dogue ('mastiff'). The dogs were highly fashionable and were sought after by society ladies and Parisian prostitutes alike, as well as creatives such as artists, writers, and fashion designers. The artists edgar degas and Henri de Toulouse-Laurence are thought to have French Bulldogs in their paintings. However, records were not kept of the breed's development as it diverged further away from its original Bulldog roots. As it changed, terrier stock had been brought in to develop traits such as the breed's long straight ears.
The American Kennel Club standard for the French Bulldog states that it should be muscular, with a soft and loose coat forming wrinkles.
The AKC Standard weight for a French Bulldog is at maximum 28 pounds (13 kg). The head of a French bulldog should be square shaped and large, with ears that resemble bat ears. French bulldogs are a flat-faced breed. Eyes that are AKC Standard approved for French Bulldogs are dark, almost to the point of being black; blue eyed French bulldogs are not AKC approved. The coat of a French bulldog should be short haired and fine and silky. Acceptable colors under the breed standard are the various shades of brindle, fawn, cream or white with brindle patches (known as "pied"). The fawn colors can be any light through red.The most common colors are brindle, then fawn, with pieds being less common than the other colors.
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Temperament
The French Bulldog, like many other companion breeds, requires close contact with humans.
French Bulldogs are often kept as companions. The breed is patient and affectionate with their owners, and can live with other breeds. French Bulldogs are agreeable dogs, and are human-oriented, and this makes them easier to train, though they do have tendencies to be stubborn.
They are ranked 58th in stanley coren's The intelligence of Dogs. There are certain exceptions to this average level of canine intelligence; a French Bulldog named Princess Jacqueline which died in 1934 was claimed to be able to speak 20 words, in appropriate situations.
Our beautiful iron grey pied boy Rudi finished in the top 25 fastest frenchies in the nation this year as well as the fastest frenchie in the state of Montana for fast cat! What is fast cat you ask it's a 100 yard dash rudi runs a smoking 22 mph.
