Feeding
Three meals a day until four months, then two. Keep the food we send home for the first two weeks and transition gradually over seven days if you switch.
Puppy Care
What a French Bulldog actually needs day to day — and the handful of breed-specific habits that prevent most of the problems people run into.
The first two weeks
Set up before the puppy arrives, not after
Have the crate assembled, the food bowl down, the harness fitted and a quiet corner set aside before your puppy walks through the door. The first few days should be boring on purpose — no party, no crowd of visitors, no long car trips. A calm arrival makes everything afterwards easier.
Sleep
Puppies sleep 16 to 20 hours a day. Protect that sleep — most "behavior problems" in week one are just an overtired puppy.
Crate training
Your puppy already knows a crate. Keep it in your bedroom for the first nights so they can hear you, and it stays a good place rather than a punishment.
Potty routine
Outside after every wake-up, meal and play session. Praise the moment they finish, not once they're back inside.
Handling
Touch paws, ears and mouth daily from day one. It makes nail trims and vet visits a non-event for the next decade.
Socialization
New sounds, surfaces and vaccinated dogs you know — in private homes and yards, not dog parks, until the vaccine series is complete.
Breed-specific care
The four things that matter most for a Frenchie
1. Heat is the real danger
A flat face makes panting inefficient, and panting is a dog's only real cooling system. Keep the house air conditioned, walk in early morning or evening, carry water, and never leave a French Bulldog in a parked car or a hot yard — not even for a couple of minutes. Heavy panting, brick-red gums, stumbling or thick drooling are an emergency; cool with room-temperature water and get to a vet immediately.
2. Harness, never a collar
A collar puts pressure directly on an airway that already has less room than other breeds. Use a well-fitted Y-front harness for every walk. Keep a collar for ID tags only.
3. Clean the folds weekly
Wipe the nose rope and facial wrinkles with a soft damp cloth, then dry them completely — trapped moisture is what causes the irritation this breed is known for. Check the tail pocket and clean the ears at the same time. Five minutes a week prevents almost every skin issue we get asked about.
4. Keep them lean
Extra weight makes breathing harder and joints worse, and Frenchies are extremely persuasive beggars. You should feel the ribs easily under a thin layer of fat and see a waist from above. If you're unsure, ask your vet to score body condition at every visit.
Questions after go-home day
Call us. Seriously.
Food, sleep, potty training, a weird noise at 2am — we'd much rather answer than have you search the internet at midnight. Our number stays yours for the life of your dog.