But don't take my word for it. This is what frenchbulldogz.org has to say about the breed:
"The vast majority of French Bulldogs can neither breed, conceive or whelp naturally..."
Right. And they cannot breathe too well either.
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** Does the Breed Standard Require a Rape Rack?
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I don't know if it's just one local breeder or if it's a growing trend but I've seen quite a few french x pugs in the local dog parks lately. Amazingly, they always seem to have enough of a nose to breath and are much more athletic and active than either of their parent breeds.
ReplyDeleteAll the ones I've seen are tan and black and have drop ears so they look, at first glance, like a beefy pug with a functioning body but personality wise I'd say they have a bigger dose of the french bulldog.
Don't know if they still have whelping problems but I can assure you they wouldn't have any trouble breeding. At first I thought they were some kind of "victorian pug" , like the "victorian bulldog" but I asked a few owners and they all said they were just a simple first generation cross.
Hopefuly that's the future for these breeds. Combine the gene pools and breed for something that has a good shot at a healthy active life. And I must admit, I really hate the look of both pugs and frenchies but I think the crosses are rather elegant, in a compact sort of way.
Well, I admit it was a rather sweeping generalization, but there surely are an awful lot of Frenchies with some pretty serious health problems.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I have free whelping Frenchies who do agility and live to their mid teens, so it's not all a lost cause. The key is to not breed for extremes.
If the vast majority of dogs within a breed cannot breed, conceive, or whelp naturally, that breed is a 100% failure in my book and in God's.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the dog that is produced through artificial veterinary intervention does not die, and can do agility does not change that equation.
Reproduction is basic to life. If your breed needs a vet to reproduce, then the breeders in your breed are "doing it wrong."
And in the case of the Frenchie, the vast majority of breeders ARE doing it wrong. They are positively selecting for defect --- dogs with heads too big and hips that are too narrow. They are rejecting healthy-looking dogs to embrace defect.
What has allowed this nonsense to go on for so long are owners who think there is "no problem" simply because their dog has not dropped dead on their lap. They have decided that is the standard. But God's standard is a bit different -- it is an abiliyt to procreate. And by that standard, Frenchies are a FAIL.
A cross-bred dog, of course, is the answer. But a cross-bred dog is not a Frenchie, is it?
P.
The French Bulldogs with problems are produced by puppymillers and backyard breeders breeding for profit, not health. French Bulldogs are not the only breed needing c-sections on this planet - HUMANS need c-sections too, not to mention all the birth defects humans have and pass on for generations, humans are very undesirable too, should we wipe ourselves out. Not to mention humans are the nastiest, crueliest creatures on the face of this planet as we kill and mutulate our own for mere thrills and destroy our own planet.
ReplyDeleteIf you do not want to deal with a problem in a breed, then don't buy it, you don't buy, there'd be no need for supply and you should never breed it, especially if you don't know how to correct a problem.
I have a French Bulldog and the only time I go to the vet is for his shots, he runs with boxers, jumps and does a lot of stuff regular mutts do...people love this clownish breed no matter how short the livespan is, their love and personality bring a lifetime of happiness and fond memories. Every creature on this planet has something wrong with it, yet we go on. Not every Frenchie needs assistance either when breeding, some do it all on their own and there are free whelpers out there. Judgment is being passed on all, when only a select few should be targeted, many breeders are researching and breeding healthier dogs so it is unfair to throw them in the mix. Personally, there are more serious problems in the world than worrying about a breed of dog that so many love no matter what they look like.
Shadowheart, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIf you did a little bit of research, you would know that puppy mills are NOT the source of all these cesarians -- they can't afford to pay $1,000 a litter and make a profit.
As for your logic train, it's the one that has left us with dozens of breeds of dogs that cannot walk, breathe or whelp, and who are owned by people do not care if the animals suffer and die prematurely.
You are a good example of your type.
P.
I don't think the French Bulldog is exclusively a problem dog - unless of course you want to keep breeding it to breed standards and extremities.
ReplyDeleteI am totally against breed standards and how show breeders put themselves on a pedestal of the only people who are concerned about the health of a dog. What a crock that is.
I am the owner of 2 French Bulldogs. Our stock originally came from Spain where they are a very popular breed - but they are slightly larger than normal when you buy from outside the show ring breeders. Our female was one of a litter of 10 self-whelped pups who 's mother went on to have two further large litters all self whelped.
When I look at diagrams of breed standards in this breed, I see no mention of health. All I see is a list of appearance characteristics without consideration of health. And with the large Gentleman's club that is show breeding, these characteristics are becoming more exaggerated every year to please the latest "trends" of the top judges!
Our French Bulldogs are for pets, they both bred and littered naturally. I don't care if they are a little longer than the breed standard - I am not out to parade them around a ring, inbreed them and then cast off breeding bitches to the nearest care home when they are spent!
Certain French Bulldog breeders are being castigated for introducing new colours into the breed - that these are not breed standard colours and are defects. The show breeders try to say that these dogs were removed from the gene pool by them because they were unhealthy. As stated elsewhere in this blog, this reduces the gene pool even further leading to more health problems. The real truth is that they just didn't fit into the strict APPEARANCE criteria laid out by the kennel clubs. I believe a little new blood in this breed will do it no harm at all.
I have never been a dog owner until I got my first French Bulldog at age 48. They are a superb dog with one of the most endearing personalities and affection you could ever ask for. I would never own another breed of dog apart from a Frenchie.
They have proven to be superb as a companion dog and are now being put to good use for these characteristics inside old people's homes etc.
They are never going to win a marathon, but as companion dogs, there is no need for them to do so. But what really gets on my goat is how show breeders present this holier than though attitude that they are the only ones breeding healthy dogs, because they breed their dogs to the breed standard.
I think this is the second biggest lie sold to mankind after "your cheque is in the post!".
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