Before You Bring Your New Puppy Home

First, let us congratulate you on the decision to make the addition to your family of an adorable, loving French Bulldog companion. While this is an exciting time for you, we hope you will keep in mind that it can be a rather frightening time of adjustment for your new puppy. He will be leaving the security of his dam and littermates, and all else familiar for the first time, and experiencing a multitude of new sights, sounds, and smells. For these reasons, we recommend that you pick up your puppy on a quiet weekend, when you will have plenty of time to help him adjust to his new surroundings and he can be the center of your attentions.

There are numerous items which you should have on hand before bringing a new French Bulldog companion into your home. The most important of these are the "CRATE"(click to read about crate training). Your puppies crate is his place of security: a safe enclosure when home alone or at those times when you can not provide supervision, a den in which to eat and sleep, and the safest place for him to ride when traveling.

Pet insurance is very affordable!  Click HERE for our special offer! 

If you are planning to purchase a new French Bulldog companion in the near future, please feel free to visit the the links below to purchase everything you need for your new puppy.  Just click on the links!  Be sure to check back, we will be adding new items and announcing sale and discount items often!

  Puppy Proof your home before your new Frenchie gets there! Make sure harmful substances are kept well away from inquisitive little noses. All cleaning products, paint thinners, household chemicals, antifreeze etc. Secure electrical cords so they cannot be chewed.  Puppy should not be allowed to roam freely in the house unsupervised.  Puppies should be kept in an Ex-Pen or Crate when supervision is not possible.

 Puppies should only be given puppy toys to play with or chew. Never real bones, never shoes (they don't know the difference between new & old shoes), never cow or pig ears (can choke on them) and hooves only when supervised.  French Bull dogs have very wide mouths and can swallow objects easily.  Do not give them anything that gets soft and they can swallow or things they can tear up easily and swallow.

 Whenever your puppy starts to chew an inappropriate object, take it away and give him an "approved toy". This way he will learn what is his and what isn't.

The following is a list of items you should acquire prior to bringing a new Frenchie companion into your home.  Get everything your shopping for and save when you buy online with Petco!

Crate & Ex-Pen  Vari-Kennel, plastic airline type crates are light weight and easy to clean. The more open, epoxy coated wire crates with a removable tray; are great for home use however, metal crates are rather heavy for travel use. Airline type crates also provide the dog more privacy and  more of a den-like environment.  Whichever you choose,  the intermediate size, 32"l x 22"h x 23"w, for daily use; the medium size, 27"l x 20"h x 19"w is a nice size for traveling with your frenchie, fitting conveniently into the back seat of the average car.

Leash - A slip lead is adequate for young puppies, and will help prevent a frightened pup from "backing out of his collar" and escaping. Snap leads are best for attaching to the collar of your more mature Frenchie. We prefer the nylon leashes, which can be purchased in a variety of colors to match the adjustable dog collars. Chain leashes are not recommended as they are very hard on the hands and not really any stronger than a good leather or nylon lead.

Collar - The newer nylon adjustable collars that "grow" with the puppy are great.  The 12" to 18" size is a good fit for the typical frenchie throughout his lifetime. Collars may also be purchased that have the dog's or your name and phone number directly printed on them.

ID Tag - These tags can be obtained pre-engraved with the dog's ID and your contact information. Those that attach directly to the collar and lie flat, rather than dangling from an "S" hook, might be preferred (Anything that dangles is at risk for becoming snagged and could result in a choking incident).

Don't Forget To Microchip Your Puppy ! -  One of the most important forms of identification for your new Frenchie is a microchip identification.  On your first visit to the Vet, have one inserted and don't forget to send in the information to the microchip company. If you move or change your telephone number, be sure to keep information current!

Food and Water Bowls - Stainless steel works well, and is light weight for ease of cleaning and travel. We find the 1 qt. size works nicely for Frenchies. Ceramic bowls are wonderful for home use, especially for water, but too heavy for travel convenience. Plastic bowls have been known to result in "snow nose" for some reason, the reaction between the plastic and the food causing de-pigmentation.

Dry Kibble (dog food) - Any high quality, human grade dry kibble is acceptable for the family companion Frenchie. Just remember to make any changes in diet gradually to avoid digestive upsets, and feed a puppy/growth formula until your Frenchie reaches maturity or follow what is recommended by your breeder. Avoid Generic brands as they are usually not nutritionally complete. 

Safe "Chew" Items - Nylabone, gumabone and nylafloss products are excellent, safe outlets for your puppy's need to chew, and cow hooves in moderation. Heavy knotted or pressed bully-stick chews will also keep your Frenchie entertained for hours; however, rawhide products must be used with caution, as some dogs will try to swallow large pieces and could choke or experience digestive problems. The best rule to follow is to never leave "chew" items alone with your puppy, only under direct supervision.  Once a chew toy becomes to small or gets sharp edges, THROW it away!  Better safe then sorry.

Hand Glove, Zoom Groom or Soft Brush - For regular grooming for our short coated Frenchies.

Nail Clippers - Toe nails need to be clipped every one to two weeks, depending on the individual and how much they naturally wear them down during daily activity. Available in either a pliers or guillotine style. Make sure the blade remains sharp, and discard or change blades when dull, as a dull blade will pinch the nail and not cut as cleanly..

Dremel - a great tool for grinding the nails used by many breeders.

Pet Nail Grooming Kit	Dremel Multi Pro Cordless Tool Kit

Kwik-stop Styptic Powder - Used to control bleeding , should you accidentally cut the "quick" when trimming nails.

Bag Balm or Vaseline - use on nose regularly to keep nose soft.

Dog Shampoo/Conditioner - Any tearless puppy shampoo is  good  to start with. And the "dry", no rinse shampoos for quick cleanups are also good. Most Frenchies will not require a bath that often unless they roll in something objectionable or roll and play in dirt.  Good idea to keep baby wipes on hand for quick clean up.

BIO-GROOM SHAMPOO 12 OZ PROTEIN LANOLIN	Conditioner 16 Ounces Refurbish

Bitter Apple - discourages chewing of inappropriate items.

Bitter Apple 16 Ounces Pump

Steel or Nylon Slip Collars - For show dogs in the ring or for obedience training. A fine chain, 18" size, fits most adult Frenchies well. Please, please, never leave a choke/slip collar on your dog when not in use.

Flexi-leash - (retractable lead) This is a nice luxury item for exercising your Frenchie in wide open areas. Dogs love them, but flexi's must be used responsibly, as they do not provide a high level of control. Always keep the dog on a short lead in crowded areas.

Flexi Compact 1 Red For Dogs to 33 lbs	Flexi Control Lead Comfort 2 Blue

Tooth Brush/Tooth Paste - Brush your puppies teeth regularly.  Prevention goes a long way in preventing dental problems in the future and your Frenchie will always have nice smelling breath!

Petrodex Enzymatic Toothpaste with Free Toothbrush	Booda Velvets Sampler 5 Pack 4.5 Inch	Dental Kong Medium with Rope

Ear Wash -

Pet Gold Ear Cleaner	Petkin Jumbo Ear Wipes

Bed - Try to avoid beds with foam bottoms or sides as your Frenchie can and many will tare out the foam and it could get lodged in their throats.  Find a well made, durable, washable bed that will last for many years ahead.

Toys - Don't forget the toys!  Every Frenchie needs his own toy box filled with a variety of toys and chewers to enjoy.  Here are a some of our favorites.

You can purchase all of your Frenchie products online!  Here are a few great web sites we recommend.

Recommended Books - We highly recommend the following books as excellent reading and reference material relating to selecting, caring for, training, and living with your ideal Frenchie companion.

Click link to purchase.  FRENCH BULLDOG, A COMPLETE & RELIABLE HANDBOOK A MUST have for any French Bulldog Owner!!!

Click link for more info or to purchase AKC FRENCH BULLDOG VIDEO Discussion of the breed standard: good structure and movement, acceptable colors, correct head, size. Developed for breeders, exhibitors and judges.

Click link for more info or to purchase SURVIVING YOUR DOG'S ADOLESCENCE Carol Lea Benjamin - We highly recommend this title! Carol presents a positive, "basic manners" training program, and also a thorough guide to dealing with every imaginable type of problem behavior. This book should be on the shelf of every dog owner.

Learn how to love your dogs without spoiling them and provide boundaries without intimidation.

Click link for more info or to purchase BEFORE & AFTER GETTING YOUR PUPPY Outlines everything you need to know to select the right puppy, as well as all the crucial lessons a puppy must be taught during its impressionable early development.

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