Everything You Need To Know About Frug/Frenchie Pug (French Bulldog Pug Mix)
The name Frug seems funny, right? Wait till you see how funny and lively a personality you can get with the French Bulldog Pug mix or Frenchie Pug!
As a designer breed, these small-sized dogs adopt an appearance that’s a combination of their Pug and French Bulldog parents’ features. Their personality can lean towards either end as well. In general, they are vivacious little buddies you will be glad to have met.
These energetic little floofs desire a lot of attention and are, therefore, ideal for owners who stay at home most of the time.
Are you looking for a fun little companion? You’ve come to the right place! Read ahead to learn more about the Pug and French Bulldog mix breed.
French Bulldog Pug Mix Origin
Unlike a lot of designer breeds, the French Bulldog and Pug mix breed is not very new. It has been around for some while and was known as Bouledogue Francais back in the 18th century in England. However, over the years, the French name evolved into the Frenchie Pug and Frug that we know today.
An interesting fact about The Frenchie Pug is its royal roots. The Pug’s ancestry can be traced back to 200 A.D. when they were brought up to be the ideal companions for members of high-class families. In fact, Pugs were the preferred breed in the Chinese royal family.
The Frug’s French Bulldog ancestry is interesting as well. The French Bulldog was popularized in France during the Industrial Revolution to be the companion dog for upper-middle-class families.
The first Frenchie Pug can be traced back to the 1750s when the craze with designer breeds was only beginning in England.
The breed is recognized as Frenchie Pug by the DDKC (Designer Dogs Kennel Club), ACHS (Auglaize County Humane Society), and DBR (Designer Breed Registry). The IDCR (International Designer Canine Registry) recognizes the breed as Frug.
What Does The Frenchie Pug Look Like?
A Frenchie Pug is a small breed, just like both his parent breeds.
A general male French Bulldog Pug mix dog weighs about 15-23 lbs, while a female will weigh only 2-3 lbs lower. Both male and female Frenchie Pugs can attain a height of 10-12 inches and can be characterized by a stocky body similar to both parents.
As a designer breed, it is hard to tell which dog will adapt to which parents’ characteristics. Nevertheless, there are a few physical traits that are generally common in most Frenchie Pugs.
The first thing to note is that most of these dogs adopt their Pug parent’s face and their French Bulldog parent’s body. The rest is explained in the sections below.
Coat
The best thing about owning a Frenchie Bulldog is that they do not shed a lot. The biggest reason for this is that they have a smooth and short fine coat that you can even run your fingers through. Even the coat density is only sparse to normal, allowing your buddies’ skin to get some breathers from time to time.
Frenchie Pugs’ coats come in various colors ranging from black, white, cream, and fawn to brindle. Their coats generally have the same markings as both the parent breeds.
Eyes and Nose
Frenchie Pugs generally have round and beaded eyes like their Pug parents. Even though both their parents can have a variety of eye colors, the Frenchie Pug is only blessed with brown eyes. Much like Pugs, Frenchie Pugs’ eyes can also be protruding.
Frenchie Pugs also have a squished noses and muzzle like the Pugs in black color.
Ears
One of the cutest things about the Frenchie Pugs is their bat-like ears that get pointy on the ends. They stick out like their French Bulldog parents.
Frenchie Pug Temperament
French Bulldog Pug mix dogs have very amiable, full, and exciting personalities. They are very lively, affectionate, skunky, funny, and emotionally needy at the same time. They love to be as close to their humans as possible and do not do well with separation anxiety.
Apart from being good at living in closed apartments, they are also good at living with families.
In general, Frenchie Pugs are generally calm around other people and animals as well. They are natural entertainers. So, if you have younger kids in the family, they will always have someone to play with.
Much like their Pug parent, Frenchie Pugs are almost always curious about what is happening around them. Therefore, you will often see them smelling something, digging, or snooping around.
Most Frenchie Pugs get along with strangers really well. This is one of the reasons why we do not suggest them as guard dogs to anyone. However, if they are properly socialized as pups, they will be able to recognize who should be protected against who.
It is also important to note the Frugs can be slightly obstinate when it comes to obedience training.
They’re Unlike the Other Designer Breeds
The best thing about Frenchie Pugs is that they do not vary too much in temperament like most other designer breeds.
As they adopt characteristics from two different breeds, many designer breeds have unpredictable temperaments, especially first-generation ones. This is because nobody knows which parent the offspring will take after.
Whether it is because of the fact that Frenchie Pugs have been around for a long time or because of how their parents in general are, Frenchie Pugs do not have a very unpredictable temperament.
Much like most pure breeds, they can be predictable according to their breed, and you can almost tell how a Frug will respond to a specific situation.
The best thing about the Frenchie Pugs is that they will always work on their inherent personality, which is energetic, loving, curious, and playful.
Frenchie Pug Intelligence, Trainability, And Exercise Requirements
The Frenchie Pugs are not the smartest of dogs out there. Therefore, they can be a little difficult to train. However, their enthusiasm and willingness to bond and work together make up for their lack of intelligence.
These adorable dogs are always looking for ways to please their owners, which is also an impressive and helpful characteristic to have while training a dog.
Training a Frenchie Pug
As long as you are patient and consistent with your training, your Frenchie Pug will thrive and learn whatever challenge you extend their way.
Giving obedience training to your Frenchie Pug might take some practice and hard work. They can get a little stubborn if you do not establish yourself as the master and take control.
It is crucial to allow your Frenchie Pug to socialize early so that they can be trained to be exceptional watchdogs. Early socialization allows your Frenchie Pug to be aware of its surroundings. It helps them distinguish the good from the bad so that they can protect you, your house, and your family at all times.
Since Frenchie Pugs can be a little slow at picking up signals, teaching the tricks might now be the easiest thing to do. However, with enough positive reinforcement and patience, your Frenchie Pug can learn just about any trick you want them to.
Exercise Requirements
Much like both the parent breeds, Frugs are full of energy. But due to their small size, they do not require a lot of exercise to function. Although the puppies are always ready to play, their bodies cannot sustain too much activity.
You should make sure that you provide your Frug with at least 30-45 minutes of walking each day. This helps avoid obesity and the problems that arise from it.
Frenchie Pugs can do well with only 15 minutes of intense activity each day, which is enough to tire them out. Any more than that could be too much for their small bodies to take.
Overall, they are pretty active dogs that are also ideal lap companions. Frugs are perfect for apartment living.
What Does A Frenchie Pug Eat?
Frenchie Pugs are small, and there is not much that they can eat in the first place. They are also very unassuming, and their diet is a pure reflection of that.
Unlike their Pug parents, Frenchie Pugs are not big eaters and do not demand extra food each time they’re done with their meal. They can be done with something as simple as one cup of kibble twice each day.
Having a protein-rich diet is an absolute must for the Frenchie Pugs, and their food should also be high in carbohydrates. Much like any other dog breed, they function the best with some animal protein, such as meat and eggs.
You do not have to worry about specific dietary restrictions with the Frenchie Pug as long as you give them the best quality dog food. However, you should ensure that the food you give to your floof does not have a lot of fillers. Frugs already have some pre-disposed health issues, so it’s better to avoid them.
It is very important to make sure that your Frenchie Pug is not overeating because obesity is a big problem with these dogs. Make sure that you choose food that is ideal for low-energy breeds since you wouldn’t want to make them accumulate the energy they cannot dispense.
Frenchie Pug Health Concerns
Most breeds are crossed to form a breed that can overcome the physical and health shortcoming of parent breeds. However, that is not the case with the Frenchie Pug. The primary reason for this could be the fact that neither the Pug nor the French Bulldog is an inherently healthy breed. They suffer from or are prone to some chronic diseases.
Both the parent breeds are known for having ailments like breathing and heart issues. Unfortunately, instead of overcoming them, the Frug has inherited these issues as well.
One of the lesser serious problems that French Pugs might have is obesity, patellar luxation, entropion and ectropion, and dermatitis. However, Frenchie Pugs can also suffer from problems such as pulmonary stenosis, Babesia, Cherry eye, and brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome.
Frenchie Pugs can also suffer from hip dysplasia, glaucoma, cataracts, and lifelong allergic reactions.
As a Frug owner, the responsibility of keeping an eye out for warning signals falls on you. After all, health concerns lead to a poor-quality life, and you surely do not want that for your friends, do you?
Two other things you need to bear in mind while bringing up a Frenchie Pug are that they cannot swim. Direct sunlight exposure is unhealthy for these dogs.
The average life expectancy for Frugs is between 9 and 15 years.
How To Groom A Frenchie Pug?
French Bulldog Pug mix dogs generally have short coats. Hence, they do not require a lot of grooming. All you have to do to take care of their coat is to brush their coat with firm bristles once a week to do away with dead or dying hair.
An important grooming ritual that you need to follow while taking care of your Frenchie Pug, or a Pug in general, is clearing creases. These dogs have folds and creases on their faces, and the underside of them can become home to a lot of grime and dirt, leading to moisture-centric infections.
It would be best if you also cut your Frenchie Pug’s nails whenever you can hear them making a ticking sound on the floor as they walk. You should also clean their ears regularly and make sure there is no excessive ear wax collecting.
A Frenchie Pug would be okay with getting bathed once a month. This frequency is ideal for making sure that their skin’s protective oils are not stripped away and the hair does not get too grimy and heavy either.
To prevent gum disease (which is also not that big an issue with this breed), you can feed your dog dental treats. Some of these treats have a disinfecting agent that will clean and massage their mouth without you having to run behind them with a toothbrush.
French Bulldog Pug Mix Price
Unlike most designed breeds, you do not have to dig a hole in your pocket to adopt French Bulldog Pug mix puppies. The primary reason behind this is that this is not a new hybrid breed and is fairly popular and easily available.
However, depending on how popular the breeder is, they can charge extra for their popularity and quality promise.
You can buy a Frenchie Pug puppy for as cheap as $1000 and as expensive as $2500. However, the average cost for a French Bulldog Pug mix puppy is about $1500.
You should be very careful about the breeding quality of the pup if someone is offering them at under $1000. This price is too low for a breed like the Frug.
While this is the upfront cost of getting a Frug puppy, a full-grown French Bulldog Pug mix dog can cost you a lot. This is mostly because this breed is prone to several health diseases that add up to their total cost.
Summing Up
The Frenchie Pug or Frug comes from royal ancestry, and it shows in their personality. Even though they are very playful and attention-seeking dogs, their demeanor is calm and composed at all times.
Overall, Frenchie Pugs are loving, happy, and sweet dogs that pack a big dog’s energy and affection into a small body. These babies do not need a lot of exercise and are, therefore, ideal for apartment living. However, owing to their health concerns, it is best to keep a close watch on them.
If you like to stay indoors with your pets, getting a Frenchie Pug puppy will be the best decision you will ever make.
