How Long Do French Bulldogs Live? Understanding your pup’s health and lifespan
Frenchies are a fantastic addition to any household and are one of the most sought-after breeds when it comes to adopting pets. Their squished faces and adorable little bodies make them a cute little companion for endless fun activities and shenanigans around the house! But how long do French bulldogs live?
The average lifespan of a French bulldog can be between 9-14 years, based on different sources. The exact factors behind the French bulldog average lifespan depend on its genetics, breeding history, the standard of care taken, and nutrition throughout the dog’s life.
Adopting or getting the wrong breed can be a burden for you and your pet as well. In that case, this article will help you understand the different stages of a French bulldog lifespan and how you can improve your French bulldog life expectancy.
Factors that affect French bulldog average lifespan
We’ve compiled a list of different factors that affect the average Frenchie life span. Some are more external, while others directly influence how long your Frenchie will live.
Proper breeding
The Frenchie’s parents significantly influence how long do French bulldogs live. Make sure that you choose a popular and well-known breeder when choosing your future pup’s parents!
Remember to check a breeder’s references, and you won’t have any trouble raising a Frenchie that is naturally healthier and stronger than its counterparts!
Good breeders will always show you their breeding dog’s health test results, but eye and hip tests are two of the most common health tests for Frenchies.
These tests should always be conducted on breeding stock. These tests identify whether any illnesses can be passed on to the offspring by testing genetic effects on the breeding animal.
There are other equally important factors to examine when evaluating whether two dogs should be mated together. These can be temperament, genetic diversity, conformation, other available health test findings, and overall health.
Choosing the right veterinarian
Getting the right medical advice and care for your dog can directly affect how long do French bulldogs live. Frenchies can fall victim to several diseases and sicknesses, and sometimes only the professional help of a vet can help them pull through!
Ensure that you routinely get your Frenchie checked (once every three months), and the nutritional diets and vitamins that your vet recommends are of utmost importance!
Choosing the right diet
Choosing the proper diet will improve your dog’s overall health and will improve how long do Frenchies live. While many pet owners might stick to a processed dog food diet for its convenience, it is actually harmful to your dog’s health in the long run.
Most processed dog foods actually contain high amounts of cereals, like corn, soy, wheat, etc. These are mostly filler and will ruin your dog’s health. An easy method to check whether your dog food has these is by letting it soak in a water bowl. If the food bloats up, it’s not good for your pup!
A better alternative would be to introduce a Raw Food diet into your dog’s menu since the benefits are much higher than the costs! One of these well-known Raw Food diets is the BARF diet.
BARF stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food and can be prepared with various ingredients found in your home. The recommended guidelines for a BARF diet has around 1/3rd parts muscle meat, with raw bone, vegetable, organs, seeds, and a small amount of fruit.
The meat and bone contribute to the dog getting its required amounts of proteins, acids, calcium. The raw bone will also help maintain the pup’s oral health by exercising its jaws and teeth.
Foods to avoid!
While a diverse diet is essential, there are some things that you absolutely cannot feed to your Frenchie! The reason being is that they are toxic and can easily cause more harm than help to your Frenchie.
Chocolate, macadamia nuts, and avocadoes should not be fed to your dog. All three are highly poisonous to your dog and can result in significant health problems such as renal failure, diarrhea, and vomiting.
You should not give cooked bones to your dog. This is because cooked bones can readily splinter, causing constipation or stomach ripping. However, your dog can eat raw bones that haven’t been cooked.
Avoid giving your dog any alcohol or artificial sweeteners since they can cause serious problems such as diarrhea, hypoglycemia, nervous system damage, and other issues.
Regular exercise
Exercise can do wonders for your dog’s health! Keeping your dog fit will also help maintain their muscle tone and keep them lean as possible!
For these dogs, 60 minutes of daily activity is sufficient. However, Frenchies can have serious respiratory difficulties because of their brachycephalic features.
Therefore, short, low-intensity walks are recommended.
You may do this by taking several shorter walks each day with plenty of rest. Remember that playing with your dog counts as exercise. Factor this in when calculating how much they’ve done in a day.
Frenchie pups don’t require a lot of structured exercises and do well enough with walks. They should be limited to roughly 5 minutes for each month of their age when it comes to walks. A six-month-old French Bulldog, for example, requires only 30 minutes of total daily walks.
However, make sure that you don’t overexert them, and even a small walk on a hot day can get your Frenchie exhausted. If you see any signs of your Frenchie having trouble breathing or overexerting themselves, stop and take a break.
In some extreme cases, it would be better to pick them and carry them home the rest of the way.
Invest in some dog toys and a space for your Frenchie
A great way to increase how long do French bulldogs live is to keep them mentally trained and active.
Like many other dogs, French Bulldogs benefit significantly from mental and physical stimulation, so make sure they receive plenty of it throughout the day. If they grow bored, it might be disastrous for your furnishings. Therefore, it’s in your best interests to keep them occupied.
Putting your dog in a kennel or box for twelve hours or more while you’re at work is extremely bad for their mental health. Frenchies are naturally inquisitive creatures who require a large amount of space to run about in. Leaving your dog in a kennel while you’re gone might really shorten its longevity.
Most dog experts advise that you give your new puppy its own room. Fill the space with all your Frenchie’s favorite toys and a comfortable dog bed, and enough water to last the whole day.
Favorite toys can include different things like mats, interactive toys, stuffed toys, chew toys, squeaky toys, and who can forget getting a rubber ball to throw around with a beloved Frenchie!
Puppy proofing your house
Making your house safe for your puppy as well as preventing any damage that can be caused is a win-win!
Try looking from a puppy’s point of view, and remove anything at a low height that it can chew on and any tight spaces it might get into.
Block stairs with plastic gates and get doggie stairs for any place that it might jump off and hurt itself.
As your pup grows, fencing your yard will become more critical. Make sure there are no minor holes or weak points where your dog may escape.
Keep dangerous plants out of your yard, and make sure your yard is free of mushrooms, which may be lethal.
Pools should be fenced off, and your dog should know how to access and exit the pool securely while it is open.
Use dangerous pesticides and fertilizers sparingly, and always opt for organic and pet-safe cleaners.
Keep garbage and garage supplies out of your dog’s reach. Always have plenty of water and shade available.
Stages of the Frenchie lifespan
Now that we’ve talked in great detail about the different factors that can influence a Frenchie’s lifespan, let’s get you familiar with a Frenchie’s development and growth process so you can better understand their needs.
0-6 weeks old
The initial or the natal period is the most important part of a Frenchie’s life. Puppies should be kept in a clean environment and should never be separated from their moms. Allow them no access to the outside world and continue to feed the mother’s milk until they are weaned.
Because this is your Frenchie’s first stage of development, you’ll notice that they’ll open their eyes, make noises, and be able to separate from their moms by the time they’re four weeks old. They should not be separated from their moms for lengthy periods of time.
As they grow, you may start adding food to your Frenchie’s diet while it is still feeding on its mother’s milk. While some dog owners choose to give their canines raw meat, others prefer kibble. It is critical that you introduce a dog food that is nutritionally adequate and different from human food.
Frenchies are picky eaters and will start feeling the adverse effects of snacking on human foods. Getting them accustomed to human food at an early age is terrible since they might reject dog foods.
6 – 10 weeks
Your Frenchie will begin to play with the rest of the litter at this period of development, and their senses will alter dramatically. While they should start experiencing outdoor life, you must ensure that they are in a safe area. You can immunize your dog at this age.
The puppies will be able to consume solid food at this point, and you should feed them a high-quality, nutritious diet three times a day.
Because you’re attempting to wean them off their mother’s milk, the food you feed them must be abundant in nutrients.
From the age of eight weeks onwards, your puppy should be eating 1.5 cups of food per day by the time they’re eight weeks old, divided into three meals throughout the day. You may also correctly give them raw meat and begin a BARF diet for them, which we mentioned above.
Ten weeks and onwards
Around the ten-week point, you may begin introducing adult dog food into your French bulldog’s diet, as their teeth will have become strong enough to handle more challenging foods. However, wait till they’re approximately 8-12 months old if you still don’t believe they’re ready.
By now, you should have a good idea of how much to feed a French bulldog puppy as it develops.
Puppy training and disciplining
Puppy training and disciplining are especially important in ensuring that they stay well-behaved and don’t meddle in anything that might harm them.
You’ll need to exercise your Frenchie around the time they are ten weeks old since they’ll start to gain weight. It’s also a good idea to socialize them with other animals and humans so they feel comfortable playing with others. Itwould be best to give your puppy as many new and enjoyable experiences as possible as they grow.
It would help if you exposed your dog to loud or unexpected noises to help it cope with strange situations. Also, please bring it to places where children are present, such as marketplaces, or put it in your car for a ride.
Although it may take some time and effort, French bulldogs are incredibly intelligent. Therefore, the advantages of investing time and effort with them will be well worth it.
How long do French bulldogs live Final thoughts
Hopefully, by now, you understand how long do Frenchies live. Along with this, how to make sure that their lifespan is increased as much as possible. It is a combination of a good diet, healthy parents, regular checkups, and lots of time and love!
We can wonder how old do French bulldogs live. One source mentions that the oldest French bulldog in the world is around 14 and a half years old! So, we say, what’s stopping your dog from breaking the record and becoming the next oldest Frenchie in the world!
