• What are some common health problems associated with this breed?

Please view our "HEALTH PROBLEMS" page for comprehensive information about the breed.

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• What is brachycephalic syndrome?

The French Bulldog’s famous flat face has some drawbacks and carries a number of health implications. some of which are quite serious, sometimes deadly.  Others can negatively impact a dog’s quality of life. Frenchie owners should know about and be alert to these possibilities. Please view our "HEALTH PROBLEMS" page for more detailed information.

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• What kind of temperament and personality does the French Bulldog have?

Please view our "ABOUT THE BREED" page for comprehensive information about the breed.

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• How do you socialize your French Bulldog puppies?

We take great pride in the methods we use to raise and socialize our puppies before they leave. Well-socialized dogs live much more relaxed, peaceful and happy lives than dogs who are constantly stressed out by their environment. In addition, well-socialized dogs make much better pets! Please read "THE VANGUARD WAY OF RAISING AND SOCIALIZING PUPPIES" for detailed methods on how your bulldog puppy is brought up prior to leaving.

 

• Should I get a male or female French bulldog?

Another consideration is whether a male or female would be right for your family dynamic.  A good breeder will know the personality of each puppy by the time they are 4-6 weeks old and be able to advise new owners which puppy will suit them best. On a general basis there are differences in the personalities of each sex in this breed and the difference is the opposite of other breeds. So don't be surprised when a breeder asks you why you want a male or female-she is only trying to educate you and make sure you get the kind of desired behavior you are expecting from that sex. Females are the boss in this breed. In general, the girls are more active and more entertaining in my opinion. They tend to have more energy than the males and tend to suit homes with a more active lifestyle. Females make wonderful playmates in households with children who have lots of energy to play. The females are my favorite because they have so much personality.  Males although intelligent are mellow and have less energy. They tend to be more obedient making them easier to potty train early (opposite of other breeds). They prefer to lie on the couch and watch the action that goes on around them vs. engaging in it. Another consideration is if you already have a dog and it is an alpha dog, a new pet of the opposite sex is generally best to induct into your canine family. Two dogs of the same sex can co exist nicely provided they both are not alpha.

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• How much do your French Bulldogs cost?

 

The following prices are for limited AKC registration:

- Standard colors (Pet Quality): $3,000 to $4,000

- Chocolates (Pet Quality): $3,000 to $4,000.00

- Blues and Lilacs (Pet Quality): $4,000 to $5,500
 

Full breeding rights may be available for an additional fee, on a case-by-case basis. Please call or email to inquire.

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• Why do French bulldogs cost so much?

Health Testing: Dogs and bitches are screened for their eyes, heart, spine, patellas, and hips before mating.

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Artificial Insemination: The majority of French bulldogs that fit the breed standard will require artificial insemination to reproduce. Since the dogs are not able to tell us when the time is right to be bred, costly progesterone tests must be done at a vet's office throughout the female's heat cycle to pinpoint the time of ovulation for insemination. Costs of 5 Progesterone tests and artificial insemination at a vet approximately $650.

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Ultrasounds/X-rays: Then you wait four weeks for an ultrasound, which can cost from $85-$150 depending on the vet fee. This is important to confirm pregnancy. Once pregnancy is confirmed, the bitch is fed special diets and constantly monitored for the next five weeks.

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Cesarean Section: Because the heads are big, the puppies cannot fit through the birth canal and require a cesarean delivery by a DVM. This costs approximately $1500 and up depending on after hours delivery and the vet's fee schedule. It is very stressful when a female delivers naturally. They always need assistance from humans during the labor as they have short, flat faces and cannot tear the sacks by themselves; puppies can also get stuck in the birth canal, endangering both the mother and the rest of her unborn puppies.

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Small Litter Size: The average size litter consists of 3 pups with mortality rate of 30%. It is also not uncommon for one of the pups to have died in vitro and absorbed by the mother, born with cleft and be put down, or die shortly after birth with no determined cause.

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Stud Fees: Since we plan our breedings with very specific goals in mind, we need to find the best possible stud to compliment our bitch to ensure healthy puppies that adhere to the breed standard. Some stud owners charge extremely high stud fees, but at Vanguard Frenchies, we do not cut corners and we are willing to pay these fees in order to better the French bulldog breed. This is due to the fact that we breed for ourselves and the future of our program first, and not just to make a profit. Quality is not cheap. 

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Whelping supplies: A whelping box can cost around $300-$800 depending on the size. Puppy incubators can cost $1500 and up. Besides all that, there are the associated costs of getting the nursery ready with towels, bottles, heating pads, blankets (lots of them; it will be messy), medical supplies, milk replacement formula, puppy weight scale, and the list goes on and on.

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Puppy Vet Visits: The pups are usually checked 3-4 times by the vet during the 8 weeks including deworming and shots.

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Time Invested: Some females will not have anything to do with the puppies, some are inexperienced in the matter, and thus countless hours are spent raising the puppies. We must constantly monitor the puppies 24 hours a day for the first 3-4 weeks so the mother doesn’t accidentally lay on one of her pups without even realizing it.

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If your first question is the price, then maybe this is not the breed you should be looking into. Breeding high quality dogs it is NOT CHEAP! This makes French bulldog litters difficult and expensive for breeders as tere is a great deal of time, research, effort and expense involved in raising a bulldog litter. It can cost upwards of $10,000 to breed, deliver and raise a litter without consideration for the time invested. The whole process is very costly and stressful.

 

Bargain priced Frenchie puppies are bred from large, long-backed, small headed, long-nosed French Bulldogs imported from Western Europe who can breed naturally because of their longer backs and larger size. Puppy mills prefer them like this because the small headed pups they produce can free whelp without need of a costly cesarean making them more profit. The main problem with these French Bulldogs is they have more of a terrier temperament than quality French Bulldogs. These larger puppy mill French bulldogs bark more, need more exercise, and can have an aggressive personality which is the opposite of what folks wanting a French Bulldog are looking for. Besides breeding naturally, these larger Frenchies tend to produce larger litters because the dogs are larger. MOST IMPORTANTLY, the major draw back besides no health testing, is that they do NOT look or have the same temperaments as Frenchies from quality breeders who breed for health and conformation.

Breeding French Bulldogs is not a money-making endeavor. Many people that offer to sell you their puppy are barely breaking even (unless they are a puppy mill). Even with sky-high puppy prices and waiting lists, I do not know any French Bulldog breeders driving Porsches these days. But, we're not complaining because we love what we do.

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• Do you accept payment plans?

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At the moment, we do not offer payment plans or financing. However, we are in the process of working with a lender to provide affordable payment plans for our customers.

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