French Bulldog, a small dog breed.

During the industrial revolution and the mechanization of the textile factories of the mid 1800s, many English lace workers, having lost their employment, emigrated to France in hopes of finding jobs and pursuing their trades. They took with them their beloved toy English Bulldogs which weighed less than 25 pounds, and which were popular household pets in those regions. These dogs had the typical, preferred, "rose ear" of the English Bulldog, but when crossed to other breeds, some offspring had erect, bat ears, despised by true English Bulldog fanciers. French woman in particular, however, liked these little bulldogs with the upright ears. By the late 1800s, these little bulldogs had become the rage of the French upper class where they were known as the Bouledogue Français. About this same era, American tourists took a fancy to this little bulldog and brought some to the United States whereupon sensing their popularity, breeders began to breed them seriously. Although controversial, as to which ear type was correct, it was the American fanciers who are credited with fixing the bat ears which has become the trademark of the breed. It took some time before the breed name was Anglicized. A group of admirers consequently formed the French Bulldog Club of America in 1897.

Although a small dog breed, the French Bulldog is built very sturdy, muscular and with big bones - weight not to exceed 28 pounds. They are intelligent, affectionate, sweet-tempered, always wanting to please and wanting to cuddle and snooze with its favorite person. Some of their playful, endearing, entertaining antics are clownish. They are not inclined to bark a lot, and yet, "Frenchies", their affectionate sobriquet, are considered to be excellent watchdogs. They shed a little, but once a week grooming is usually enough. It should be noted that although fun-loving, a Frenchie only needs minimal exercise , a daily outdoors romp is sufficient. It should also be noted that like most bulldog breeds, they tend to snore. A French Bulldog puppy should be well socialized and encouraged to associate and mingle with all of the family members as they do have a tendency to bond to one person. Apartment size living space is sufficient.