Breeding a French Bulldog is a serious business.
In general, breeding a dog is a task that requires a certain level of professionalism, dedication, proper research, strong and extended experience with dogs, and continual perfection in the area of breeding dogs.
Do you have a French Bulldog already, or you are just thinking about breeding this breed?
No matter what your first intention might be, or whether you are a French Bulldog owner already or not, you should know that there is a big difference between being responsible dog breeders and puppy mills.
Even if you are just thinking about one-time breeding you should know that this love should not be taken lightly and that responsibility comes first.
Do you know how many times can you breed a French Bulldog? Do you know how much litter can a French Bulldog have in a year?
Do you know what is the most expensive color French Bulldog? Or how long you should wait between litters?
If you have some information, but you are not sure, keep on reading because we have got you covered. First…
How Many Times Can You Breed A French Bulldog?
Responsibility comes first, which is why responsible French Bulldog breeders will not breed their French Bulldog any more than 3 times in a lifetime.
To put this into another perspective: responsible French Bulldog breeders will only breed every 18 months at a minimum.
Any breeding above this will expose the dog to difficult periods, that might include difficulties with recovery, whether it is physical or mental recovery.
Now, you may ask why French Bulldog breeders choose to breed a dog only three times during a lifetime.
As we have mentioned now, dogs who are bred too often or too frequently have a strong impact mentally and physically, and overbreeding them may cause some disturbance that responsible dog breeders want to avoid.
Below you will find the most common reasons for not overbreeding a French Bulldog:
- Risk of having too many C-sections: this can lead to stress in the dog, strong medical problems, and possible injury to the pups
- Not being able to recover: many dogs may have a difficult time recovering from delivery, as they need a certain time to recover not only from birth but also from the post-pregnancy period
- Getting papers on purebred puppies: responsible dog breeders know that global pedigree associations won’t recognize puppies from frequent glitters
Make sure that before starting breeding you study the breed’s standard and know what AKC requires from breeders – research their breeder’s program and visit a dog event and talk with more experienced dog breeders.
To sum up
- Don’t exceed a maximum of 1 litter every second year
- Don’t breed your French Bulldog more than 3 times in their lifetime
How Old Does A Female French Bulldog Have To Be To Breed?
For breeding to be safe and successful a dog must reach a certain age.
To breed a French Bulldog the dog should be at least of the age of 2 and a half years up to 8 years of age.
By the time they turn 2 years they have gone through several heat cycles and will be ready to breed.
Know that male French Bulldogs don’t become sexually mature until they are around 15 months old.
Male French Bulldogs can produce sperm as young as 6 months, but this doesn’t mean that they are ready to be bred before they turn two years.
Should You Breed A French Bulldog In First Heat?
This is something that responsible dog breeders are seriously against it. They do not recommend that you breed French Bulldogs in their first heat cycle.
French Bulldogs get their first heat at about 6-9 months old and some of them can even experience their first heat cycle at 5 months of age, meaning that your French Bulldog won’t be fully grown at that period.
In dogs, pregnancy takes a lot out of a Frenchie’s health, and a dog should be of a certain size and health, or there might be many complications if the dog is too young or too small.
By the time, Frenchie gets its third heat cycle the dog will be more mature, physically stronger, and more than capable of carrying the puppies.
Breeding French Bulldogs Isn’t Easy
If you already own a French Bulldog you know that caring for this breed isn’t easy.
French Bulldogs come with certain traits that demand high care. Brachycephalic dogs, such as French Bulldogs are face-flatted dogs who often have difficulties breathing in humid and warm weather.
Caring about these dogs requires a certain level of dedication and willingness to provide regular veterinarian check-ups and often additional costs.
These issues are not the reason not to get this breed but are something to think about it.
These dogs are compact, massive people-pleasers, and great companion dogs which makes them one of the most popular small-size breeds across the globe.
As it usually happens, high interest in certain breeds leads to over-breeding of the breed, many puppy mills, and breeding-related problems.
You may hear that breeding French Bulldogs is not for everyone, but you may not understand why is that the case…
If so you should know it is common for the bitch to struggle with delivering process or whelping puppies naturally.
French Bulldog puppies are small but bear in mind that the bitch is small as well.
A fully-grown French Bulldog usually weighs up to 28 pounds, and they are commonly much broader in the head and chest area than in the hindquarters – in practice, this means that puppies often don’t fit easily into the birth canal.
How Do French Bulldogs Mate?
The biggest issue that breeders of this breed need to deal with is insemination.
These dogs have shortened legs and curved backs with heavy heads and deep chests that make them top-heavy.
Due to this, French Bulldog stud (male) dogs can have a hard time mounting a female in heat to inseminate her naturally.
Even when the stud manages to mountain a female, there still may be difficulties to get her pregnant.
Since the old-fashioned way of breeding can be stressful and painful (due to narrow hips) both for the male and the female dog, plus there is a risk of aggression and fighting, breeding them may be challenging.
This is why breeders do proper research first and learn how French Bulldogs puppies are bred.
Let’s elaborate on that further and learn what are mandatory steps:
1. Artificial Insemination
Artificial insemination is common in French Bulldogs.
A canine veterinarian with experience in this procedure will inseminate the bitch and carefully m option the pregnancy progress.
This kind of breeding requires finding an appropriate stud dog (male dog) to contribute sperm for artificial insemination.
This may be costly, especially if the stud dog that you choose is not in your local area, which is why you should not be supervised if you hear the owner of the stud dog talking about sperm freezing.
2. Cesarean Section Whelping
This famous section comes with many challenges and certain risks, especially for dogs with a brachycephalic short muzzle shape like the French Bulldog.
French Bulldogs may suffer due to different conditions, such as dystocia – this is a condition where the pregnant female dog is not able to pass puppies naturally through the birth canal and out.
Dystocia is not something that should be taken lightly, because up to one-quarter of puppies will not survive a dystocic pregnancy.
Another important piece of information related to this condition is the mortality rate in mother dogs which isn’t to be ignored.
Veterinarians claim that around 1.7 percent of mother dogs will not survive.
3. Human-aided Puppy Rearing
When it comes to artificial whelping there are certain risks that dog owners should get familiar with.
Although some risks may never occur, it is far better to be safe than sorry. That being said, one of the most common side effects of artificial whelping via cesarean section is a lack of oxytocin that bonds the mother dog to her puppies.
Does this mean that dogs experience some oxytocin as humans do? Simply said, yes.
Natural birth produces a flood of oxytocin, which is also known as the ‘feel-good hormone.’ This same hormone bonds human mothers to children before and during birth.
When a French Bulldog gives birth artificially, she is under sedation during the birthing process, which means that she doesn’t experience the flood of oxytocin that will ‘push’ her to be born with puppies stronger and cared for them afterward.
That being said, know that it is not uncommon for French Bulldog mother dogs to refuse to care for their puppies.
Knowing that they don’t get enough oxytocin should make this situation understandable.
They also may not feel good after such a major operation as a C-section delivery.
This scenario means that the human breeder should be ready to care for the puppies 24/7, including:
- Bottle feeding puppy formula several times per day
- Keeping the puppies warm
- Stimulating the puppies to go to the bathroom
- Cleaning the puppies
Caring about puppies, if the mother dog refuses them is crucial because puppies won’t be able to survive without full-time care from the human breeder.
What Are The Signs Of A French Bulldog Pregnancy?
Once the mating or more commonly artificial insemination is completed, you should look for signs of pregnancy in your French Bulldog.
Some of the symptoms may include:
- Increased appetite
- Weight gain
- Swollen nipples
- Mammary glands
Bear in mind that these symptoms aren’t enough to be 100% sure that your Frenchie is pregnant – they may also have a false pregnancy.
To be 100% sure if your French Bulldog is pregnant or not, make sure that you have regular veterinarian check-ups.
Take your dog to the vet and learn if your Frenchie is expecting or not.
How Long Does a Frenchie Pregnancy Last?
A French Bulldog’s gestation period is 63 days, which means that they may have puppies on their 58 days.
Since responsible breeders do not want to put their dogs at any risk, scheduling C-section is something that is done after the 50-day mark.
Since C-sections come with certain risks that are mentioned above, make sure that you communicate properly with your veterinarian from day one.
Make sure that you follow the veterinarian’s orders if you want your French Bulldog to be up and running soon after birth.
How Many Puppies Can You Expect from Your French Bulldog?
French Bulldogs will usually have between 2 to 4 puppies per litter.
This is not a rule and may vary from the dog’s size, overall health, and genetics (a big factor is how many puppies mom and dad had).
In some cases, there might be a ‘disappearing’ puppy.
The term ‘disappearing’ refers to situations when a sonar image might show puppy sacs in the first three weeks, but a French Bulldog then delivers only 3 puppies.
This usually means that the puppy died and was reabsorbed by the mother’s body.
How To Care For Your French Bulldog After Giving Birth?
Make sure that you talk with your veterinarian on this one, as you want to provide the best care possible for your French Bulldog after delivery.
In short, you should provide basic hygiene, good and proper nutrition, and carefully monitor your Frenchie to check your dog’s physical and mental health.
If your veterinarian suggests specific check-ups or examinations, make sure that you stick to a specific timeline.
Some complications are still possible, although that doesn’t mean that our Fido might experience any sort of complications.
Still, knowing what may occur will help you provide better care for your French Bulldog.
Some of the complications that you may expect to see in your dog are metritis, which could develop after artificial insemination or giving birth – this condition may appear if the Frenchie’s uterine lining is infected.
If you notice any swelling in the abdomen or bad-smelling discharge from her vulva make sure that you take her to your veterinarian.
Last But Not Least… Should You Spay Your Frenchie After She’s Done Having Puppies?
Simply said, yes. Part of responsible dog ownership is knowing when to deal with neutering and spaying, and why these procedures matter.
Spaying your French Bulldog is important as it may keep your dog healthy and strong for years to come.
Dogs who give birth for many heat cycles can develop a specific condition called pyometra – this condition appears when the uterine lining forms cysts that can get infected and compromise the dog’s health.
Spaying is a surgical operation that should be performed on your vet’s recommendation.
Know that performing spaying while your French Bulldog is healthy is much safer than performing it when it has to be done in case of an emergency.