Honey met and made friends with many different types of dogs during her life – and one of the most charming breeds had to be the French Bulldog (known to his close friends as the “Frenchie”. 
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In particular, Honey had a brief fling with a handsome Frenchie named Ozzie, the year we were living in Sydney – and they often had a romantic rendez-vous at the park (OK, I think he was keener on her in the beginning than she was on him… but he grew on her. It’s hard to resist such comical self-confidence! 
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So when I heard the other day that the French Bulldog Awareness Group of WA was having a walk with members of the public welcome, I decided it was a great opportunity to find out more about the breed. They were always on the shortlist of alternate breeds we would consider if we didn’t get a Great Dane again.
Wait – before you go, “OMG – you’re not getting a Dane?!” – calm down. I’m not making any decisions now. As long-time readers probably know, I’m a bit of a neurotic, control freak and I NEVER do anything without researching it v-e-r-y carefully. (Took me 5 years of extensive research before I decided on a Great Dane for my first dog!)
It can drive friends and family crazy sometimes because I can never make an impulse decision… as my poor husband, Paul, knows…
(at a dress shop)
Me: “Ooh! I love this dress!”
Paul: “Yeah, the colour really suits you. Buy it!”
Me: “But… what if I see something that’s better in another shop?”
Paul (bewildered): “But you like this one. So you should buy it.”
Me: “But how do I know I really like this one? I have to compare it to all the other similar dresses that are available to see if this really is the best one, don’t I?”
Paul (starting to sound desperate): “It doesn’t matter… as long as you like this one. Why do you need to see the others? If the ones in the other shops are similar, then you might as well buy this one.”
Me: “But what if they have a similar one that’s cheaper? Or made with better fabric? Or fits me better? I can’t just take the first thing I see.”
Paul (pulling hair out) “Why not?? If you like it?”
Me: “Look, there’s another shop across the street. Let’s go check in there. And then after that, I want to check the one down the road. And then the department store. When I’ve done them all, if this is still the best dress, I’ll go home and think about it. If I wake up tomorrow and still want it, then I’ll come back here and buy it.”
Paul: *faints*
OK, so a dog isn’t a dress but you get what I mean. I like to have many options and explore them all thoroughly before making a decision. I’m not saying we’re definitely not getting a Dane again but there are some good reasons why they might not be the best choice (even though they are still, without doubt, my absolute favourite breed) – but I’m keeping an open mind.
Anyway, we probably won’t be getting a new dog for a while – we don’t feel ready yet and we’re DEFINITELY not getting a puppy while we’re still renting (and it’s going to take us a while to save up a deposit for a house!) - but I like to be prepared. Never too early to start doing research is my motto…
So, back to the Frenchies. Well, they are seriously adorable dogs. I mean, is there anyone who can look at a face like this and not smile?
Or how about this one?
They are such funny little personalities! There is something about the self-important way that they bumble around that I find enormously appealing.
It’s the complete opposite of the Dane’s regal, aloof demeanour and graceful elegance, of course – but then, everything about this breed is like at the opposite end of the spectrum, not least the differences in size! Males are bigger but still only about 12kg (26lbs) max and the puppies are smaller than Muesli!
I have to say, whatever breed you’re interested in, finding a local breed group and going along to a group walk is a fantastic way to find out more about the breed and observe them in a natural environment (I don’t think dog shows are a good place to judge breed suitability at all). You can see just how active (or placid) they are, how noisy (or quiet) they can be, how sociable (or reserved/aloof) they act and how they “feel” in size, walking next to you. Especially if you’re a pet owner, talking to other pet owners provides far more relevant information about the challenges and realities of living with the breed.
The Great Dane Lovers Association of Western Australia (GDLAWA) has similar walks every month and they are always the first thing I recommend to anyone local who is thinking of getting a Dane.
Well, so last weekend we set off to join the Frenchie promenade. We were lucky that it was a gorgeous, sunny day and the walk was along the banks of the beautiful Swan River…
Aside from talking to the owners, just observing the dogs at close quarters was really enlightening. Now that I’m a bit more experienced and can read dog behaviour better, I found it so useful just watching the breed interact with other dogs and people.
Frenchies definitely tick a lot of my boxes: they have calm, easy-going temperaments; they have jowls and wrinkles; they are short-haired and require minimal grooming; they are quiet (I can’t cope with yappy, reactive breeds) and they can be versatile with exercise.
The only thing is their size! It was definitely weird walking around with a bunch of dogs barely reaching to your knees, when I’ve been used to ones who can almost look you in the eye.
Of course, they have downsides too – the main one being the health risks from that squashed nose, which means limited activity in hot weather. But then, I have to say, Honey was never that good in hot weather either. And to be honest with you, I’d be staying out of the blazing heat of Perth summer days, dog or no dog.
They do snort and grunt a lot – but funnily enough, that kind of noise doesn’t bother me and they actually don’t drool (not that that would bother me either – ha! ha! – as you can tell from my past history with the Slobber Queen!)
The other negative that’s often mentioned is the Frenchie’s stubbornness & resistance to training. This would be an issue for me because I would want to do things with my dog. I wouldn’t just want a dog that sat on the couch and looked cute. My dog – whatever the breed – would be taking part in dog sports, therapy work and many other things – so I do need a breed that I can ‘work’ with.
And according to most sources, you can’t expect much from Frenchies. But this one I take with a pinch of salt – because when we first got Honey, all I kept hearing from everybody is that Great Danes are “impossible to train” and that I would never achieve anything with her. Boy, look how wrong we proved them all to be!
So I don’t know if this is a case of the breed really being untrainable – or simply a bit challenging and beyond the abilities of average pet owners. Oh, I agree – taking on a Frenchie would mean that I’d be taking the difficult road again. Why not get a keen, eager, high-drive breed to do dog sports with? But hey, you know I like a challenge.
It was actually a joint French Bulldog and English Bulldog Walk – so there were quite a few “chaps” amongst the “monsieurs”.
(This is an Australian Bulldog, which is specifically bred to have longer legs and less exaggerated characteristics than its English counterpart)
Bulldogs are gorgeous and I melt when I see them but I have to admit, their many health issues really put me off. Sure, Frenchies (and Boxers and other brachycephalic breeds) all have health issues – but the Bulldog is just a much heavier, less agile dog that is consistently named the most unhealthy of dog breeds. I know there are exceptions – I’ve seen videos of Bulldogs doing Agility – but still, I’m not sure…
Well, we had a lovely walk and certainly got to know Frenchies a whole lot better! There were so many adorable dogs there, it was hard to choose a favourite…
…this handsome guy with the rich, fawn coat and those gorgeous face wrinkles was definitely one of mine!
…and it’s hard to get cuter than this 4-month old puppy! ( Altogether now: SQUEEEE! )
But the title for the most photogenic dog there had to go to this Frenchie, I thought – with that perfectly-positioned black eye patch – she looked almost like a toy!
Anyway, the Frenchie is definitely staying on my shortlist!
Oh, before I go, could I ask you for a big favour? If you’ve read the first Honey Mystery (Curse of the Scarab) and have a moment free, could you please leave a review on Amazon.com? It only has to be 20 words – whatever you thought of the book is fine! I really need to get onto an important book site and they’re very picky – need books to have LOADS of reviews. I’m up to 70 at the moment (a HUGE thank you to all those who saw this message on Facebook & left a review recently!) – but they say if I can get closer to 100 reviews, I stand a better chance of being chosen.
Can you please help? I’d really, really appreciate it!
Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?ie=UTF8&asin=B00EWNHDX8&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=133140011&ref_=cm_cr_dp_wrt_btm&store=digital-text
Thank you so much!
~ Hsin-Yi