Do you have a Frenchie and struggling with certain behaviors?
Relax, you are not alone.
This post explores the most common French Bulldog behavior problems and tips for tackling them.
Come with us.
Clinginess
Frenchies are renowned for their immense love and affection towards their owners. These dogs love and constantly crave human attention and will follow you around the house everywhere you go.
This constant need to be around their owners can turn into unhealthy neediness. Due to this obsession with the owners, Frenchies are sometimes called Velcro dogs.
While this may not sound bad, it puts them at risk of suffering from separation anxiety.
Separation Anxiety
Due to their reputation for forming strong bonds with their owners, Frenchies are prone to separation anxiety. Your Frenchie cannot tolerate being left alone for lengthy periods. As such, a Frenchie is not the right choice if you have a very busy schedule or mostly spend your time out of home.
When left alone, Frenchies will likely engage in destructive behavior such as excessive barking, chewing, and home soiling.
To avoid this problem, training your Frenchie to be alone from an early age is crucial. You can begin with short durations and then progress to longer ones with time.
Stubbornness
With their big ears, you may be tempted to think that Frenchies are incredible listeners.
You are wrong.
Although intelligent, these dogs are stubborn and will only listen to you when they feel like it. This behavior can make training them quite challenging. Proper training can help curb this behavior. You can use food treats while training to encourage your dog. Remember to remain calm, assertive, and consistent with your training.
Leash pulling
Frenchies are active and playful dogs that love going for walks. However, they have a high propensity to pull when on a leash.
This is because they find the outdoors too interesting and exciting for them to control themselves. This can lead to serious injuries if not carefully handled.
The good thing is your Frenchie can learn to walk gently on a leash with consistent leash training. For the best results, beginning the training early and using positive reinforcement techniques is crucial.
Also, ensure that you use a properly fitting harness.
Rough play
Ever seen Frenchies playing?
You’d think they are battling or hurting each other.
With their playful and energetic nature, Frenchies can be carried away and play too roughly due to their enthusiasm.
If your Frenchie is playing too rough with other dogs or people, immediately remove them from the situation and give them time to calm down.
You’ll need to set boundaries if your Frenchie is playing too roughly to avoid injuring or hurting others.
Socializing your Frenchie puppy early is crucial in preventing this behavior.
Destructive chewing
Like other dogs, Frenchies chew due to various reasons. Among other reasons, French dogs will chew if bored, lonely, depressed, stressed, anxious, or teething.
Frenchies are known for chewing anything and everything that comes their way. They have strong jaws and may chew on furniture, shoes, and other objects in the house.
To address this problem, you must determine the root cause and take appropriate corrective action. You should also stimulate your dog physically and mentally by giving them sufficient exercises and providing lots of toys.
Giving your dog chew toys provides a great way of diverting attention from things it shouldn’t be chewing.
Barking and whining
Some level of barking is normal for dogs as this is how they communicate their feelings. However, excessive barking may be a symptom of an underlying issue you should find out.
Frenchies are known to bark and whine when lonely or bored. Other reasons these dogs bark include fear, hunger, pain, emotional distress, attention-seeking, anxiety, or the presence of strangers.
Consistent training using positive reinforcement and keeping your Frenchie physically and mentally stimulated can minimize barking.
You should also find out why your dog’s barking and address it appropriately.
Food begging
Begging for food is one of the most popular behavior problems in Frenchies. This problem is mainly due to the owners’ fault.
With their large, adorable eyes, it can be difficult not to give in to your Frenchie’s begging.
However, giving in to your dog’s begging will only reinforce this bad behavior.
And we all know this is bad for your pal’s health.
To avoid this behavior, don’t give in when your dog is begging. Completely ignore it; they will eventually give up and realize that begging won’t get them any attention or food.
Jumping on people
While it may not be an issue for you, other people, including your friends, family, and neighbors, may not like your Frenchie jumping on them.
To discourage your dog from you or other people, avoid touching it until its front paws touch the ground. Then, give it praise and pet it when the paws are on the ground. This way, your dog will learn it can’t get the love it wants unless its front paws are on the ground.
Unnecessary jealousy
Frenchies were primarily bred to be companion dogs. They love spending time with their owners and tend to become over-attached to them. As such, they may get jealous when they see another dog or pet around their owners or territories.
To curb this, it’s important to socialize your dogs with other dogs and pets. Introduce it to as many dogs and people as possible. You should avoid showing affection or attention whenever your dog is jealous.
Reward your Frenchie with praise and treats when you remain calm and relaxed around other dogs and pets.
Over to You
With their charming and loving personalities, French Bulldogs make excellent pets that are bound to fill your home with joy.
However, just like any other dog breed, these dogs can have certain behavior issues that you should address.
It’s your responsibility as the dog owner to find the root cause of the behavior and find appropriate ways to address it.
This will ensure a happy, healthy, and fulfilling companionship between you and your Frenchie.