Do I need to walk my Frenchie?
If this is you, you are in the right place.
Come with us as we tell you how to walk a French Bulldog, plus why it’s important.
Let’s jump right in.
Do French Bulldogs Need Walking?
Yes, like all other dogs, French Bulldogs need walking to help keep them physically active and healthy. While Frenchies have moderate energy levels and don’t need a lot of exercise, taking them for walks is necessary to prevent them from gaining excessive weight.
French Bulldogs need to be walked because…
- It provides exercise and mental stimulation: Walking is a form of exercise that a Frenchie needs to remain active and healthy. Besides, walking allows your dog to explore the world and keep it mentally active, thus preventing it from being bored and resulting in destructive behavior.
- It’s good for their health: A sedentary dog can quickly gain weight, making it prone to various health issues. Walking your Frenchie provides an outlet for its pent-up energy, which helps it maintain a healthy weight. An active dog is a healthy dog.
- It helps with socialization: Walking your Frenchie exposes it to new people, animals, and other dogs. This provides a great opportunity to train your dog to interact and behave with other dogs in a socially acceptable manner. It also helps it adjust to different situations and grow into a well-adjusted dog.
- It’s a training opportunity: Walking your Frenchie allows you to train it and reinforce your relationship. You can utilize this opportunity to give it obedience training, basic commands, and how to walk on a leash.
How much walking do French Bulldogs need?
How much walking a French Bulldog needs depends on its age plus character and personality to some extent. Generally, puppies need shorter walks than adult Frenchies.
Puppy
French Bulldog puppies don’t need as much walking as adults. This is because theIR bones are still not fully developed and thus don’t need to be strained. You should thus consider giving a puppy shorter walks than an adult Frenchie.
How long should you walk a French Bulldog puppy?
The general rule is to limit your French Bulldog puppy’s walking to a maximum of 3 minutes for each month of its age as follows:
- 4 months: 12 minutes
- 5 months: 15 minutes
- 6 months: 18 minutes
- 7 months: 21 minutes
- 8 months: 24 minutes
- 9 months: 27 minutes
How often should you walk a French Bulldog puppy?
Split your French Bulldog’s walks into at least two per day to allow its limbs and muscles to develop naturally without deforming them.
Adult
Frenchies need daily walks of 45-60 minutes to keep them in perfect shape. Going beyond this puts your dog at the risk of overheating.
Senior
How much walking a senior Frenchie needs depends on their health condition and personality. Generally, 30-45 minutes of daily walks are enough for these dogs.
Tips for walking older Frenchies
These are some tips for walking older Frenchies:
- Consider the weather before taking a walk, and avoid walking when it’s extremely cold or sunny, as this can be problematic to your Frenchie.
- Stick to your dog’s walking routine to avoid causing it stress and anxiety.
- Carry lots of water to help keep your dog hydrated
- Remember to take regular breaks
- Opt for shorter and more frequent walks to avoid over-exerting your dog.
- Go for even surfaces that aren’t hot or hard to minimize the stress on your dog’s joints.
- Feed the right diet and consider a diet regimen that helps with arthritis.
- Observe your dog for any signs of over-exertion
French Bulldog walking distance/walk length
While this depends on an individual Frenchie, adult French Bulldogs can walk about 3 miles daily. This should be limited to 60 minutes per day to avoid over-exerting them.
10 Tips for Walking A French Bulldog
The following are some tips you can use to make walks fun for you and your Frenchie:
Always keep your Frenchie on Harness while walking:
For brachycephalic breeds, Frenchies included, it’s recommended to use a harness rather than a collar. Due to their shorter snouts, Frenchies are prone to breathing problems. Using a harness is better as it helps prevent any issues from their constrained airways when walking them.
Additionally, put a harness on your French Bulldog from being sidetracked from its stroll and jumping at anything it sees. It helps keep your dog under your control while walking.
Keep your dog’s walks to early mornings or late evenings in summer:
Being short-nosed dogs, Frenchies are prone to overheating. This is more during extremely hot seasons. It’s thus crucial to keep your dog cool by taking it for walks first thing in the morning or late evening when the weather is a bit cooler. Rather than take a walk on Noonday, take a 7. pm stroll, especially during summer.
Read more on How to Keep Your Frenchie Cool During Hot Summer (10 Tips)
Know your environment:
To avoid unpleasant surprises and make your walking experience more interesting, familiarize yourself with the environment. Get to know the paths you can take and the exit routes available if needed.
You should also identify the opportunities and hazards in your particular environment. This will help you identify the best action to take if needed.
Know your dog’s exercise needs:
Different dogs have different exercise needs depending on their breed and age. Frenchies are bred to be companion dogs and thus require moderate exercise levels to keep them fit. Therefore, short daily walks, usually not more than 45 minutes at a time, are enough to keep them healthy.
Their facial structure also does not allow them to have any strenuous exercise. Walking your dog for too long can lead to breathing problems.
Considering your dog’s age is also crucial in determining its exercise needs. A French Bulldog Puppy requires shorter walks than adult dogs.
Train your dog on walks:
Walks provide an excellent opportunity to start basic conduct training for your Frenchie. It will get a chance to meet new people, interact and socialize with other dogs, and get your dog accustomed to the outside world.
Initially, this will not be easy, but you must remain firm and use positive reinforcement while training your Frenchie.
Stick to a routine:
Frenchies do well with routines. Maintaining a regular schedule is best as your dog gets accustomed to walking alongside you. This will entail taking it for daily walks simultaneously and in the same location. This way, your Frenchie will learn what is expected of it and consequently behave better when you take it to new walking locations. If your Frenchie knows where it’s headed, it will likely remain calm.
Carry treats:
Teaching a dog how to behave in public is not a walk in the park. The best and easiest way to encourage good behavior is by using treats. You can use treats to train your Frenchie to walk with a loose leash.
Bring treats and reward your French Bulldog when it checks in with you, walks next to you, or comes when you call to show it that you are happy with its behavior. Since dogs are highly practical, your Frenchie will be willing to do whatever it needs to get a reward.
Consider the weather:
Before taking your Frenchie for a walk, check the weather, as cold and heat can affect it. Be careful with extreme cold and harsh weather conditions like heavy winds or snowfall. Consider carrying a jacket to cover your dog when it’s cold to prevent it from catching a cold.
Watch your Frenchie and take note of any warning signs:
While walking your dog, it’s important to watch its body language to avoid problems. If it’s too hot or cold, your dog will give signs to show it. If you notice your Frenchie shivering, curling, whining, or lifting its paws, it’s time to get home. This could indicate that your dog cannot tolerate cold temperatures.
Read more on The Best Winter Jackets and Raincoats for Dogs
Have fun:
Dog walks are designed to be enjoyable for you and your dog. It’s an opportunity to get closer to your dog and strengthen your friendship. While walking is a great exercise, it must also be enjoyable.
Utilize this time to have fun by watching your dog as it walks. Take note of how it walks, thinks, or solves problems. Remember, your dog learns via play and enjoyment; they also need to rest as we do.
General Dog Walking Tips
The following are more dog-walking tips that apply to all dogs regardless of breed or age:
- Always carry poop bags: This will help you clean up your dog. This is courteous and can help you avoid fines and penalties.
- Carry some water: Ensure you always carry a water bottle, whether hot or not, when walking. Dogs get easily dehydrated, and having some water with you will always ensure your dog remains dehydrated.
- Allow your dog to explore: Don’t rush through the walk. Make some stops and allow it to sniff around and explore.
- Use reflective gear or LED collars: Remember to use some reflective gear when walking your dog in the dark. This will make your dog more visible to moving vehicles.
- Check the pavement to ensure it’s not too hot before walking.
Potential Dangers of Long Walks
Walking your French Bulldog too long in terms of distance or time will lead to over-exertion. This is dangerous for Frenchies as it can lead to potential health issues. Long walks can damage your dog’s paw pads, joints, and muscles. Over-exerted Frenchies will show the following signs:
- Weakness or collapse
- High pulse rate
- Heavy and continuous panting
- Excessive drooling
- Seizures
- Vomiting
- Glazed eyes
What Type of Leash and Collar Should Be Used for Frenchies?
The right leash and collar for French Bulldog is the one that fits correctly. It should never be too tight to exert pressure on your Frenchie nor too loose. Since Frenchies have very sensitive skin, the collar should be made of a material unlikely to react with its skin, such as polyester, stainless steel, or non-abrasive nylon. The material should also be durable.
Read more on The Best Everyday Dog Leash
How to keep your French Bulldog busy
Keeping your Frenchie busy is crucial to avoid boredom and destructive behavior. Frenchies get easily bored, especially when left alone. As such, keep it mentally and physically stimulated throughout the day. This is how you can keep your Frenchie busy:
- Using chew toys will keep its mind and jaws preoccupied and avoid chewing on inedible items like furniture.
- Puzzle toys will encourage your dog to think and keep it mentally stimulated.
- Interactive toys: These provide excellent mental stimulation and boost cognitive development
- Food puzzles: These give your Frenchie something to do and keep it busy
- Snuffle mats
- Lickimats
What Happens When A Frenchie Doesn’t Get Enough Exercise
Like you, your Frenchie needs enough exercise to keep healthy and maintain an ideal weight. If your Frenchie isn’t getting enough exercise, it may pile up too much weight putting it at risk of several health issues. Excessive weight gain can lead to heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, and joint and mobility issues.
Failure to give your Frenchie enough exercise can make you bored, frustrated, stressed, and lethargic. This will manifest in destructive behavior, such as chewing furniture. It will also show signs of restlessness, depression, and withdrawal. A Frenchie that doesn’t get sufficient exercise may also bark excessively.
French Bulldog Outdoor Time Guide
How much time your Frenchie spends outdoors depends on its age. Generally, puppies require lesser outdoor time than adult Frenchies. A maximum of 45 minutes of outdoor activity is recommended for adult Frenchies. The following is an outdoor time guide for Frenchies based on age:
| Age of French Bulldog (months) | Exercise time requirement (minutes) |
| 4 | 12 |
| 5 | 15 |
| 6 | 18 |
| 7 | 21 |
| 8 | 24 |
| 9 | 27 |
| Adult | 30-45 minutes |
| Senior | It depends on health conditions |
How often should you walk a French Bulldog?
You should walk your French Bulldog at least once daily to keep it fit and active and from gaining too much weight.
Can French Bulldogs go for long walks?
Short walks are recommended for French Bulldogs because of their flat facial structure, making them prone to overheating.
Can you walk a French Bulldog too much?
Yes, you can walk a Frenchie too much. However, this is dangerous as it puts your dog at risk of developing breathing problems.
Signs of over-exertion
An over-exerted Frenchie will show the following signs:
- Rapid breathing and panting
- Muscle pain and stiffness
- Low appetite
- Vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration
- Fatigue and weakness
- Excessive drooling
- Seizures
- Glazed eyes.
What type of exercises should you do with your Frenchie?
Various exercises are interesting for both you and your Frenchie. You can go for walks, play in the yard, or visit a local dog yard and let your dog interact and socialize with other dogs.
What if it’s winter and It’s too cold to go outside?
You can exercise your dog indoors if it’s too cold to go outside. You can play hide and seek and get house-friendly toys that your dog adores to keep it entertained.
Can I over-exercise my French Bulldog?
Yes, just like any other dog, French Bulldogs can be over-exercised. This is particularly dangerous for Frenchies as they are brachycephalic, making them prone to overheating.
What are some things to watch out for when exercising my French Bulldog?
Since Frenchies cannot regulate their body temperatures, you should always watch for signs of exhaustion to avoid overheating while exercising. You should also ensure that water and shade are available to keep your dog cool. Consider exercising your dog early in the morning or late evening during hot seasons.
Is walking older Female French Bulldogs in Public Parks safe before being spayed?
You can walk a female Frenchie in public parks before being spayed. However, you should never let it off the leash.
How much time do French Bulldogs need to walk
Frenchies need about 45 minutes of walking to keep them healthy and fit. Walking them for longer than this can cause them breathing problems.
How to stop a French Bulldog from pulling on the lead
To stop your Frenchie from pulling on the lead:
- Opt for a no-pull harness which gives you more control over your dog’s movement.
- Stop walking whenever they pull, as this will teach your dog to walk by your legs.
- Take more walks. This will help your dog get accustomed to walking on a leash and hence remain calm.
- Use treats to reinforce positive behavior.
Does Your French Bulldog refuse to walk? What to do?
Your Frenchie may refuse to walk for different reasons. It may be tired, stressed, scared, or may be having some health issues. It may also not like the weather. The simplest thing you can do is to use treats to encourage your dog to take a walk.
What is the best way to keep your Frenchie Physically fit?
To keep your Frenchie physically fit, give it regular and sufficient exercises to help keep it active and trim. Daily exercises will make your Frenchie look good, feel good, and live longer. You’ll also need to feed it a completely balanced, age-appropriate diet and train it to keep it physically and mentally stimulated.
Do French Bulldogs like to walk? Final Thoughts
Yes, French Bulldogs are active and like to walk. Walking allows Frenchies to bond with their owners, socialize with other dogs, sniff around, and explore. Additionally, taking walks helps prevent Frenchies from being bored, resulting in undesirable behavior. However, it’s important to exercise caution and avoid over-walking your dog.