French Bulldogs

[h3x]

j.man thanks for the post. I agree with you Frenchies are not ethical dog breeds to buy. I knew about pugs but it makes sense designer breeds all have health issues.

First thing is consider your lifestyle. Meaning are you an active person, someone who goes jogging every day, rain or shine, or more of a home body. Do you live in a large space, big yard, or small apartment or condo?

Thanks for the post. I'm a home body these days. I'm looking for company because I'm really lonely and I really enjoy looking after people and pets. I would like to take the dog for walks to the park and chat to other dog owners. The thing to consider is that I live in a house with a large backyard but may be moving to a apartment in the near future. Since I have a large backyard at the moment I was thinking of getting a German Sheppard (Do they have the same genetic diseases as Frenchies?) but they are a bit big and I'm worried what will happen if I leave to another place and it's too small to live with me.

[Cherylyn]

j.man thanks for the post. I agree with you Frenchies are not ethical dog breeds to buy. I knew about pugs but it makes sense designer breeds all have health issues.



Thanks for the post. I'm a home body these days. I'm looking for company because I'm really lonely and I really enjoy looking after people and pets. I would like to take the dog for walks to the park and chat to other dog owners. The thing to consider is that I live in a house with a large backyard but may be moving to a apartment in the near future. Since I have a large backyard at the moment I was thinking of getting a German Sheppard (Do they have the same genetic diseases as Frenchies?) but they are a bit big and I'm worried what will happen if I leave to another place and it's too small to live with me.

My 14 year old Golden Retriever (GR) passed away in Jan 2019. She was man's best friend to the truest sense of the word, superbly intelligent, calm, quiet and extremely well behaved. She was of 'Guide Dog' for the disabled caliber although I'm not disabled.

My GR LOVED walks. My husband and I took daily walks with her once in the early morning hours and another walk every evening. She really kept us in shape!

With German Shepherds Dogs (GSD) and other aggressive breeds according to homeowner's insurance policies, you'll have to check with your insurance to see if they'll cover you. GSD, Pitbulls, Rottweillers, Dobermans, Huskys, etc. will be denied by many insurance companies but there are some insurance companies that will insure you regardless of breed for a price. Then there are dog owners who don't even report their dog breeds to their insurance companies but you do so at your own risk should a catastrophe occur such as biting, mauling, disfigurement, death, etc. Not that aggressive dog breeds will do this but it's the nature of the insurance business. I know there are a lot of breeds who have an unfair reputation. I'm just telling you from an insurance company's stance.

We bought our GR from a reputable breeder (NOT backyard breeder) AFTER not having any luck with rescues, animal shelters, adoptions and the like. Those dogs were promptly returned after numerous behavioral problems - mainly aggression, paranoia and it was a no-go. We found a home for the animal shelter dog. We failed 4 times until we resorted to get it right the last time. We had to make a 4 hour round trip drive to find our gem but she was worth it. We bought her trained at 4 months. She was the best dog I had ever owned in my life.

I agree with you, since there's a chance that you'll move into a smaller place in the future, you're better off with a smaller dog. I agree with others. Try rescues, animals shelters and adoptions first. Hope it works well for you.

[Rose Mosse]

German shepherds are prone to hip dysplasia. Do more research if you're into this as it's unfortunately not uncommon with larger dogs. GSDs also tend to become destructive and difficult to handle if they're not trained. Professional training/classes are highly recommended from puppyhood. If you're not willing to or can't find the time (hours) or don't have the budget to train and exercise this breed every day, this is not the dog for you. They're also high energy dogs. I was ok walking mine for two hours minimum per day. Sometimes we'd go for extra long walks. They thrive on lots of interaction. On weekends we'd go for 10-15km hikes per day at least once a week but I think he could have enjoyed a lot more exercise.

A lot of GSD mixes or GSDs are in the pound or in shelters by the one to two year mark because previous owners ended up not being able to train these dogs well enough (became a handful) and they don't understand what this breed needs (mentally/physically). This is where you get the bad reputation for larger, intelligent and alert dogs.

Imagine what you would be like if you were bred to compete or work (encouraged for your brains and ability to train or respond to human interaction) and you're forced to sit around in someone's apartment for 8-10 hours a day waiting for that person to come home just so you can go out for a pee. It would be a horrific life, wouldn't it? Wouldn't you want to eat someone's shoes at that point too?

Dogs in general require a lot of work. If you're looking for a milder companion, look for a dog that doesn't require so much exercise or training or don't look into having one at all (get a cat or another type of pet). GSDs are not for you if you're looking for an everyday companion or something to come home to when you're free. They're a full on job in itself training them especially in the first two years. It's really about your energy level/time available/budget.

[DancingFool]

j.man thanks for the post. I agree with you Frenchies are not ethical dog breeds to buy. I knew about pugs but it makes sense designer breeds all have health issues.



Thanks for the post. I'm a home body these days. I'm looking for company because I'm really lonely and I really enjoy looking after people and pets. I would like to take the dog for walks to the park and chat to other dog owners. The thing to consider is that I live in a house with a large backyard but may be moving to a apartment in the near future. Since I have a large backyard at the moment I was thinking of getting a German Sheppard (Do they have the same genetic diseases as Frenchies?) but they are a bit big and I'm worried what will happen if I leave to another place and it's too small to live with me.

If you are more of a home body, then absolutely do not consider any kind of a working breed like a German Shepherd. These types dogs, especially when young, require an intense amount of exercise and training. Even the laid back GSD is going to be a lot of work because....they need to work. The idea of letting them run in the yard and taking him on a walk is not going to be sufficient and when these dogs get frustrated, they'll start to develop problems either with aggression or tearing up your house. Also, these dogs are quite vocal so not that good for an apartment life. Not to mention that you'd need to invest a good chunk of money into a quality trainer to work with and train your dog to more advanced levels because again, these dogs need that mental stimulation and discipline. As someone already mentioned, tons of these dogs end up in shelters because people do not understand the intense amount of work needed to keep these dogs healthy, happy, and well behaved. Working breeds make for bad pets in that respect.

When you are taking on a dog, you have to think not just about today, but a 10-17 year commitment to the animal. So if you might have to move, live in an apartment you need to think about a dog that's more suitable for that. You also need to consider that apartments often have breed/weight restrictions, so having a large dog can make finding a place to live difficult and very expensive.

Aim for small to midsize breed. Stay away from working dogs. If your aim is to have a nice pet that is more companionable, take for a walk, go to doggy park - you are looking for dogs that are laid back and easy going variety. This means easy going personality, easy friendly temperament as well. The kind of relaxed pup who is good with whatever, wherever. A small dog needs less space, will get tired out faster so running fetch and some tug of war in the apartment is a good workout on a rainy day and enough to leave them content. Still, walking daily and basic training is a must for every dog, but that sounds right up your alley. More simple and easy, more about companionship.

[Jibralta]

If you are more of a home body, then absolutely do not consider any kind of a working breed like a German Shepherd. These types dogs, especially when young, require an intense amount of exercise and training. Even the laid back GSD is going to be a lot of work because....they need to work. The idea of letting them run in the yard and taking him on a walk is not going to be sufficient and when these dogs get frustrated, they'll start to develop problems either with aggression or tearing up your house.

Yeah, working dogs will become neurotic (read: destructive) if they aren't trained or given responsibilities.

Have you considered adopting a greyhound? Obviously they are much different from French Bulldogs (and from Shepard-types), but they are highly adaptable. Despite the fact that they run fast and love to race, they are not very high energy. In fact, they are affectionately dubbed "40-mph couch potatoes." They also tend to be healthy because they are bred for performance.

[Wiseman2]

If you want to make "an ethical choice", don't get a designer dog. Particularly if high costs and high maintenance are issues. Animals are not toys. There is a plethora of information available from kennel club sites. Inform yourself, it's that simple.

I'm worried about vet bills and the dog needing regular surgery for it's entire life though, do they really need a lot upkeep? I want to make a ethical choice.