The little quirky-looking French bulldog is becoming a more and more common sight out and about in the UK, as the popularity of the breed rises year on year. French bulldogs are popular with owners of all types and from all walks of life, as these small, personable dogs are equally happy living within a large, rural home or a city apartment, making them adaptable and desirable for many reasons.

If you have decided that a French bulldog is the right dog for you or are planning to buy a French bulldog puppy, it is important to start planning for this before you even bring the pup home for the first time, and this includes considering how you intend to train and manage them.

In this article, we will look at some of the factors to bear in mind when training the French bulldog puppy, and share some tips on successfully training and managing dogs of the breed. Read on to learn more.

Start young

One common mistake that small dog owners often make is thinking that smaller breeds don’t really need to be trained, or not having a plan to train them at all.

All dogs need to be trained to be obedient and responsive to commands and to follow the house rules-not only because this is good canine etiquette, but because being able to control your dog under different conditions may be all that is standing between them and a potential accident, such as your dog running out into the road.

You should also start training your pup with basic commands from when you very first get them; don’t start off Frenchie ownership with a vague plan to train your dog at some point later on!

French bulldog intelligence

In the Coren ranking of canine intelligence, the French bulldog comes in at number 58 out of 79, placing them towards the bottom of the rankings.

This means that while your pup can most certainly be trained to follow basic and essential commands such as sit, stay and recall, they probably won’t take well to picking up a very wide range of commands or complex commands, which means you should pick the commands that you do teach them carefully!

Training your dog to do tricks can be entertaining, but before you consider this, it is important to achieve understanding and reliability in the basic, essential core commands that are important for the good management of any dog.

Work with the dog’s strengths

French bulldogs are entertaining, funny and generally cheerful little dogs, which respond well to lots of praise and encouragement. Working with the dog’s strengths rather than fighting against their weaknesses is of course the best way to achieve success, and so keep your training positive, upbeat and fun for your dog. Use plenty of praise and rewards, and be prepared to keep your training sessions short, and stop when your dog gets bored or loses interest.

Physical considerations

The French bulldog is of course a small breed with short legs and a stocky figure, and so it is important to manage your expectations when it comes to what your dog is capable of. While French bulldogs enjoy playing, running around and generally having fun in the same way that any other puppy will, they won’t be as fast or manoeuvrable as many breeds, nor capable of a lot of jumping and sharp movements.

French bulldogs have very narrow hips compared to most breeds, as well as fine bones, so make sure that you don’t push your dog too hard when it comes to training, exercise and other forms of exertion. Jumping and running around is fine, but take care that you do not ask too much of your dog, or do anything that might cause damage to their still-growing joints and bones.

Socialisation

French bulldogs tend to be friendly, personable dogs that get on well with others and learn the basics of canine communication and etiquette quickly, but it is still important to make sure that you do not neglect their socialisation while they are young. Puppies learn a lot from being around other dogs and playing and interacting with them, so try to provide opportunities for this wherever possible, and don’t be tempted to pick your dog up or keep them away from larger dogs in order to “protect” them from boisterous play!

Ground rules

As well as training your pup to follow commands, it is also really important for small breeds to have some ground rules in place for what they are and are not allowed to do, and following these rules will provide your dog with a framework of behaviour that will help to enhance your training.

Make sure that you do not allow your Frenchie pup to get away with bad manners or bad behaviour, and put clear boundaries in place for what your dog is and is not allowed to do from the very first night that you bring them home.