Did you know the number one dog in America is the French Bulldog? The French Bulldog has held the number one spot since 2022, but it’s held the number one spot in our hearts since the early 2000s.
Our love for frenchies began when my father brought home Hugo. Hugo had a rough start since his owners had to rehome him due to deployment in our nation’s military. They say Frenchies are like potato chips, you can’t have just one! Soon after getting Hugo, we got Paris to keep Hugo company. The years rolled by and more Frenchies joined our family and we grew even more crazy about them through raising them. I have fond memories of always having a Frenchie puppy tucked under each arm doing life alongside these adorable little babies. Our first Frenchie girl, Paris, had the sweetest little babies and I watched families cry tears of absolute joy when they came to pick up their new family member. I knew that this was more than just raising puppies; it was bringing someone’s best friend, playmate, and family member to life for years to come.
I caught the French Bulldog bug and ran with it!
Every year, our family tradition was watching the American Kennel Club (AKC) Thanksgiving National Dog Show together. You’ve likely heard of 5k Thanksgiving families, but we were the dog show family. We loved the rich history and dedication countless people put into preserving the different dog breeds and how each breed was special and has unique qualities and abilities. We could not contain our joy as we watched Winston the French Bulldog win Best in Show in the 2022 National Dog Show. Now that I’ve gone on to have a family of my own, we still get just as excited for the National Dog Show on Thanksgiving Day. We have snuggled up with our Frenchie puppies for many years soaking in the pure love for dogs.
My own journey with raising Frenchies began shortly after college. My husband and I jumped into raising French Bulldogs and learned so much through trial and error. We tried our best to give them the highest standards and lots of love and socialization. Soon we learned how to test our two adult Frenchies for common genetic conditions, color and coat combination, and worked towards the AKC standard for structure and temperament. We committed ourselves to raising healthy dogs because not all Frenchies are created equal. We’ve had some favorites along the way, but our male Mando has brought us so many laughs and memories. Mando encompasses AKC’s description of the French Bulldog in the fact that he truly is the cutest sophisticated clown who loves with his whole being. He has been the best daddy to all of our Frenchie babies by playing, snuggling, and being so gentle with them. We’ve lovingly nicknamed him Ferdinand The Bull because he doesn’t know how muscular and husky he is and we catch him quietly sitting on a hill in our yard basking in the morning sun.
We usually have a litter of puppies every year or so and enjoy the beauty of having these little sweethearts raised around our kids. They are never short on snuggles and kisses, and we take great pride in our puppies. We have created a line with a fun-loving personality and adorable appearance that we love. Recently, we experienced a miracle litter of nine puppies. We love each and every one of these sweethearts and can’t wait to see the smile on each of their future families’ faces as they bring home their new best friend to their furever home. We haven’t found them all homes yet (and yes, we just had to keep one for ourselves!), but we know their future families’ hearts are calling.
As time has gone on, I think it’s important to mention we have turned our hearts towards the growing voices concerned for rescue dogs and local shelters working tirelessly to find homes for all the animals they take in. Animal and pet breeding can be a pretty hot-button issue with passionate supporters on both sides. While adopting pets from shelters is certainly needed, quality breeders work very closely with the AKC to ensure that their animals are registered and raised with the highest standards of care. Proper breeding also ensures that the integrity of the many dog breeds we know and love remains intact, so we can continue to enjoy all of the unique differences that make the breeds so recognizable and loved.
We are committed to preserving the French Bulldog breed since we could not imagine a world without them, and what better place to raise future family pets than around children who are always looking for chances to love on them? To show our children that all kinds of pets are important, we are starting a new tradition that involves supporting local animal shelters with our time and resources. If you ever get the chance to volunteer and have a love for animals, I absolutely recommend volunteering at the Humane Society of Tennessee Valley or a place like our local Young-Williams Animal Center. We have a rescue cat that is the absolute best cat in the world and I can’t imagine not having him as a part of our family. He even loves our dogs. Don’t forget about the animals at the shelters, we certainly won’t.
It is totally understandable why so many people have fallen in love with the French Bulldog! They melt your heart and are eager to do whatever it is you are doing. You may never go to the bathroom by yourself ever again as they will follow you absolutely everywhere because you are their world. You won’t mind with their adorable little mannerisms and sweet bat ears. We share more about our love and care for our babies on our social media pages. @lakesidefamilyfrenchies and https://www.facebook.com/lakesidefamilyfrenchies/
