Buying or Adopting a French Bulldog: How to Decide

So you’ve decided a French Bulldog is the dog for you. The next question is where your dog comes from: a puppy from a breeder, or a dog from a shelter or rescue. Either can work out beautifully, and neither comes with guarantees. The right choice depends on what you’re hoping for, what you can take on and how much you want to know about the dog up front.

Buying a French Bulldog puppy

I bought my own Frenchie, Charlie, as a puppy, and raising him from a puppy into an adult taught me a lot about this breed. Before you go the puppy route, though, it helps to be clear about what a puppy is and isn’t.

A puppy isn’t a blank slate

Plenty of people choose a puppy because they want a fresh start, a dog they can shape completely. It doesn’t quite work that way. A lot about a puppy is already set before you meet: their genetics, how their mother behaves, and what they experienced in their first weeks.

Puppies usually stay with their mother and littermates until at least 8 weeks old, and the most important time for socialization is the first three months of life (AVSAB). By the time your puppy comes home, part of that window has already happened at the breeder. It’s one of the best reasons to choose your breeder carefully and meet the puppy’s mother.

It’s also hard to judge an 8-week-old’s future personality. Studies of puppy temperament tests have found they don’t predict how a dog will behave as an adult.

What you can shape

You still have a big influence. Puppyhood is when your dog learns house-training, what’s okay to chew, how to cope with short spells alone and basic cues like sit and stay. With a puppy, you teach all of it from the start instead of undoing someone else’s habits.

Puppy classes help. Puppies can start socialization classes as early as 7 to 8 weeks old, as long as they’ve had at least one set of vaccines a week or more before the first class and a first deworming. It’s worth the effort: behavior problems are the number one reason dogs are given up to shelters.

Some things are out of your hands, though. A frightening experience, like a loose dog rushing at your puppy or fireworks going off nearby, can happen however careful you are. And a puppy who is very anxious or sensitive from a young age won’t turn into a completely different dog. What you can do is learn what they need to feel safe and happy, which may be different from what you pictured.

Good reasons to choose a puppy

• You have other pets, such as a cat or a rabbit, and want a dog who grows up around them. Meeting other animals safely is part of early socialization.
• You enjoy raising a puppy and have the time to do it well.
• You want to be involved from the very start, with house-training, socialization and training.

Buying safely

French Bulldogs are among the breeds most often used in online puppy scams. Warning signs include a popular breed at an unusually low price, a seller who won’t meet in person or take a video call, surprise charges for shipping or vaccinations, and pressure to pay quickly. See the puppy in person before you pay anything. Our guide to questions to ask a French Bulldog breeder explains what a responsible breeder looks like.

Adopting a French Bulldog

Adoption isn’t a shortcut

Some people adopt because they feel sorry for a dog, or because they expect an adult dog to be less work than a puppy. Compassion is a good instinct, but it shouldn’t be your only reason, especially if you find yourself drawn to the dog who seems to be struggling most.

Many rescue dogs are steady, easygoing companions. Others need a lot of support. French Bulldogs come into rescue from commercial breeding kennels, import brokers, public shelters and owners, and most of the dogs at the French Bulldog Rescue Network are surrendered by owners who can no longer keep them. Some arrive with neglected health problems, behavior problems or a fear of people, which is why the network evaluates each dog in foster care for at least seven days before they’re ready for adoption.

A dog with behavior problems can change your daily life. You might need to manage every visitor, rethink vacations because your dog panics when left or dreads the car, or change how you behave around your own home. Things can turn out better than you expected, but be honest with yourself about whether you’re ready if they don’t.

Puppies aren’t the only dogs who take work, either. An adopted adult may still need house-training, practice being left alone or time to settle in.

What you can know in advance

The big advantage of adopting an adult is that you can see who they are now: how they react to people and other dogs, whether they’re house-trained and how energetic they are. Foster homes can tell you how the dog has been doing day to day, including what they’ve been eating. You still can’t predict everything, so ask plenty of questions.

If you can, bring along someone who understands dog behavior and body language and can give you a neutral opinion. It’s easy to fall for a sweet face.

Taking your time

A dog is a commitment for the rest of their life, and rescues plan for things not working out. The French Bulldog Rescue Network’s adoption contract, for example, gives the network the option to take a dog back if the adopter can’t keep them (FBRN). If you’re unsure about a dog, go home and visit again a few days later. Sleeping on a big decision helps.

Good reasons to adopt

• You want more certainty about your dog’s adult personality.
• You want to give a dog a home, and you have the patience to find one who really fits.
• You’d like an older, calmer dog.

Whichever you choose

Choose a French Bulldog who fits your life, not only your heart. Before you visit a breeder or a rescue, write down what you need and make sure everyone at home agrees. Think about:

• how long your dog would be alone, since French Bulldogs dislike being left and can develop separation anxiety, and PDSA advises never leaving one for more than four hours
• exercise, because despite their laid-back reputation, Frenchies need up to an hour a day, split into shorter walks and play
• children and other pets in your home
• your budget, including food, vet care and possibly insurance for a breed prone to health problems (see our guide to pet insurance for French Bulldogs)

A written list keeps you from making an impulse decision on the day. Whether you buy or adopt, you’re looking for the same thing: a dog you can care for well for the rest of their life.