You may wonder, “Is my French Bulldog potty trained before joining me in my home?” The answer is yes and no. We use a litter box filled with recycled newspaper pellets to train our Frenchie pups. The box is placed in their area around 4-5 weeks old and they are encouraged to use it. This method works great and we encourage you to continue using it until they have their full series of shots as puppy diseases like parvo can hide out in the ground. Place the box next to the door so it’s an easy transition for them. 

You may have reasons for continuing to use this system. 

• You may live in an apartment and getting your pup out in time may be a bit of a hassle. 
• One may be leery of taking the pup outside when they have to go in the middle of the night. 
• You may have mobility issues and taking your pup outside just isn’t feasible. 
• You may work long shifts and need a space for them to relieve themselves while you’re away. 
• When you have in climate weather this may be a back up method for your pup. 
• You may have a busy schedule.
• Or you may just want to because this method would work best for you. 

5 Easy Steps We Use-French Bulldog Potty Trained-Litter Box

1. Find a location. Choose a spot for your litter box. This needs to be away from the where he sleeps and eats. If you plan on keeping you pup in a playpen while away longer than he could hold it, place the litter box as far away from their sleeping area and food & water as possible. You may think about adding two boxes. One in the playpen and one where he has access to outside of the playpen. If you are using this as an interim until your pup receives shots, a good place to place the box is next to the door. This makes an easy transition to taking your pup outside to potty when they are ready to do so. 
2. Create a routine. Place your pup in the litter box and tell them “go potty” after he wakes up in the morning, after eating & drinking, after playing hard, and after getting up from a nap. You may consider setting a timer for every hour and increase the time until he is trained. Be consistent with the command you use. Go pee sounds different than go potty. Chose one. 
3. Give positive reinforcement. When your pup potties or poos in the box give lots of praise using the proper voice inflection. 
4. Celebrate. When your Frenchie pup easily goes in the litter box  shower him with praise and love so he knows it’s a positive experience to go in the box. 
5. Be patient. Accidents are likely to happen. When this occurs, clean it up, increase the positive reinforcement, and adjust your timer to take your pup to the box more often. 

Items needed to litter box train French Bulldogs

1. A litter box with a lip to allow easy entry into the box. 
2. Pellets or pee pads for the box. 
3. A scoop to remove waste. 

Order Potty training on Amazon:* litter box, Pellets, Scoop

There are several different types of pellets for litter box training. You can even use pee pads. Personally, I really don’t care for pee pads. The pups tear them up, they are a choking hazard, and terrible for the environment. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ll be using recycled newspaper pellets. The wood pellets could potentially be toxic to your pup if they eat them. You have to remember as a pup everything is fun including playing in the pellets and chomping on them. Newspaper is the safest and most eco-friendly option. If you have access to a Tractor Supply Story you can get the best deal on the newspaper pellets for horses. It’s fine it doesn’t say dog as they are the same thing. I’ll tell you a litter secret. Anything that’s packaged for dogs they increase the price even though it’s identical. You can also purchase the pellets at a pet store or online here via Amazon. Order the biggest bag as you will go through it quickly. 

Directions on how to use the litter box. 

1. Spread 1-3 inches of pellets evenly over the bottom of the litter box. 
2. Remove soiled litter with a scoop daily. I do this anytime I see poo. 
3. Refill with new litter. I suggest cleaning it weekly with soap and warm water. 

Please remember that when a pup comes into your home you will need to establish his potty training habits. Congrats on your new Frenchie pup and good luck on litter training French Bulldogs. I believe you will be happy with the results. 

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Looking for a Frenchie pup? Make sure to get The Ultimate Guide in Adopting a French Bulldog.

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Read more about my other Frenchie friends!

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When bringing your Frenchie home make sure to teach your French Bulldog to come. It may be cute to watch your little one run away while you chase him and scoop him in your arms. But what you are teaching him is it’s OK to run away from you. This won’t be cute when he is 20+lbs and a lot faster than you or when there’s a car coming and it’s a life and death matter for him to listen. I suggest you and everyone in the household start as soon as your pup arrives and I’ll give you some pointers. I am by no means a certified dog trainer as of yet. You never know when or if I will do so as I am a learner and love to collect certifications. 🙂 I will give you best practices in my almost 40 years of being born into the dog breeding world. 

First, Frenchies are a braceycephalic breed. This means they have a short nose. Everyone talks about the disadvantages of this with their breathing but did you know it’s actually a benefit for them in receiving visual cues from you? Those wide eyes and short noses allow them to see your cues better and do the command you are visually cueing them to do. Every since I learned this, almost 20 years ago, I’ve incorporated visual cues into my communications with my flat nosed friends and it works. 

With almost every command, I start with a snap, cue with my finger , and state the command with my voice. The snap alerts him that you are about to give a command which gives him the opportunity to listen to your voice and/or look to your hand for the cue.

Teach your French Bulldog to come

1. Put a leash and collar on your Frenchie. 
2. Go down to his level. Snap. Point Finger towards yourself.  Pull on leash while saying come. 
3. When he gets to you reward him with praise, pets, and if desired a healthy treat. 

Once he’s mastered the leash, remove it and practice in a safe enclosed environment.

Treats or No Treats? 

I typically do not use treats as I believe my love and praise should be all they need but I totally get why you would want to use a treat. You will need to practice your own reward system that works for you and your pup.

In real life, when you tell your pup to come and he just looks at you like you are crazy you have to do something about it. I go directly to them and pull them back to where they were supposed to come. Then I give praise and love like they did what I said. The dragging shouldn’t be fun but shouldn’t harm them in any way either.  I can allow my Frenchies outside with me now, snap my fingers, and tell them to come. They listen which is an important aspect of safety. Make the time to go practice the come command with your Frenchie.

Looking for a Frenchie pup? Make sure to get The Ultimate Guide in Adopting a French Bulldog.

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When your little ones arrives you will almost 100% guaranteed need to teach your Frenchie biting on fingers is not an acceptable practice. Puppies are like toddlers. They learn by putting things in their mouth including your fingers. It might seem kind of cute at 4lbs but remember anything that won’t be cute full grown needs to be addressed as a pup. One of the biggest reasons dogs are placed in rescues is due to nipping or biting. Let’s nip this in the bud at an early age and create your own good Frenchie citizen. 

#1 Get the whole family on board to train your Frenchie biting on fingers is not ok.

Frenchie pups want to play and your fingers look like a great play toy. Discuss with the whole family how important it is to no engage with teasing/playing with pups via their own fingers. I’ve noticed sometimes kiddos and teenagers think it’s funny. 

#2 Don’t put your fingers in their mouth. 

I see a post almost every day, “How do I train my Frenchie to not bite my fingers.” Rule #1. Don’t let them put your fingers in their mouth. 🙂 

#3 Say no & redirect

Firmly say no and redirect with a toy. 

#4 Use the calming hold technique to train your Frenchie biting on fingers isn’t ok

If they are still persistent after the no and redirect, use the calming hold technique. You pick your pup up in a vertical position, place him firmly against one side of your body, place your arm that’s on the same side firmly over the front of his body, wrap your fingers around the base of the pups inside leg. This keeps your fingers out of the way of their mouth and typically calms him down. If the squirming continues use your other arm to hold across the bottom half.

I’m a 3rd generation breeder and this is what I have done since I can remember…probably around 5 years old. It works. I have taught my sons (5 &7 years old currently) to do so as well. They do it and it works for even the kiddos. You hold them like this for a minute or two and can put him back down. If the behavior continues, keep on repeating this until he stops. 

#5 Place in a crate or playpen for a time out. 

If all else fails place him in his crate or playpen away far away from your fingers. Give him time to play with toys. After 5-10 minutes, bring him back out. He may just need to run out some energy. 

Remember bringing a Frenchie pup into your home is a really exciting and fun experience but you will need to be prepared to teach your Frenchie biting on fingers is not OK. Good luck and happy training. We’d love to hear from you on how these tips worked for you. 

Looking for a Frenchie pup? Make sure to get The Ultimate Guide in Adopting a French Bulldog.

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Read more about our Frenchies!

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A big question everyone is now asking is how to do I keep my French Bulldog safe? No one wants to have their very own Frenchie baby lost or taken from them. Here is a list of everything we recommend and use ourselves to keep your Frenchies safe and sound from escaping, theft, and other dogs.  

Have a collar with identification on your Frenchie.  

One of the easiest ways to keep your French Bulldog safe is to have identification on the collar or tag. If he escapes someone can easily call you and you’ll be reunited with your baby. You can add a dog collar tag to the collar or purchase a collar with the information engraved on the collar or buckle. The information you can include can be name, phone number(s), and address.  

Register your Frenchies microchip.  

We typically use AKC microhips and will give you the information to register the chip. If your Frenchie escapes or is stolen and someone scans your Frenchies microhip you can be reunited. The microchip is connected with your information. For this to happen it is essential that you register the microchip and keep your contact information up to date.  You can do this when registering your puppy with AKC or complete the AKC reunite form we provide you at pickup. Please do this simple step ASAP. I can’t tell you how many calls we’ve received in panic because their Frenchie escaped and they never registered the microchip number and can’t even find the information to do so.  Always remember to double check the microhcip number we provide you at the vet’s office. Human error is always a possibility.  

Keep your French Bulldog safe with a FitBark GPS system.

We love the FitBark GPS system where you will get Wifi safe zone alerts when your pup enters or leaves one of your designated safe areas. If lost, you can quickly tack your Frenchie anywhere in the U.S. with 1-minute location updates until reunited with your baby.  

Walk with a Taser and Pepper Spray 

I live out in the country walking on dirt roads where dogs are often left to roam. They come running up to my Frenchies which want to protect their momma. Of course Frenchies cannot properly defend themselves as their little snout usually can never sink their teeth in their target. Dogs are even more sensitive to pepper spray than humans. I carry a taser to protect against humans and a pepper spray to protect against other dogs. I used to just carry a taser but I was made aware that dogs are quick targets that are difficult to taser.  In case ever needed (hopefully not), I will use pepper spray to protect the little Frenchies.  

Set up a security system  

Consider setting up a security system for your backyard to warn you if someone/something comes over the fence or through a gate that’s not a dog.  

Add locks to gates 

Most of the time we hear Frenchies escaped because someone in the household didn’t secure the gate. Consider adding a lock and minimizing the amount of usage for the gate.  

Other good practices to keep your French Bulldog safe:

• Keep tight lipped about your Frenchie and where you live.  
• Never discuss how much you paid for your Frenchie.  
• Reconsider that Frenchie Instagram account you were planning on creating.  
• Do not leave your Frenchie alone outside.  
• Do not leave your Frenchie alone in the car.  
• Make sure your doors and windows are locked in your home.  
• Set your alarm every time you leave.  
• Double check your fences before placing your Frenchie can escape.  

When you are anxiously waiting for your French Bulldog to join you, you may be thinking about French Bulldog names. We realize we have named your puppy but you may or may not keep that name. We find about 1/3 of new owners keep the original name and the others change it. We do name puppies in a way that matches their look and personality. Below is a list of names in alphabetical order and also lists based off of the puppies coloring.

Popular French Bulldog Names A – Z

A – Aster, Adore, Archie, Ariel, Angus, Ace, Aqua, Arya, Avalon, Axel, Angel, Alpha

B – Biscuit, Baby, Buttercup, Bon Bon, Barker, Belle, Bean, Blossom, Buddy, Bear, Bandit, Bruno, Beau, Berry, Blondie, Blush, Blizzard, Buddha, Bianca

C – Charm, Crumpet, Champ, Cuddles, Copper, Coco, Chico, Cherry, Clementine, Cinnamon, Cinderella Calla, Cupcake, Clyde, Caruso, Cookie, Chica, Cracker Jack

D – Duke, Darling, DaVinci, Dot, Dexter, Diva, Drifter, Dodger, Diamond, Dior, Daffy, Dahlia, Demi, Duchess, Dori

E – Echo, Elmo, Eggo, Emerald, Eloise, Eager, Ebony, Elvis

F – French Fry, Felicity, Finn, Fuchsia, Fluffernutter, Fifi, Freesia, Foxy, Fidget, Fletcher, Falcon, Fievel, Fargo, Fabian

G – Guapo, Gus, Gumbo, Gizmo, Goldie, Ginny, Giselle, Ginger, Gabin, Giovanni

H – Honey, Harley, Hank, Hazel, Holly, Harmony, Hamilton, Helix, Hoagie

I – Iris, Ivory, Itsy, Indigo, Imagine, Indy

J – Joy, Jingle, Jax, Jasper, June, Jade, Jules, Juicy, Jimbo

K – King, Kitty, Kobe, Kingsley, Konan

L – Louie, Lady Bug, Leo, Lucky, Loki, Lacey, Licorice, Luna

M – Meatball, Myrtle, Mosby, Mojo, Milo, Murphy, Moose, Marley, Maverick, Mocha, Mary Puppins, Maybelline, Maisey, Muffin, Mateo, Minnie

N – Nova, Nugget, Nana, Ninja, Nala, Nacho

O – Oreo, Otis, Olive, Ollie, Oasis, Oscar, Opal, Ophelia, Othello, Oceana, Orca

P – Pace, Pixy, Pork Chop, Petal, Poppy, Peggy Sue, Penny, Pac Man, Prince, Peanut, Pearl, Pastel, Peach, Piglet, Penelope, Portia, Pebbles, Pogo

Q – Quill, Queeny, Quasimodo, Quincy, Quade, Quinn

R – Rambo, Rocky, Romeo, Rainbow, Rosey, Roscoe, Reagan, Roselynn

S – Snapple, Spud, Skipper, Sassy, Sugar, Shadow, Simba, Sunny, Sage, Shrimp, Sissy, Snickers, Scotch

T – Trace, Tobascoe, Treasure, Teddy, Toby, Tank, Teeny, Titan, Tator-Tot, Tornado

U – Uno, Urban, Underdog, Uncle, Ulysses, Unique

V – Valiente, Virgina Woof, Vance, Vaughn, Valentino, Victor, Vera, Violet

W – Winston, Willow, Walnut, Wilma, Wallace, Wren, Wyatt

X, Y, Z – Xerxes, Xena, Yahoo, Yani, Yvette, Zuma, Zeus, Ziggy, Zipper, Zeke, Zebra

French Bulldog Names by Color

Lilac – Ash, Ashley, Lavender, Lilac, Dove, Gandalf the Grey, Foggy, Hazy, Hazel, Gris (French for “gray”), Grigio (Italian for “gray”) Silver, Haiiro (Japanese for “gray”) Vapor, Wraith, Powder, Bullet, Gleam, Glimmer, Glitter, Nickel, Shine, Sterling, Tinsel, Whisp, Satin

Fawn – Cinder, Fade, Peanut Butter, Acorn, Chestnut, Chewbacca, Hickory, Brunette, Taupe, Topaz, Russet, Umber, Bambi, Tanner, Brun, Brown Sugar, Pumpernickel, Cinnamon, Whiskey, Cannoli, Caramel, Cashew, Fawn 

Blue – Agate, Azure, Beryl, Blueberry, Cadet, Cobalt, Harriman, Lapis, Sapphire, Teal, Navy, Periwinkle, Dusk, Shadow, Luster, Slate, Smokey, Stoke, Stoker, Union, Royal, Yale, Steely, Winter, B.B.King, Ajax, Blade, Lake, Ocean, Larkspur, Azurine, Velvet

Chocolate – Hershey, Tootsie, Raisin, Cadbury, Java, Guinness, Cola, Rolo, Kahlua, Clove, Godiva, Snickers, Mocha, Coffee, Cocoa, Bear, Charlie Brown, Mudd, Teak, Brun, 

Pied & Merle – Spot, Speckle, Pepper, Comet, Earl, Foggy, Rush, Crumbs, Stormy, Dusty, Merle, Bandit, Blotch, Calico, Camo, Chutney, Checkers, Dapple, Dice, Dicey, Dumpling, Domino, Dot, Dottie, Freckles, Mittens, Patches, Polka dot, Sox, Speckles, Tux, Inky, Grit, Smudge, Raven, Batman, Stallion, Black Jack, Knight, Blizzard

Cream & White – Blondie, Nilla, Brie, Aspen, Honey, Blanca, Ferrah, Bagel, Thistle, Butters, Tofu, Casper, Banshee, Marshmallow, Vanilla, Ivory, Biscuit, Sandy, Summer, Savannah, Tuscan, Sesame, Buff, Buffy, Beige, Chowder, Pearl, Sprite, Dazzle, Cream Puff, Waffles, Buttercup

Brindle, Black, or Black & White – Coal, Orca, Oreo, Shadow, Specter, Phantom, Ink, Cinder, Jet, Soot, Witch, Onyx, BlackBerry, Caviar, Licorice, Butler, Iron, Mica, Lava, Char, Diesel

What French Bulldog Names do you like?

Many owners are shocked when their sweet little French Bulldog eats poop. It is common enough to have its own name called coprophagy. Not all Frenchies will do this but some will. Let’s help you understand why and how to prevent it.

Medical Reasons Your French Bulldog eats poop.

1. Enzyme Deficiency: 

Wild dogs were depending on eating whole prey for food which would provide them with additional digestive enzymes that just the ones they produce. Think pancreas. With kibble as most dogs main source of food they aren’t provided much in terms of digestive enzymes. Digestive enzymes help break down nutrients in a way that they can be digested. If they are not getting enough nutrients they could turn around and eat their poo. 

2. Parasites

Your Frenchie could have parasites. Parasites need food too to stay alive and may cause your French Bulldog to not be able to absorb nutrients. 

Increased appetite from conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, or taking steroids may make your little one feel hungry 

3. Hydrochloric acid deficiency

If your Frenchie doesn’t have enough hydrochloric acid he may not be able to properly digest food resulting in a loss of nutrients. He may then turn to finding those nutrients in his feces. 

5. Underfeeding. 

If your French Bulldog is losing weight he may not be getting enough nutrients from his food.  A hungry dog will look for other sources of food. 

Behavioral Reasons Your French Bulldog Eats Poop. 

1. Learned behavior from mother.

One of the reasons they might is they learn it from their mother. Momma’s eat their puppies puppy poo to keep things clean and tidy. Some of their little ones just might catch on and make it a habit.

2. Exploration

Most puppies put everything in their mouths to learn more about their environment…including poop. Fortunately, I have noticed most Frenchies who do tend to grow out of it in a few weeks, months, and at the latest around one year old.

3.     Boredom. 

Sometime they eat poop because they don’t have anything else to do. 

4.    Scavengers. 

Dogs are natural scavengers and unlike us it smells great to them. 

5.     Stress.

Some dogs eat their own poo to relieve stress. 

6.     Attention seeking

It may seem weird but some may think bad attention is better than no attention. They may do it for attention. 

7.     Punishment. 

Some dogs are concerned with being punished so they eat it to hide the evidence. 

How to stop your French Bulldog from eating poop. 

1. Keep it clean. 

Go outside with your Frenchie and pick up the poop as soon as he goes. 

2. Develop Play. 

It’s important to keep your Frenchies mind stimulated with play and toys that stimulate his brain. Make sure they are safe and always supervise when playing with toys. 

3. Feed a good quality diet & consider adding a multivitamin, digestive enzymes, and probiotics. 

Add a good quality multivitamin with minerals. Giving your French a good multivitamin/mineral can prevent him to looking at his poo to meet his nutritional needs. 

For a hydrochloric acid deficiency consider adding apple cider vinegar in their water or mixed with food at 1 tsp per 25lbs body weight. If your puppy is around 12lbs then give about 1/2 tsp as a reference.

4. Check for parasites. 

Call your vet and ask for him to do a fecal sample. Deworm your Frenchie regularly as well.

Studies show punishing your French isn’t effective. The food additives are only effective 2% of the time. Keep your French Bulldogs digestive tract in consideration when eating poo. He may be deficient in something. I will tell you that each of mine has outgrown it. Sometimes it’s a few weeks, months, and others stop around 1 year old.