If you are facing behavior problems with your French Bulldog, you are not alone!
While every French bulldog is different, there are some common French bulldog behavior problems that almost every Frenchie owner will face. It could be that your Frenchie’s behavior is due to an underlying medical condition, or simply just bad training. These include separation anxiety, chewing, playing too rough, and more.
Understanding the behavior and how to deal with it is half the battle. As most people know, French bulldogs are naturally stubborn, so they can sometimes be tricky to train. They are great at being clingy and independent at the same time!
The best way to avoid common french bulldog behavior problems is to make sure that they have a good home life. One where they get plenty of exercise and attention from their owners and other family members (if possible).
In this article, we will look at the different behavior problems that most French bulldogs have and how you can stop this behavior and live happily with these colorful personalities.
Typical French Bulldog Behavior
French bulldogs are one of the most stubborn and energetic dogs I have ever owned. They love to play and wrestle with their owners. Because they are very affectionate dogs that like cuddling. You can often see them cuddling other dogs, my two Frenchies at home even cuddle with my cats.
French Bulldogs are great guard dogs and will let you know if there is something going on outside by barking or growling at the window or gate. Because they have a lot of energy, they need plenty of exercise and stimulation or they can get naughty.
Typical French Bulldog Behavior Problems – A Summary
French bulldogs can be a handful when it comes to their behavior. This is because, as described above, they have unique personalities. They have an adorable “bulldog face” that makes them irresistible to people who are not familiar with them (and sometimes even those who are).
However, this appearance can lead some people to mistakenly think that they’re soft and cuddly like other dogs. In reality, French Bulldogs are very energetic and active–they need regular exercise and an outlet for their general energy levels.
So what sort of problems can you expect from your new addition? It depends on the individual dog but there are some common problems with French Bulldogs that arise across most cases:
Separation Anxiety (FOMO)
Separation anxiety is a very common French bulldog behavior problem. It can occur when your dog is left alone or separated from its owners and can be very similar to FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)
A frenchie will feel this way if they have been taught that separation from its owner is bad, scary, and not fun. (Especially in the case of an insecure rescue or shelter frenchie.) They might start acting out when they are left alone, barking aggressively and causing destruction to objects around them.
It’s important to note that separation anxiety doesn’t just affect French bulldogs – any breed can suffer from it.
The good news is that there are ways you can help your anxious Frenchie overcome this issue:
How To Stop French Bulldogs Separation Anxiety?
There are several steps you can take to help your French Bulldog overcome this problem:
- Leave a blanket or towel that smells like you for them to sleep on.
- Get them some toys that they can play with.
- My Frenchies love their toys and will carry them to their bed and cuddle them! It’s so adorable.
- Make sure your pup gets enough exercise before leaving them alone for long periods of time (for instance, do some playtime before going out the whole day)
- Take them with you everywhere possible (to cafes etc.) so they get used to being around other people/animals. Where I live it’s normal to have your dogs with you always, so it’s a good thing for them and their FOMO.
Barking & Whining
Whining and barking are two of the most common French Bulldog behavior problems, but they’re also a problem for many other dog breeds.
French bulldogs are known to whine, especially when they’re lonely or bored. This can get annoying after a while—especially if you have neighbors who complain about it!
Although it might seem like whining is just cute puppy noises, there may be more than meets the eye here. Whining can also be caused by anxiety in your French Bulldog puppy or adult.
How To Stop French Bulldogs Barking & Whining?
Barking is a natural behavior for dogs, and it is used to communicate with other dogs and humans. French bulldogs have a high-pitched bark that can be annoying. They are not known to be aggressive, but they can bark aggressively at strangers (animals or people).
Distraction is your best tool here. Call your Frenchie to reward them for doing something, and overrule the behavior by enforcing good behavior (e.g., asking your dog to heel, in situations where your dog barks).
If you are unable to distract your dog, you may need to train them not to bark. You can do this by using a spray bottle of water. When your dog barks, give them a squirt of water and then try to call them to heel next to you again and reward them if they do.
Chewing & Destroying Stuff
French Bulldogs are known to be destructive and can chew on things that you don’t want them to. If you find that your French Bulldog is chewing on something he shouldn’t (like the couch), try spraying lemon juice on it. The acidity from the lemon juice will encourage him/her not to go near it anymore because of its unpleasant odor.
If a particular item smells like an owner or another animal that’s important in their life (like a cat) then they’ll want some attention from those people/animals by destroying their favorite item(s).
How To Stop French Bulldogs Chewing & Destroying Stuff?
As a general rule, the first thing you should do is make sure your dog is getting enough exercise and mental stimulation.
- Frenchies need to be exercised daily, ideally for about 30 minutes, twice a day.
- They also need mental stimulation, which can come in the form of toys or games like fetch.
A good rule of thumb: If you leave your dog at home alone all day while you’re at work. Make sure your Frenchie has plenty of toys and chew items on paw. Because they are likely going to get bored and seek out ways to entertain themselves.
Too Clingy
French Bulldogs are very loving dogs. They are affectionate and like to be close to their owners, and they are capable, yet stubbornly independent dogs. They need to be socialized and trained early on in order to behave properly and not develop any bad habits that could cause them problems later on in life.
Like many other breeds of dogs, Frenchies have a tendency to get jealous when their owners pay attention or give affection to another person or animal besides themselves.
This can lead some French Bulldogs into a state known as “hovering” or “clinginess” which can be pretty annoying for everyone involved! Some people may even feel like their dog has become more attached than usual after being separated from them for just an hour or two.
How To Stop French Bulldogs Clingy Behavior?
As a general rule, the first thing that you may need to do is stop giving them special attention whenever they follow you around or beg for attention. You may think that this would make them clingier but actually, it will just encourage them to learn patience. They need to know that you give them your attention on your terms and not on theirs.
Instead of giving them extra attention every time they follow us around the house looking for affectionate gestures such as belly rubs. Take him outside on walks instead so they get exercise while simultaneously spending quality time with you.
Playing Too Rough
As I said, French Bulldogs are very playful and energetic dogs, so they love to play with their owners, sometimes cats and other dogs. They can get carried away playing too roughly though, so you may have to set some limits if your Frenchie is playing too aggressively.
My Frenchie will sometimes play with the cats. My cats all like to play with the dogs but the Frenchie can be too rough sometimes. I can sometimes hear my cat howling at night as my French Bulldog lightly gnaws on his head in satisfaction.
How To Stop French Bulldogs Playing Too Rough?
You can stop French Bulldogs from playing too rough by making sure you are in control of the game and setting rules for the game. You should also be consistent with your rules and use positive reinforcement when they play well, rather than negative reinforcement.
When it comes to French Bulldogs and all dogs, you need to be prepared for anything. They love their owners more than anything else in this world, but if an owner doesn’t know how to handle them properly then things could go from bad to worse very quickly. It’s important to never encourage this type of rough playful behavior with humans. Because it can lead to accidents that could hurt people later on.
Stubbornness
I’ve had two Frenchies and both of them have been some of the most stubborn dogs ever.
One refuses to eat out of anything unless you give(serve) it in her bowl. She will only eat out of two bowls. One for snacks and one for food. And if it’s not in the right bowl she will not eat. She’s so stubborn that she will starve herself. I even tempted her with steak once on a plate once. All I got was a deep sigh as she rolled her eyes and looked away. I then tried to put the steak in her food bowl too but nothing. As soon as I put it in her snack bowl she would jump up and bark asking for it!
The other one never gives up on trying to play with frogs, no matter how many times they’ve urinated on her. She keeps trying to bite them every single day.
These kinds of behaviors are typical for Frenchies; it’s just something you’ll need to accept when adopting or buying one as your companion.
How To Stop French Bulldogs Stubbornness?
The following are some ways that you can deal with french bulldogs being stubborn:
- Don’t reward bad behavior. If your dog misbehaves, don’t reward them for doing so by giving them food or playing with them.
- Don’t give in to their demands or let them do whatever they want just because it’s cute or funny/hilarious.
Are French Bulldogs Difficult to Train?
Like any dog, Frenchies are smart and can be trained. However, it may take more time and patience to train them because of their tendency to be stubborn. They can also be aggressive when they don’t get their way or feel threatened. Additionally, because of their small size but their heavy weight, they are not easy for children to control unless you’re consistent with training from early on.
Often Frenchies will have housebreaking issues due to being small and having a small bladder. This means that you need an effective strategy for housebreaking your Frenchie puppy if you want results fast.
Can You Train Older Frenchies?
As a whole, older French bulldogs can be trained. But not all dogs will be motivated to learn new things.
Older dogs may not have the energy to learn or they may have physical limitations that make it difficult to learn. An older French bulldog may also have mental limitations that make it difficult to learn.
The best way to find out if your French bulldog is trainable is to start with some basic commands and see how he or she responds. If you can’t get him or her to obey simple commands like “sit”, “stay” or “down” then it may be too difficult to train them a lot more.
Tips to Prevent French Bulldog Behavior Problems
- Set rules and boundaries.
- Be consistent.
- Don’t reward bad behavior.
- Don’t punish too harshly (or at all).
- Use positive reinforcement to reward good behavior instead of punishing negative ones.
- Find the right training tools for your French Bulldog’s breed personality type: some are more stubborn than others, some are more submissive, and so on. You’ll want to use the right method for your dog.
- Know how your French Bulldog communicates with you. There are many different ways for you to also communicate with your dog. You should learn to read their body language, vocalizations, and emotions. Because it will definitely be studying yours!
Conclusion
You may have noticed that many of these problems stem from poor socialization as puppies. Or even during early development stages, which means they will respond especially well if treated properly early on in life.
While some of these issues can be difficult to resolve, there are ways to help. French Bulldogs are such social and affectionate dogs that they usually respond very well when given the right tools. I hope these tips will help you to enjoy the life of owning a French bulldog.
