Sarah Mitchell

Professional Pet Behaviorist

I'm Sarah Mitchell, your dedicated guide to understanding and improving your pet's behavior. As a Certified Pet Behavior Consultant (CPBC), I've spent years working closely...

How to teach your pet French Bulldog can be an exercise in patience and tolerance. This breed has a very high energy level and requires daily exercise to avoid excess wear and tear on their joints. Although Frenchies have a reputation as being very affectionate, they can also become aggressive if they are bored or left to their own devices. If you are thinking about adopting a French Bulldog, keep these guidelines in mind to make training easy and fun for both you and your pet.

Train Your Pet With Love – Proper puppy training is essential when you begin thinking about how to train a French bulldog. Keep it quick and firm. Short, stocky French Bulldogs often put on quite a lot of weight fairly quickly, so long training sessions should be frequent enough to prevent excess weight gain. During playtime, practice the sit command and always reward your puppy with praise and attention when they sit.

Avoid The Three Stages Of Decline – The three stages of French bulldog training are: the timid, the lazy and the stubborn. All three stages of this aggressive breed should be avoided at any cost. The shy French bulldog will learn to sit through your commands; the lazy and stubborn French bulldogs will continue to dig, chew and nip at your ankles; and finally, the stubborn French bulldog is apt to be a bit uncooperative. It is important to get your puppy used to you before trying to break any of the patterns established during puppy training. Always remember, positive reinforcement is the key to a well behaved pet.

Introduce The Crate – This is perhaps the best step to take when looking at how to train a French bulldog. Training a Frenchie in a crate requires patience, consistency and firmness. When setting up the crate for your puppy, it is best to set it up in the same location each time you bring him into the crate. Leave the crate door open, but not fully opened. Place the puppy in the crate with his nose towards the door.

Introduce A Squeaky Toy – This method of how to potty train a French bulldog works wonders. If you have a puppy that tends to whine when in the house, consider buying a squeaky toy that he can cuddle with. If the puppy begins to whine, respond in kind. Puppies are notorious for whining, and you don’t want to be the person that starts the feeding frenzy when a puppy whines. Start by playing with the squeaky toy, and after he gets used to it respond in kind when his ears are touched.

Remember that it takes a lot of work to properly train your French bulldog: Be patient and consistent. Patience and consistency are also important, since you will need to spend quite a bit of time with your pet and train him properly.

Remember to never place him in a choke collar, leash or front carrier, as these will cause him to respond negatively.