BREEDER
RECOMMENDATIONS
from the FBDCA Health & Genetics
Committee 2002 |
1. Did you get your Frenchie from a breeder?
(Dogs sold in pet stores are seldom good
specimens of the breed, and are often
unhealthy.)
YES NO: Stop, Look,
Listen, and THINK!
2. Did you get a 3 to 5 generation pedigree
with your Frenchie? (A reputable breeder will
always provide a pedigree so that you can see
your dog’s lineage.)
YES NO: Stop, Look,
Listen, and THINK!
3. Does your Frenchie have a good temperament?
Does it socialize well with people and other
animals? (If you can’t tell, take the dog out to
training classes. The instructor can help you
evaluate the dog’s temperament. Dogs with bad
temperaments should not be bred, regardless of
how good their conformation is.
YES NO: Stop, Look,
Listen, and THINK!
4. Is your Frenchie a good and easy (and quiet)
breather, particularly with moderate exercise,
and in moderately warm weather? (Frenchies with
bad airways are difficult to manage in hot
weather and can have problems with any sort of
stress or exercise. If you can’t tell, have your
vet evaluate the dog’s airway.)
YES NO: Stop, Look,
Listen, and THINK!
5. Can your Frenchie move with ease, and sustain
a vigorous and active trot? (A variety of
orthopedic problems contribute to poor movement,
and may have an inheritable basis. If you can’t
tell visit dog shows and compare your dog’s gait
with that of other Frenchies. Have a reputable
breeder help you evaluate it.)
YES NO: Stop, Look,
Listen, and THINK!
6. Is your Frenchie in general good health, and
free of major health problems? (An unhealthy
bitch is more likely to have trouble with
pregnancy and whelping, and some health problems
could be inherited by the puppies from either
parent.)
YES NO: Stop, Look,
Listen, and THINK!
7. Does your Frenchie conform to the breed
standard? (Do not breed a Frenchie who is not a
good specimen of the breed, hoping that somehow
the puppies will conform better to the standard.
If you don’t know whether your dog has good
conformation, read and study the standard, talk
with experienced breeders and ask them for an
honest assessment of your dog.)
YES NO: Stop, Look,
Listen, and THINK!
8. Have you had your Frenchie tested for, and
found to be free of, Brucellosis or
other infectious diseases? (There are
infections of the reproductive tract that can be
transmitted during a natural mating (or from dog
to bitch during artificial insemination), and
can also prevent or terminate pregnancy or cause
problems for the puppies after birth.)
YES NO: Stop, Look,
Listen, and THINK!
9. Have you had your Frenchie’s eyes examined by
an ophthalmologist within the last year and
found to be normal? (There are several eye
conditions in Frenchies that are thought to be
inheritable. Only a veterinary ophthalmologist
with the necessary specialized equipment can
detect some of these.)
YES NO: Stop, Look,
Listen, and THINK!
10. Has a vet palpated your Frenchie’s hips and
patellae and found them to be sound and
well-seated? Have X-rays been done? (Though hip
dysplasia is not the problem in Frenchies that
it is in larger breeds, it is a good idea to
know the status of your dog’s hips, so that if
they are severely deficient you can take this
into consideration when deciding whether, and to
whom, to breed it.)
YES NO: Stop, Look,
Listen, and THINK!
11. Is your Frenchie’s spine without more than a
couple of malformed vertebrae, does it have a
normal spinal canal, and does it look free of
degenerated discs? Are your dog and its close
relatives without a history of symptomatic “back
trouble”? (Most symptomatic back problems in
Frenchies are due to premature disc degeneration
and herniation, and other degenerative
processes. Hemivertebrae are very common in the
breed and do not usually cause any trouble
unless they protrude into the spinal canal or
impinge on the spinal nerves exiting the spine.
It is a good idea to avoid breeding Frenchies
with many malformed vertebrae or prematurely
degenerated discs.)
YES NO: Stop, Look,
Listen, and THINK!
12. Are you financially able to provide good
veterinary care for the mother and puppies,
particularly if there should be complications?
Do you have the time and the physical ability to
provide 24-hour a day surveillance over the
newborns if it should be necessary? Will you be
able to find good homes for however many puppies
there should be and will you be prepared to take
them back if necessary? (The tests for
infections, eye exams and orthopedic exams that
you should have done can be expensive, in
addition to routine veterinary care and the
added costs of prenatal care, cesarean section,
and immunizations for puppies. If you are not
prepared to make a financial commitment to a
breeding that could end up costing you a
significant amount of money, then do not breed
your Frenchie.)
YES NO: Stop, Look,
Listen, and THINK!
13. Is your bitch two years old or in at least
her second heat cycle (not her first)? (Bitches
should not be bred until they are fully
physically mature, are able to carry a litter to
term, and are vigorous enough to recover quickly
from cesarean surgery and nurse a litter for 5
or more weeks.)
YES NO: Stop, Look,
Listen, and THINK!
If you answered YES to all of these, then you
may have a French Bulldog of breeding quality.
HOWEVER, before you breed your dog, consider
honestly your reasons for wanting to breed. Do
NOT breed your Frenchie just to show the kids
“the miracle of birth,” or so that you can get a
puppy just like your wonderful dog (you should
go to your dog’s parents for that), or because
you want to make money by selling puppies.
BREEDING SHOULD BE DONE TO IMPROVE THE BREED.
So before you breed your Frenchie, STOP, LOOK,
LISTEN, AND THINK!
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