Known affectionately as the Frenchie, Frogdog or Bat Ears, and in France as the Bouledogue Franais, this little dog was developed primarily as a companion animal. In England at one stage it was known as the French Toy Bulldog.
This is a miniaturized, bat-eared bulldog, with a body height of only 12 in (31 cm) and a weight of 22-28 lb (10-13 kg). Some authors describe its original function as `bull-baiting’, but the truth is that, from the moment the French Bulldog existed as a distinct, separate breed, it was essentially a pet animal.
Its early history has been hotly debated, but the most likely version is as follows. In the early 1850s a dwarf bulldog breed, called the Toy Bulldog, was common in London, Nottingham, Birmingham and Sheffield. In Nottingham it was especially popular with the local lace-makers. The Industrial Revolution in Britain at that time meant that ‘cottage industries’ such as lace-making were under threat. The lace-makers tried their luck elsewhere and many settled in northern France, taking their small bulldogs with them. Once there, these little companion animals became popular in rural districts. In addition to their value as family pets, they showed a fondness for ratting; some say that, as a way of improving this feature, a little terrier blood was added. Others believe that some Pug crosses also occurred.
After several decades, a new breed that could justifiably be called the French Bulldog had developed. Unlike all other bulldogs or their relatives, it had now sprouted large, erect, bat-like ears. Parisians heard about this unusual little dog and it was soon taken up as an urban pet, at first by the Belles de Nuit (Ladies of the Night) and then, a little later, by those wishing to appear socially daring. It was paraded proudly up and down the Champs-Elyses, and French artists Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec immortalized the breed in their paintings of Paris social life.
Eventually, because of its delightful personality, the demand for this little dog spread wider and wider, and it rose to become one of the most favoured of all French breeds. It found its way to other European countries such as Holland, Austria and Russia, and even crossed the Atlantic to be taken up in the United States, where its bat-ears were especially admired.
In the 1890s this now essentially Gallic breed also made what was intended to be a triumphant return to Britain in its new form. Instead it was met with out-and-out hostility. The very name ‘bulldog’ was thought to be uniquely British. National pride was at stake, and the French Bulldog was written off by certain breeders as an inferior variant of the English Toy Bulldog ‘hampered by many undesirable features’. There were furious arguments, a major split occurred, and in 1902 a splinter group of British enthusiasts banded together to form the French Bulldog Club of England. They held their first show in 1903, when no fewer than 51 examples of this breed were displayed.
On 1st January 1906, the Kennel Club in London gave the breed its official approval under the title of Bouledogue Franais. In 1912 they changed its name to French Bulldog. It later went on to triumph over the English breed and, unlike its rival, is still with us today.
In temperament, this breed is brave, loyal, affectionate, vivacious and intelligent. With children it is endlessly playful. Furthermore, unlike so many breeds of dog, this one is ideally suited to life in towns and cities. In colour it can be brindle, pied or fawn. Its naturally short tail is left undocked.
The breed has one sad distinction: a French Bulldog is said to have been the only pet animal to have perished when the Titanic sank in 1912.
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