“What’s so great about frenchies?”
Before we get into the deeper questions, lets talk about why french bulldogs are so great! Of course, we can’t speak for everyone so we’ll just tell you why we love french bulldogs so much! (The Readers Digest version, of course or else we’d be here all day!
They are truly your best friends! French bulldogs are extremely friendly and sociable.
FULL of personality!
Perfect Energy Level! Always down to play, always down for a nap LOL
Smart and Trainable
Biggest sweethearts! They are very empathetic and kind!
Good with all ages!
Showstoppers! Everyone will want to meet them and they’ll want to meet everyone!
“how do i know if a breeder is responsible?”
Their facilities and daily dog care
Prenatal and whelping procedures
Information sharing and support
When searching for a responsible breeder there are several factors that you NEED to consider. One of the first things you should look at is the environment in which they are breeding and their dogs are living in. Their areas should be clean and safe, yes. But you should also consider the comfort and treatment of their dogs. Do the dogs live inside, have ample access to food, water, vitamins. Are they socialized, played with and loved on regularly. Do they live in a home with more dogs than it is possible to comfortably house and care for. Possible things to look out for in moms AND puppies:
Dogs are crated often or always
Dogs live outside
Dogs are in an unclean and/or unsafe, overwhelming environment.
The breeder hesitates to show you their dogs complete environment including where they sleep and eat.
Breeder can not immediately answer questions about their dogs likes, dislikes, personality.
Breeder has more dogs than they can care for.
Dogs seem skittish, fearful or aggressive.
Next you should pay attention to how many times a female has been bred (or will be,) and also at how the females prenatal care and delivery is handled. In our opinion, a female should never be bred more than three times. Less if she has very large litters or of course, if she has pregnancy or post natal related health issues or distress. Any female should be health tested, monitored by a veterinarian and given all necessary supplements and calories during pregnancy.
There are many breeders out there who “free-whelp.” This means allowing a female to deliver naturally and/or allowing mom to be alone with young puppies and nurse with little or no supervision. At Baker Built Frenchies, we do not encourage this as responsible breeding due to the negative safety and health consequences it can render. French Bulldogs can deliver naturally but it can be very dangerous and result in the death of mom or her babies. This is why we choose C-sections so our moms can safely deliver their puppies and recover under close vet supervision. Leaving mom alone with puppies can lead to them being accidentally crushed, suffocated or injured. Allowing mom to nurse with little or no supervision can lead to untreated milk aspiration (milk stuck in the nose) which can quickly develop into aspiration pneumonia. It also makes it harder to monitor weight gain, milk supply and stress levels. Some breeders successfully free-whelp but to us, it isn’t worth the risk. We won’t risk our dogs our puppies health or safety for any reason. Ever.
Breeders should also be forthcoming with information regarding their program, health and genetic testing, their dogs, whelping procedures and the home life / daily care of their dogs. If a breeder is hesitant or resistant to answering any of your questions with full transparency, denies or is hesitant to video call or do in home visits and does not share health or veterinary information- these are red flags you should address right away.
“Should my puppy have a health guarantee?”
ABSOLUTELY.
Every Baker Built Frenchie comes with a one year health guarantee covering any genetic, congenital or hereditary illnesses. In addition to our health guarantee, we will send you home with lots of information on how to care for your puppy, common puppy issues and how to address them, a list of our suggested vaccinations and what to look for in the perfect veterinarian for your family. You can read our health guarantee in full here.
“How do I start the search for a healthy puppy?”
Find a responsible breeder you trust
Research, research, research!
Review parentage and health information
Ask lots and lots of questions!
Look at customer reviews
The first step to finding a healthy puppy is finding not just a responsible breeder but also one you trust. Talk to them, ask lots of questions and ask for customer reviews. If the breeder is personable, friendly and forthcoming with all information that is a huge positive sign. Go with your instincts! Finding a breeder you love and trust is so important because it means you have open and trusted lines of communication from the beginning. We consider our customers family and treat them as such! Whoever you choose to purchase from should make you feel the same.
The next step on your search for a puppy is to research…and then research some more! Bringing any puppy into your home is a decision that should not be made lightly. Try and find out everything about french bulldogs, their care and their needs to determine if they would be a good fit for you and your family. Your breeder should help you by answering all your questions and pointing you in the right direction for research. You can find lots of our favorite resources and information about french bulldogs and their care throughout this page and HERE as well.
Once you have found a breeder you trust and done lots of research its time to get into the details! ASk lots of questions about your puppies environment, their parentage and what to expect when you bring your puppy home. Review customer experiences and ask your breeder about their suggestions regarding ongoing care.
“How can I tell if a puppy is healthy?”
The health and genetic testing of their parents
The health of mom at time of breeding and her prenatal care
The puppies physical examination results
The physical appearance of the puppy and their behavior
The answer to this question can be broken up into two answers. The first begins before your puppy is even born. We use health and genetic testing to make our pairing decisions based on health before aesthetics. Every single dog in our program is health tested and cleared. We have tested and reviewed all DNA, health and genetic testing results for our own dogs as well as any out of house studs to ensure that there are no genetic or other health issues that could be passed down. Furthermore, before any of our mamas are bred they are taken to the vet for a full health workup everytime. This includes full blood work, a physical exam and making sure they are up to date on vaccinations. We make sure to supplement our pregnant moms with the extra vitamins, supplements and calories they need throughout pregnancy and nursing.
The second answer comes after the puppy is here! All of our pups are taken to the vet at 8 weeks, which is the earliest time it is safe for them to leave the house. At that appointment they are given a full physical examination. If you have purchased your puppy before 8 weeks, we always encourage you to attend this vet visit if you are local or attend via video call so that you are able to watch the exam and ask any questions you have for our vet! All our puppies have been administered their first vaccinations before they come home.
“How are baker built puppies whelped?”
Each puppy is hand raised from birth
Nursing and Mother bonding supported
Emphasis on Socialization
Age Appropriate food and environmental transitions.
Early Puppy-Pad Training
Puppy Parent involvement and transparency.
We hand raise every single litter here at Baker Built Frenchies. This means that from the second they are born, we are with them 24 hours a day. We whelp in house using a Pet Brooder 90 Incubator and Oxygen concentrator. This ensures proper temperature regulation and oxygenation as well as a safe and comfy place for our pups to grow. Mom is kept in the same room and nearby her puppies at all time to encourage bonding and reduce stress levels in both mom and pups. We assist mom in nursing every two hours, keeping a watchful eye for any signs of distress in mom or puppies and monitoring milk supply. When we have a large litter or mom is struggling with milk supply, we supplement by bottle feeding a special homemade formula that makes sure pups are getting proper nutrients and calories. We keep each puppy clean and comfortable, helping them use the restroom after every feeding. The handling of the puppies is restricted to us for the first few weeks and we keep our hands clean and sanitized.
As the puppies grow, we transition them slowly to “mush” and into our clearly loved enclosure making sure they are regulating their own body temperature. Socialization is a huge part of our whelping process! As the puppies get older, we make sure they are never isolated and that they are played with and loved on constantly. (the most rewarding part of the process!) We also let mom lounge and play with her pups under supervision. They learn so much from their mamas and the moms love teaching them! We encourage potty pad use as soon as the puppies can walk and use the restroom on their own by separating their space into clear areas. An area for beds, toys and food is separated from the potty pad area.
By 4-5 weeks we begin the transition from mush to small bites puppy food and their very own water dish! We watch carefully during this transition to ensure there is no choking or drowning. We keep in contact with our veterinarian if any issues arise, administer vaccinations and take each puppy for a full exam at 8 weeks.
We encourage lots of puppy parent participation! We like to send lots of photos and videos of your puppy growing and learning. We encourage questions and video calls!
“Where can I learn more about caring for my puppy?”
CAring for french bulldogs is simple once you have done some basic research! They are a generally happy, healthy and friendly breed. We wrote an entire blog post on caring for your frenchie daily as well as long term, vaccinations and food we suggest, etc. You can read it in full HERE.
We suggest reading our blog post and conducting your own research on top. In the meantime here are some important things you NEED to know about caring for your french bulldog:
French Bulldogs are a brachycephalic breed
Frenchies love attention and thrive on it!
Finding a vet with extensive knowledge about frenchies is important
“What is the difference between full and limited akc?”
“Does my puppy have papers?” is probably our most asked question. In short: YES, all of the puppies have “papers” but what does that mean and why don’t all pups come with physical papers?
“Papers” essentially means they are AKC registered. Both your puppies parents are registered and recognized as purebred french bulldogs with the American Kennel Association. This is where the difference between full and limited AKC comes in. If you have bought a puppy as a pet or “pet home” puppy that means that while they are papered, they do not come with breeding rights. This means that your puppy is a pet only and can not be bred via contract or with their puppies being AKC registered. “Pet Home” prices are lower to reflect this difference. Even without breeding rights you are still able to obtain their pedigree from the AKC but will not be able to obtain the necessary information to breed and register litters with that dog.
Full AKC equates to breeding rights. With your puppy you receive the ability to breed and register litters with the American Kennel Association.
You can find more information about limited vs. full AKC HERE
“why are frenchies so expensive?”
Raising healthy French Bulldogs the right way is very expensive and time consuming. We not only want to breed with only health tested, top quality parents but also provide our puppies the best, most attentive care from birth. There are many factors and expenses that play a role in how we set our prices which include but are not limited to:
Our time invested in raising happy and healthy puppies (24/7 from birth until they go home)
Care for pregnant moms
Whelping supplies
Puppy supplies (toys, beds, etc)
C- section
Genetic health testing
DNA coat color testing
Veterinary care
Puppy pads
High quality puppy food
Stud cost
“Where can i find customer reviews?”
Your breeder should provide a list of references for you to review! You can find ours HERE.
“How does shipping work?”
We offer shipping for all our babies within the United States at an additional cost, that typically varies depending on airfare costs. We fly with the babies in cabin with us as a carry on. Buyers may also set up their own puppy nannies or fly down them selves and we can arrange to meet at either DFW or Dallas Love airport.
“What should i look for in a vetrinarian”
Knowledge about French Bulldogs/ brachycephalic breeds
Extensive reproductive knowledge and adequate facilities (if you intend to breed)
Trust and Transparency
“I don’t see my question here. How can I contact you?”
Wewant to answer all your questions! Please send us a message below and we’ll get right back to you! We can’t wait to discuss frenchies with you and help you on your journey to learn more!