French Bulldogs are quite unusual dogs. No wonder there are so many weird Frenchie behaviors! These are clownish pups with a huge tendency to make you laugh and have lots of fun while doing it.
But, not everything can be fun in life. There must be some limits. Not every Frenchie behavior should be tolerated. You might find your little doggy to be simply wonderful and flawless, but I’m not sure your neighbors will tolerate late night barking or jumping on them every time you see them.
Before you learn how to deal with those weird Frenchie behaviors, we must point them out. This will help you determine whether your Frenchie is acting weird or if it’s just their normal, everyday weirdness.
What Are Some Weird Frenchie Behaviors?
Let’s face it: Frenchies are little clown dogs, and pretty much everything they do is either ridiculous or hilarious. So, we can say Frenchies act weird all the time.
But, there’s still a big difference between socially acceptable behavior and weird quirks.
We will discuss all the known weird Frenchie behaviors so you’ll know what to expect.
1. Chewing
Unfortunately, every dog chews, especially if they’re still a puppy. Whether they’re dealing with teething or they’re simply misbehaved, chewing is an issue.
How many times have you found chewed up slippers? Do your dining room chairs have teeth marks? Oh, I know the pain of finding destroyed shoes.
Chewing should be stopped immediately when you notice it, of course, in case it’s not caused by teething. A teething puppy can be helped with some chew toys and teeth sticks.
But, if your Frenchie is not teething anymore, and you still find bite marks everywhere, something must be done, and that something is finding the cause.
Frenchies can bite for many other reasons, especially if they’re under lots of stress. Once you eliminate the most obvious chewing reasons like hunger or boredom, stress is the first major reason to suspect.
Of course, separation anxiety as well as frustration can cause chewing, too, but more on that soon.
2. Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is probably the biggest problem of all weird Frenchie behaviors. Unfortunately, it’s quite common for this dog breed, and it happens because of a lot of reasons.
Simply put – dogs that are being left alone at home for too long, especially if it happens every day, are extra prone to developing separation anxiety. Your dog misses you when you’re gone, and dogs that aren’t successfully socialized and trained can take this hard.
But, missing you is not the only thing your dog does when you’re not there. He can be in severe distress. Believe it or not, your dog actually believes you won’t return. And, once you do, he’s unbelievably relieved.
The pacing will stop, as well as unwanted behavior like barking, chewing, destroying things, and even going potty inside the house or potty training regression as if getting a Frenchie potty trained wasn’t hard enough!
Separation anxiety is not something that should be ignored. Consider yourself blessed on one hand because that means your dog is super attached to you. However, that amount of clinginess is not okay.
Your dog will need to learn that he’ll survive when you’re not there, either by crate training him or giving him some calming supplements prescribed by the vet.
If you don’t treat separation anxiety, it may even turn into depression, and that’s a problem that doesn’t go away that easily.
3. The Velcro Dog Syndrome
Dogs that are super prone to separation anxiety are also dogs that are super clingy. French Bulldogs are one of those dogs susceptible to the velcro dog syndrome. This is a real deal, and shows an immense level of clinginess.
Since French Bulldogs were especially bred to be human companions, and honestly, nothing else, you can imagine how clingy they can get.
Unfortunately, this clingy behavior is tightly linked to separation anxiety, but it’s not as intense. Still, I’d react in time if my Frenchie becomes extra clingy overnight.
4. Begging With Those Huge Puppy Eyes
Okay, I won’t lie to you: it’s super sweet to see a dog begging for food scraps, but at the same time, it’s super dangerous, too.
Begging is one of those weird Frenchie behaviors we don’t see with every dog. Still, that doesn’t decrease the severeness of that behavioral issue.
There’s really no point in yelling at your dog to stop it or giving it a bite or two. Once they realize you will give them food scraps, they won’t stop begging.
It’s not that you’re a selfish person who doesn’t want to share. Giving your dog table scraps can be a potential health problem because dogs aren’t supposed to eat our food. There’s a short list of human foods that are acceptable for dogs, but spicy food or fast food meals are not on it.
5. Barking
Okay, barking is definitely a behavioral problem that has a zero funny factor. It’s not amusing; it’s irritating and annoying. And, on top of that, it can bother people living next to you.
Barking and whining go hand in hand together. Your dog will be vocal for many reasons, but most of the time, he will whine and bark at you for attention.
But, what if you already give enough attention to your dog? What could be the issue?
Frenchies aren’t naturally big barkers like their terrier buddies, so we can exclude the genetics factor. Frenchies will bark to get your attention because they’re either hurt or in distress. Also, they will bark all the time if they’re experiencing separation anxiety.
The one thing that could surprise you about Frenchies is that they’re alert and territorial. They make good watchdogs, so everytime they suspect there’s danger coming your way, bakring will start.
6. Jumping On… Everything And Everybody
Frenchies are naturally good-natured and friendly dogs. They will jump on people to greet them and show they’re happy to see them. But, there must be some limits. Jumping on people should not be tolerated, especially if it’s someone they don’t know.
Let’s be honest… not everyone likes to have a dog jumping all over him.
Luckily, this ecstatic behavior can be treated with simple obedience lessons, supported with lots of positive reinforcement.
I urge you not to allow your Frenchie to jump on people while they’re still young puppies. It may become a habit, and you’ll end up with even worse problems.
7. Pulling On The Leash
Learning how to walk on the leash is something all puppies have to learn. Since Frenchies can be a bit stubborn for training, it may take a while before your dog learns how to walk properly next to you.
Some Frenchies tend to pull on the leash quite a lot, even if they were trained. It’s simply because they’re curious creatures, and they want to see everything that lies outdoors.
However, years of pulling on the leash could lead to severe problems with the dog’s spine, neck, posture, trachea, and overall mobility.
If your dog is a tugger, you should skip the standard collar and leash, and pick a harness instead. Frenchies are small dogs, and they can pull off harnesses, but they won’t choke your pup or put extra pressure when he pulls the leash.
If you’re still a fan of collars, these ones might suit your Frenchie.
Still, teaching Fido not to pull on the leash should be your #1 priority.
8. Stubbornness
French Bulldogs are pretty strong-willed. Yes, you can say they’re stubborn dogs. Unfortunately, this is not a good trait, and it should be addressed from the moment you bring your Frenchie pup home.
Lots of training, repetition, treats, and time will be lost to get your Frenchie to lose the stubbornness factor. Even then, we wouldn’t be so sure he’s lost it.
Why?
Because Frenchies suffer from selective hearing, too, and it’s tightly linked to stubbornness.
What you can do for your Frenchie is get him focused and let him know there will be a treat if he listens to you.
So what if it takes 346 repetitions to get him to listen to you?
What Are Frenchies Usually Like?
French Bulldogs are little rascals. They’re prone to acting mischievous, but they don’t mean it in a bad way. These dogs simply want to have fun all the time. Yes, it can be tiring. That’s why Frenchies are not recommended for everyone, despite their friendliness.
Speaking of friendliness…
French Bulldogs are nowhere near aggressive. They are sweet and caring dogs, even around small kids. Once they get into a family, they will think of themselves as equals. And, that’s exactly what you should think, too!
How To Curb Weird Frenchie Behaviors?
Weird Frenchie behaviors can all be curbed with lots of training and socialization.
A lot of these issues can be treated while your Frenchie is still a puppy. Hey… they even outgrow some of them, like chewing!
But, since every dog is an individual, we can’t say that there’s a universal answer for all Frenchies.
Sure, training and socialization should work for most pups, but some Frenchies can be so stubborn that it’s impossible to train them the right way.
What I want to remind you is that you should never lose your hope. Training is time-consuming. You can’t expect results overnight. But, you can expect improvement one puppy step at a time.
If you really can’t handle training a Frenchie at home, you should ask for professional help. It would be such a shame to let your Frenchie be a disobedient little rascal that destroys everything when they can be so sweet and special.
To Sum Up…
Now that you know all about weird Frenchie behaviors, you can tell if your Frenchie is weird or just too weird.
If you’re a fan of the breed, then you already know how quirky these dogs can be. But, a world without Frenchies wouldn’t be so special. The canine kingdom really needed a dog breed that would make everyone happy… permanently!
French Bulldogs are absolute gems, and a delight to own. So what if they’re acting a bit weird? Nothing that good ol’ training can’t solve!