French Bulldog History
The Frenchie probably has the most interesting history of the three bulldog breeds. It obviously was developed in France, but the English bulldog has a great influence on this breed, and so did many working class immigrants coming to France looking for work. Eventually this dog became the pet of choice among royalty and French whores…
It is believed that around the mid 1800s Normandy lace workers from England took runty looking English bulldogs to France looking for work. These smaller dogs quickly caught on with the farmers as they could effectively chase after rats.
As the popularity of these dogs grew, French whores would walk with these dogs up and down the streets of Paris as they were working. This helped whores gain more attention while walking on the streets and gave another reason for men to stop and talk to them.
Eventually even royalty started owning these dogs and they became very common to see walking with even well to do and well-respected ladies of French society. Even royalty outside of France eventually started to want these dogs.
The Russian royal family even posed along side their French bulldogs in a few photos. Other famous people that owned these dogs included Toulouse-Lautrec, Colette, and King Edward the VII. There was even a French bulldog on the Titanic.
For all of its origins and history in Europe, it was the Americans that formed the first French bulldog club and wrote down breed standards for this dog, which includes the famous bat like ears.
Today the French bulldog continues to grow in popularity among dog breeds. They are increasingly seen in movies and TV shows because of its unique appearance. Also due to its small size they are great for families with smaller houses and apartments who cannot own large dogs.
