Those big eyes look up at you with possibly the sweetest face on earth, begging to go with you on your run. You want to take your Frenchie, but is a run a good idea? How about a long walk? As the best French bulldog breeders, Royal Empire French Bulldogs is here to help you understand the right amount of exercise for your adorable best friend.
French Bulldogs are a brachycephalic breed, meaning they have a flatter face and shorter nose than other breeds. Because of this, they sometimes have a hard time regulating their own temperature. At Royal Empire French Bulldogs, we’ve been at this for a long time. Nestled in the Jurupa Valley in California, we’re AKC registered and are doing a lot of work to breed the healthiest dogs possible.
Like most small breeds, their joints are susceptible to some uncomfortable issues, but exercise will NOT cause these problems. Too much exercise could exacerbate the symptoms in older dogs, but most symptoms can be mitigated with homeopathic remedies or advice from your vet.
Helping your Frenchie with regular exercise starts as a puppy and remains critical throughout their lives. You need to be careful with exercising puppies because they need more sleep and love it than they do activity. A good rule of thumb is five minutes twice a day per month of their life. This is dedicated playtime, not just the natural romping around they do. This doesn’t mean that a 12-month-old dog is getting two hours of exercise. You can level out around four to six months with 20-30 minutes twice a day.
Your dog will tell you how much exercise is right for him. If he starts slowing down or losing interest, then he’s had enough – don’t force exercise on him as a puppy. It should be as fun as it is healthy!
Frenchies are not svelte dogs. They tend to be stocky, so you don’t want to exercise your Frenchie to look like your neighbor's Italian Greyhound. Your dog doesn’t need a lot of exercise – they’re just not built to be working or sporting dogs. No two dogs are alike, so you’ll have to work out what the sweet spot for your dog is to keep him healthy, happy and stimulated. At a minimum, they should get 15-30 minutes of exercise a day. This may be enough for some, while others may need double that amount.
Again, this depends on your lifestyle and the temperament of your dog. A walk in the morning and evening are great bookends to the day. If that takes up 20 minutes, then throw in another 10 minutes of playtime. If you are taking your dog outside for the majority of his exercise, keep an eye on his temperature, especially in the summer months. To make sure he doesn’t become overheated, look and listen for breathing problems or heavy panting with foamy saliva. Get him into the shade immediately, provide water and even pour a little cool water over him.
Your Frenchie is very smart, so training him can be a fun form of exercise. Do some online research and start with simple commands. You can work up to getting him to play hide-and-seek, crawl and other active commands.
He’ll let you know when he’s ready to play or exercise, and he’ll also let you know when he’s had enough. The most important thing you can do is keep a consistent routine so he maintains a healthy weight and gets the stimulation and energy release he needs! If you’re interested in adding to your family by adopting a happy and healthy Frenchie puppy from the best French Bulldog breeders, Royal Empire French Bulldogs, you can contact us here or call 714-306-8656.
