French Bulldog Owner Interview: Featuring Frankie Danger & Rebel Jane! (2024)

Whether you’ve been considering a Frenchie and are in the process of researching them OR you’re lucky enough to call one your own…you’ll love this interview. It’s a very special one! In fact, it’s a first of its kind.

Trish was kind enough to share tons of insightful info about her super cool Frenchie duo.

Frankie Danger

He’s a Lilac Trindle and is 1-year-old (Birthday 8/21/18). He is 25 pounds.

Rebel Jane

She’s a Lilac Pied and is 5 months old (Birthday 3/26/19). She is about 14 pounds right now and growing fast!

What breeders did Frankie Danger and Rebel Jane come from? Would you recommend them?

Frankie Danger is from Out of the Blue Frenchies in Canada and Rebel Jane is from The Frenchie Lovers in Houston, TX. I highly recommend both breeders! I did a lot of research on breeders and what I was looking for in a Frenchie and was lucky enough to get two extraordinary dogs from two fantastic breeders. We are also now friends (and, well, family!) which is wonderful as well.

What made you decide on French Bulldogs?

We were looking to add to our family (we had an English Bulldog named Oliver who was getting older) and wanted a smaller dog that could travel everywhere with us. Once we started researching Frenchies we knew the breed was for us and we’ve never looked back. We love bully breeds, they make our lives exponentially better!

How much did your Frenchies cost?

This is the million-dollar question that I’m asked every day on Instagram, as I am out in public with them, by friends, by colleagues – honestly, nearly constantly. Frenchies are not cheap. And, if you find a breeder who is “economical” you should run from them as fast as you can. 

There is a lot that goes into breeding healthy well-rounded Frenchies and the process of breeding them is extremely tedious. So many breeders breed for a certain “look” instead of for healthiness and good bloodlines. When you are looking for Frenchies the “popular colors” like lilacs are going to be more expensive. There is also a difference in price between boys and girls as well as a “pet only” price and a “breeding price” if you want to breed them.

If the Frenchie you are looking at is under $5,000 I would be very, very cautious about buying from that particular breeder.

Do they shed a lot?

Their shedding is totally manageable and nothing like our English Bulldog that sheds an insane amount of hair. Frenchies have a short, fine, smooth coat that is easy to groom. They don’t shed much, but twice a year they lose their undercoat. Also, they feel like velvet.

What does exercise look like for Frankie Danger and Rebel Jane? 

They don’t really go on daily walks per se. They literally go everywhere with us so they are always on the go and aren’t too stagnant/lazy.

Also, you should be aware that Frenchies get something that many of us call the “zoomies” where they will start zooming around the house at full speed for no reason. (Or, sometimes after they’ve stolen one of your socks.) It is honestly one of the most hilarious things you will witness!

One thing to note – when you live in a warm and humid climate like we do you have to be very careful about how long they are outside as Frenchies (and all short-nosed breed dogs) can overheat very, very quickly. When it is hot and humid we take them on the lake with us – they love to swim! (Note: I always have them in a life jacket.)

What are some of their favorite things to do?

• More than anything they love to be on the go. They honestly go everywhere with us – to work, to all of our activities, on all of our trips – literally everywhere. 
• They love meeting new people and exploring – they are up for anything! They are also toy-obsessed (I’ve never had a dog that loved toys as much as these two!) and are really decent athletes. Ball is “life” to Frankie Danger and Rebel is the biggest busy body you’ve ever seen – she wants to be involved in EVERYTHING you do. 
• They also love to snuggle with their humans and are happiest when they are by your side, no matter what.

Are they good with kids and other dogs?

They are amazing with kids and other dogs. Frankie Danger is the most empathetic dog I’ve ever known and is a trained service dog. They both love other animals and they’ve never known a stranger.

Share some of their funny quirks or habits…

Frankie Danger…

• Frankie Danger gets really excited when someone walks into a room (whether at work or home) and will grab the closest toy he can find to take it to them. 
• He also loves to lick/clean his brother Oliver and sister Rebel Jane’s ears (and humans too if you let him!). 
• He is a total mind reader and can read your soul. We are also convinced that Frankie completely understands every word of English. 

Rebel Jane…

• Rebel Jane is a total clown and is one of the most tenacious dogs I’ve ever had. Even at 7 pounds she would steal a toy right out of the mouth of our 80 pound English Bulldog. She is hilarious! 
• She also makes little pig noises constantly, is the loudest snorer you’ve ever heard (almost as loud as Oliver the bulldog) and she skips when she walks which is the cutest!

Do they have any favorite toys?

They love everything that comes in the Barkbox every month (probably, by far their favorite toys!). They also love Nylabones and Benebones. Their hands-down favorite toy was a Chinese takeout box with dumplings that Barkbox made – it is the toy they always steal from one another to get them to “chase”. 

They clearly like to accessorize…what are their favorite things to wear?

Well, they are some well-dressed pups and they LOVE dressing up (especially Frankie Danger!).

Our favorites are:

• Gold chains and collars from French Bullevard – honestly, we are obsessed with this brand!
• Clothes and harnesses from Spotted by Humphrey
• EVERYTHING from Rororiri – we are so obsessed with their products that we traveled to San Francisco to meet the owner, Rita
• Muscle shirts from Griffin Haru
• Locally made shirts, ties, and scarfs from a store called Wagamama here in St. Louis

Collar or Harness for walking your Frenchies?

We mostly use collars because they pull too much in harnesses. However, sometimes if we are somewhere like a beach or situation where we want to run/play with them we will use harnesses since they can have breathing issues as most short-nosed dogs do. 

I think you should do what’s best for your dog in every situation. I’m very in tune with our dogs so I never put them in a position where they would be in danger wearing a collar. Also, when they are wearing a harness I always make sure they have a collar with a dog tag on it just in case they were to get loose somehow. Safety first – always!

Also, they wear a special harness every day in their car seats. We have car seats from The Pup Saver (pretty cool seat – check it out!) and we use the special harnesses they make for that purpose. Again, safety first!

What kind of Shampoo and Brush do you use with them?

Shampoo: We use Skouts Honor shampoo and regular human nail clippers. 

Brushing: As far as brushing we just use a standard rubber brush for short-haired dogs (here’s the ZoomGroom from Kong) – they don’t require much brushing at all!

What kind of food do they eat? Any supplements? 

Right now we are in transition. Frankie Danger just transitioned from puppy food to Stella & Chewey’s freeze-dried raw patties and Rebel Jane is still on puppy food (Complete Wellness Grain Free Puppy Food). They both take a probiotic every day as well. We don’t feed them many treats and when we do it’s usually fresh fruits and vegetables. (They are obsessed with strawberries!)

Do you use any apps or technology to make life easier?

Nope! Since they are with us all the time we really don’t need these items. I’ve considered a GPS collar, but haven’t pulled the trigger. 

Do you have any tips for flying with Frenchies?

Frankie Danger has flown to the West Coast, East Coast, Gulf Coast and Midwest all before 9 months old. Rebel is also a seasoned flyer. 

It is an easy process for us because Frankie is a service dog. He is allowed to fly on our laps without restrictions. Rebel is still in training so she has to be able to fit in a carrier under the seat during takeoff and landing – but once she is a certified service dog she will have the same perks as Frankie.

Tips I’ve learned from flying with my Frenchies

• Do not feed them the day you are traveling (feed them when you get to your destination)
• Limit water prior to going to the airport (again, give them water as soon as you land)
• I travel with puppy pee pads in case they need to potty – I’m not a huge fan of those “designated pet areas”
• I am a member of travel lounges in the airport so it makes it very simple when we are traveling – we go to the lounge and relax with them. I take the puppy pads in the handicap bathroom stall and they do their business that way. Easy peasy!
• I make sure I travel with chew toys for them as well as Benadryl and Rescue Remedy for dogs in case they have an issue/become upset. (Have never used, but I am prepared!)
• I always travel with their favorite blanket and a place for them to sleep such as the Snoozer Pets carrier (I never knew these existed – so cool!) which also doubles as a car seat once you get to your destination.

What advice would you give to someone considering a French Bulldog?

Owning a French bulldog is not for the faint of heart. You need to REALLY research the breed and be prepared. They can have many health issues and things like allergies so you have to be careful and thoughtful about things like food (high-quality expensive food is needed) and their environment. I am hyper-aware of how the dogs are feeling and what I might need to adjust for them. You also have to be prepared to research breeders and find an extremely reputable breeder to help mitigate having those health issues.

I am a firm believer that pet health insurance is a must for any Frenchie owner. They are so prone to issues you will find yourself at the vet – a lot. This helps ease the pain of vet bills especially large ones should, God forbid, a bigger problems arise.

Frenchies don’t do well alone and are people pleasers. They want to be around you constantly. They aren’t a breed that you can leave in a kennel for 9 hours a day while you go to work [here’s an article all about leaving Frenchies home alone]. You have to be ready to dedicate time to them/change your lifestyle to give them what they need.

Frenchies are clowns and athletes and never know their own limitations. They also are prone to back issues and things like IVDD (intervertebral disc disease) – so you have to watch them closely and “save them from themselves”. They also are scavengers and will eat everything that isn’t nailed down to the floor which can be very dangerous – you really have to keep a good eye on them!

Owning Frenchies has changed our lives – we would be totally lost without them. Having them snuggle with us at night, the unconditional love they give, their humor and charm are unmatched in the dog world. There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not grateful to them for all they do for our family. They are well worth the work, expense, and worry!