You did it! You have a new Frenchie puppy! Whether you got it from Encore Frenchies or any of the many other reputable Frenchie breeders, we are virtually high-fiving and sending you Puppy Best Wishes.
Just in case, we’re sharing our Shopping for Frenchies List, in the hopes it helps take any pressure off this fabulous time. You’ll be able to find these items at your local pet store, PETCO or PETsMART or Chewy.com. Or Amazon.com, of course.
Pee Pee Pads – buy the big bundle; you’ll be glad you did! Human incontinence bed pads can be less expensive, but they are also usually thinner (which makes no sense to me).
Crate – soft-sided or hard depending on your needs. The plastic or canvas crates are best for travel. Plastic provides more safety in case of a car accident. Wire crates are great for the home base crate, as they can see and airflow is good, if they will be sleeping or spending more than a few minutes at a time in it.
A carrying bag, aka Sherpa style, is a different type of bag used just for carry-on flights or to take your Frenchie with you more places. Frenchie Tip! Remember, your Frenchie will easily overheat if stuffed into a too-small carrying bag. Be sure it is big enough and has cooling features!
Exercise Pen aka Play Pen – We strongly recommend a playpen for your puppy. Gives them room to play and then can have one end for the bathroom and the other for meals and sleeping.
Puppy Gate – Puppy Gates are an item we highly recommend. With a puppy gate you can contain your puppy in the kitchen, laundry room or any room you can easily puppy-proof. Stay away from the cheap plastic gates. If possible, get the kind you walk through.
Collar/Leash – We advise buying a safe, inexpensive puppy collar and leash, as puppies grow so quickly. Then when they are grown, you can get them their fancy adult collar. Some of our Frenchie friends do not leave collars on their Frenchies unless they are leaving home. Of course, they are micro-chipped. FYI; Frenchies need a narrow soft collar as a wide collar can chafe their neck rolls. Always be sure you can get two fingers under their collar easily.
Toys – You will soon learn what excites your puppy. Some perform squeaker-ectomies the minute they get a squeaky toy; others don’t. We’ve heard the higher the prey drive, the more prone they are to eviscerate toys. Our Frenchies always enjoyed Nylabones, some more than others. The dinosaur ones were coveted. The Key-Ring is always a fave toy!
Treats – Treats should be given as just that…a treat. It is easy to fall into the trap of giving them a delicious morsel every time they look at you. Resist! Resist! If a treat is only for special events or performances, your dog will associate it with that event. Not expecting treats every time they glance your way.
NO to any rawhide. NO to Greenies. NO to latex/rubber squeeky toys. Pretend you are shopping for a BIG Cane Corso or Dogue de Bordeaux puppy. Thay is how tough the toys should be.
Beds – Dogs have as many preferences about beds as they do treats. You probably know if you will allow your dog to sleep with you or not. That’s your decision. We strongly suggest you do not allow them to sleep in the bed if they can be injured if/when they fall off. An in-depth discussion on Frenchies in the Bed Yes or NO is found here.
If your Encore Frenchie is a puppy, we suggest you start with an economy dog bed. Puppies have been known to chew, tear and de-stuff beds. Crazy! We know! When they are a bit older you can splurge.
We’ve also noticed French Bulldogs have bed preferences. While we don’t have sleep numbers for dog beds yet (that we know of), you may notice they prefer a fluffy cuddler or a flat mat. Many Frenchies like to spread out, all the way out, so a bigger bed or crate pad may be best. No, you don’t have to buy a dozen beds for them to test. Go to your pet store (after they have all their shots) and try a few.
Feeding Your Frenchie – Food is an individual preference decision. We will remind you dogs are carnivores and need sources of meat protein. (Note from Kathy; I’ve eaten vegetarian for around 20 years and I cook meat stews for my dogs.)
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