As much joy Frenchies give us as heartbreaking it is when we have to say the final goodbye. Losing a pet is a tough topic, but we can’t ignore it. In this article, we talk about how to deal with the loss of a puppy, and how to go on with life.
The lifespan of French Bulldogs
The average lifespan of French Bulldogs is 10 to 15 years, according to the AKC. The breed is still considered to be the healthiest of all bulldog breeds, with old-age being in the top three causes of death. By adopting your puppy from a trustworthy breeder, – who carefully select the parent dogs, and give high-quality food and vitamins to the puppies, – you increase the chances of spending wonderful years with your happy and healthy furbaby.
Give yourself permission to process the grief of your puppy
But in any case, all Frenchies die – their only fault really – and dealing with the loss of a dog is a tough process. Puppy parents often go through the same stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) as when a human family member dies, which is completely normal. Some people even struggle with the feeling of guilt, especially if the puppy died of toxication, an accident, or if the parent had to make the decision to euthanize their furbaby.
It’s absolutely normal to be sad and depressed about the loss of a puppy and it can help to share your feelings with like-minded puppy parents. People who have never had a dog not always understand that losing a well-loved puppy is not less sad than losing a human family member. Give yourself time to process the grief, as suppressing your feelings is unhealthy.
Help the grieving child and the surviving puppy
If there are children in the family, make sure you help them process the loss of their beloved furry friend. Depending on their age you can use books that help you with what to say when a pet dies. Think back to the memorable moments you shared with the four-legged family member.
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Some people find it hard to believe that animals can also form firm attachments with each other. The surviving pet might get anxious, lose appetite, or might have sleeping issues as a result of losing their buddy.
The best is to keep their routine and don’t try to compensate them for the loss, as it will be hard to switch back to the normal routine.
Organizing the funeral service
In the midst of your grief, you should also decide on the service for the funeral. You have a few options: you might want to consider a pet funeral home, who help with the arrangements.
You can also organize a private service with friends and family to share their favorite memories and stories of the sweet puppy. Some people put together a slideshow of photos, and videos to celebrate the Frenchie’s life and all the wonderful moments she or he gave to the family.
When it’s the right time to adopt a puppy after the loss of your dog
Life goes on and life without a puppy is no life. First of all, nobody can tell you when it’s the right time, you know when you’re ready for that. In our experience, the sooner the better. Nobody replaces your lovely friend who is lost, but a sweet furbaby will help heal the wound.
Adoption takes a few months anyway, so it’s best to start as soon as possible. (Read our article about this topic here.)
Finally, let us share here a loss of a dog poem that touched the heart:
Waiting at the Door
I was just a pup when we first met, I loved you from the start,
You picked me up and took me home and placed me in your heart.
Good times we had together, we shared all life could throw,
But years passed all too quickly, my time has come to go.
I know how much you miss me, I know your heart is sore,
I see the tears that fall when I’m not Waiting at the Door.
You always did your best for me
Your love was plain to see,
For even though it broke your heart
You set my spirit free.
So please brave without me,
One day we’ll meet once more,
For when you’re called to Heaven
I’ll be Waiting at the Door.
The article was written based on the experience of the TomKings Puppies Team. TomKings Puppies have been breeding French Bulldogs for 12 years on their farm. All the pictures in the post belong to them and show a puppy from their breed. If you have any questions or comments let us know below the article.
Check out our latest blogposts:
Why Do French Bulldogs Have Dry Noses? Causes & Tips
7+1 Reasons NOT to Get a Frenchie
French Bulldog Ears Down: Is It Normal?
French Bulldog Breed Standard: 7 Traits That Make Frenchies Beautiful
The 7 Deadly Sins of Dog Behavior Every Frenchie Parent Should Correct
32 thoughts on “How to deal with the loss of your French Bulldog”
I recently put my baby Louie down. 😭😭😭😭 he was 6.5 years old. I’m still in the denial /anger phase… he sits on my desk and I talk to him every day & night. Your beautiful poem brought me back to the day we brought him home! Although extremely sad, it was a heartfelt poem that I will never forget.
Thank you
Laura
I’m really sorry for your loss! I know it’s hard but each new day ease your pain a little.
Wishing you all the best!
We have just had to put our nearly 6 year old frenchie down, does it get any easier?! So so unbelievably heartbroken
I lost my Mimi last week at around the same age. It hurts so much, been crying every night for the past week. She was my night time buddy after work. Nothing feels the same , a piece of me is gone. Since I moved here she’s been here. I haven’t known a routine here without her I hope you are doing better than me cause I’m losing it.
I’m so sorry for your loss Alex! Please accept our condolences. 🙁
I lost my sweet girl Joey at only 2 1/2 years old. For 2 weeks I couldn’t breathe when I thought of her. I still cry at her loss every day 2 months later. She was so perfect. I can’t………
I’m so sorry to hear about your loss! I’m sure that Joey had a wonderful life with you!
My Clemmy was a year an a half . On 21 of Dec She passed away of stage 5 cancer I have such hole in my heart I wish you all the best. Michael
We just had our adorable little baby pup Lola put to sleep. She was only 17 months old. She had cancer and became very ill very quickly. I feel empty and lonely, cant bear to be in the house, sit on her sofa or come through the door. I hope it gets better. Grainne
Hi Grainne,
Please accept my heartfelt condolences, I’m so sorry for your loss.
Recently my friends dog died he was ran over I keep grieving over ithe just like my little brother even tho he was not my dog. He was 1 years old = to 7 in dog years and this helped just a little.
I’m so sorry for your loss Victor! 🙁 Losing a dog is like losing a family member, especially under such tragic circumstances. I’m glad that we could help you at least a little.
Grief is the normal response to any important loss in life. It occurs regardless of whether death followed a prolonged illness, or a sudden accident. Grieving people experience both physical and emotional traumas as they try to adapt to the upheaval in their lives brought about by the loss.
Every word of what you say is true. It’s such a difficult subject, but talking about it and knowing we’re not alone in our grief can really help a lot.
I lost my dog Bandit (February 25, 2021) he was 11 years old.. I miss him so much.
Hi Sandra, I’m sorry to hear about your loss.
Today I lost my best friend, my cuddle buddy, my protector, my shadow, my love. They say that people save dogs but I believe the opposite is true. My Frenchie, Brooklyn, saved me. Through some of my darkest days, he literally licked my tears away. My heart is broken in a million pieces. I lost the light of my life.
I’m so sorry for your loss Jacqui, please accept my condolences. I’m sure Brooklyn had a wonderful life with you.
I’m so sorry, I feel the same way about my Mimi. It’s such a hard pill to swallow. Really feels like this feeling of hurt will never leave.
What a beautiful poem! It has made my cry like a baby again.
It’s been 2.5 weeks since we lost our beautiful boy Rocco when we left our brother-in-law law to take care of our son and our two frenchies for 2 days. With in 24 hours Rocco had fell in the pool and drowned. We are all so sad, depressed and angry. I still can’t believe it’s happened and his gone. Our other franchie Tiana is so depressed she is now on medication.
I’m so sorry for your loss Alberto! 🙁 It’s so terrible that you had to lose your angel under such tragic circumstances. I hope that we could help you at least a little with our article. I hope poor Tiana will be better soon.
My daughter and her fiancé lost their beloved Frenchie girl Appa four days ago. Appa was almost 3 years old and her loss was completely unexpected. She was my grand-daughter and the love of our entire family. We are so devastated that I don’t know how we can get through this. Your poem gave us relief and hope. Thanks You…
I’m so sorry for your loss Maria. 🙁 I’m glad that the poem gave you at least a little relief.
I lost my Lola last week she was 11 years old.She came back from her walk and just died suddenly in front of the house with the the dog walker and her brother Bruno by her side.The pain i feel is the worse pain I’ve ever felt,she was my shadow my bodyguard and my savior.
Hi Christopher,
I’m so sorry to hear that, it must have been so terrible. I know how difficult it is to lose a furry family member.Please accept our deepest condolences. I’m sure Lola had the best life with you.
I just loss my baby Stitch on Monday! I had him since he was 10 weeks old. He was almost 12 years old. He would have been 12 on January 3rd. I was planning a 12th Birthday Bash for him. He had a brain tumor, which caused him to have seizures. He was still such a fun, crazy, lively dog. Sundays seizure was a major blow. He wouldn’t stop seizing even after being treated at the emergency pet hospital. I had to make the decision to let him go on Monday, November 21, 2022. I have been stuck in bed the whole week. I can’t stop crying because he was my furry baby! I loved him so much! It has also been very hard on my son.
Hi Angela,
I’m so sorry to hear about your sweet fury baby, please accept our condolences. He lived for such a long time despite his disease, so I’m sure he got the best care from you and he surely lived his best life with you! I’m sure sure he is watching you from above and grateful for everything he got from you and your family.
Hi Angela,
I’m so sorry to hear…I know how difficult that can be..Big hug to you and your son.
I pray the Lord fill your heart with Love and Healing.
We’ve lost our beloved boy Sonny, 2 days ago. He was such a beautiful white frenchy and an amazing buddy.. He gave us so much love and support and we had so much fun with him. We miss him badly.. His loss was too sudden and we were not ready for that. He walked and ran at the park and the day after, he could not stand up anymore. Emergency visit to the vet. we found out he had a pancreas tumor, his kidney were given up and all this were pressing on his spin… How was this possible when he was perfect the day before, never cried or showed us any sign of pain. The vet advised us to put him down as this was too serious and no real chances of recovery. But more importantly he was now in atrocious pain. We are devastated and what we though could be just an infection ended up being fatal. All this over just 24h. We love him dearly and we had 8 long years of happyness with him. He will always be missed😢. It is hard and I cry every time I see the park or any dogs.. However I consol myself by thinking he has no more pain and he is now in heaven running with many new little friends. Love you forever my Sonny boy ❤️
I’m deeply sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved Sonny. Losing a pet is a heartbreaking experience, especially when it happens so suddenly and unexpectedly. It’s clear that Sonny brought immense joy and love into your life, and the bond you shared is truly special.
Take care of yourself during this difficult period, and don’t hesitate to lean on friends, family, or professionals for support if needed. Your tribute to Sonny reflects the deep love and connection you had, and he will always hold a special place in your heart!
we lost our Frenchie couple days ago. He was 11 years and 4 months. My kids grew up with him, we took him everywhere. Had multiple tumors and coudn’t breathe anymore because of a tumor next to his nose. I don’t know how to deal with it, building him a little sanctuary. This is very, very hard…
Hi Jacob,
I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved Frenchie. Losing a pet is incredibly difficult, especially when they’ve been a cherished member of the family for so many years. It’s clear that your Frenchie was deeply loved and cared for.
Creating a little sanctuary or memorial for your Frenchie can be a beautiful way to honor their memory and provide a space for you and your family to remember the joy and love they brought into your lives. You might consider setting up a special area with some of their favorite toys, blankets, or photos, and perhaps even some flowers or a small garden in their memory.
Remember, it’s okay to take as much time as you need to grieve and heal. Your Frenchie will always hold a special place in your hearts, and the love and memories you shared will never be forgotten.