Many future parents who have already decided to welcome a sweet French Bulldog puppy into their homes will soon face another question that might get them thinking. You may have already asked this yourself: should you get a boy or a girl? Does gender even matter? For lots of people it doesn’t as they will be happy with an adorable and healthy puppy of either gender. If you have your own preferences or you’re just curious about the differences between male and female French Bulldogs, then this article is for you.
What are some of the basic differences between boy and girl French Bulldogs?
Appearance
When it comes to male and female Frenchies’ appearance, we can line out some typical characteristics for both genders. Boys are usually stronger and stockier than girls, they have bigger heads and wider chests. Girl Frenchies tend to be a bit smaller and less muscular. On average, they weigh about 5 lbs less than boys: their adult size is around 25 lbs, while boys can go up to 30 lbs.
Although these are generally true for most dogs, there are always some exceptions to the rule. Whether your future puppy will be bigger or smaller largely depends on the size of the parents, that’s why we always share photos of our puppies’ parents along with their weight information. This way you can get a good idea of what your fur baby will look like as an adult.
Temperament
A puppy’s gender may affect their temperament as well. In our experience, boys can be a bit more energetic, mischievous and stubborn, so they might require more work when it comes to training them. They can also be a bit hard to handle when they are in the company of other dogs as they will always compete for dominance, especially when there’s a female involved. On the other hand, boys are little explorers who are very brave and love adventures, so they might be a great choice for active families who like to spend their free time outside.
Girls tend to be gentler and calmer; their parents usually love to describe them as sweet and affectionate. Most Frenchie girls are like little princesses: they just want to be cuddled and pampered all day! Most of them are less stubborn and easier to train than boys, that’s why if you are a first-time puppy owner, a girl might be a better choice for you. They can also be ideal for families who prefer indoor activities.
Similarly to appearance, these descriptions will not be true for all dogs. Just like with kids, you never know what you’ll get! Your little boy might turn out to be a sweet and innocent little angel while your girl is a sassy and dominant little troublemaker. Angela, one of our TomKings puppy parents has both a boy and a girl Frenchie and has said the following:
“I have one of each, Scott my male and my little soul dog, he and I have a very special connection and honestly he is way calmer than our girl Hazel I got 7 months after Scott. She is a bit larger than Scott and crazy!!! But they both are lovers and I will say Scott does mark, he has not been neutered yet… All in all both in my opinion are wonderful, different like kids but that’s what makes them so fun.”
When we asked our Frenchie parents about the topic in the TomKings Frenchie Family Facebook group they all agreed on one thing: both Frenchie boys and girls have their own unique personalities and all of them are absolutely lovable! In the end, whether a puppy will be friendly and well-behaved is not really a matter of gender: it will mostly depend on the way they are raised at their early months of life. We at TomKings focus not only on their health but their proper training as well, and also socialize them with other dogs and kids so that they become calm, friendly and well-behaved puppies.
Neutering and other things to consider
An important aspect to consider when deciding on the gender of a puppy is their biological differences.
We have already mentioned that male Frenchies can go a bit crazy when they are near a female, especially one in heat; the little rascals might even try to escape if there’s a girl in the neighborhood! They are also known for their marking, which can be a real issue for parents as it is quite difficult to train them and stop this habit. Neutering can stop or at least significantly reduce problematic behaviors like marking and humping, but you should be prepared that it doesn’t always solve them. You should also be aware of the yellow discharge constantly dripping from their genitals, which can only be stopped by castrating.
As for female Frenchies, they usually experience their first heat cycle when they are six to twelve months old. Starting from then, they are in heat twice a year if not spayed. You can expect some bloody discharge coming from them during this period, for which you’ll need to purchase puppy diapers that will keep both your house and their area clean. Their cycle usually lasts for two or three weeks and can be quite a bit unpleasant: your Frenchie girl will be quite moody and will need to be supervised and separated from male dogs to avoid an unwanted litter of puppies.
I already have a Frenchie boy or girl and want another… what should I get?
You have already made up your mind once and now you’re tempted for another pup? You are definitely not alone: many of our Frenchie parents soon realize that two Frenchies are better than one and they are not wrong. If one Frenchie brings so much joy in your life, you can imagine what two (or more) can do! At this point, you might ask yourself: will you be better off with two boys or girls, or maybe a combination of the two?
Let’s see your options. A general rule is that if you have two Frenchie boys of a similar age, they will always be competing about who the ‘alpha male’ is and will try to assert dominance, so they might be a bit hard to handle. If you have two girls, they can also be competing for your attention, but they will usually get along much better than two boys once they get used to each other. Finally, a boy and a girl Frenchie can be a great combination, given that at least one of them is neutered, otherwise it will be quite difficult to prevent them from having pups. Whatever your choice will be, our advice is to make sure that your first puppy is well-behaved and listens to you before you take up the responsibility of raising a second fur baby.
If you are thinking of having a puppy, send us a message and we’ll help you decide.
The article was written based on the experience and the services of the TomKings Team and the feedback from the TomKings puppy parents. TomKings have been breeding French Bulldogs for 13 years on their farms. All the pictures in the post belong to them and show puppies from their breed and puppy parents. Check their available puppies here, or if you have any questions or comments let us know below the article.
