TomKings Puppies FAQ 3
Questions and answers after arrival
TRAIN YOUR PUPPY
There is no exact number for how long a dog can hold a pee. It mostly depends on its age but on some individual factors too. Some nine-month-old pups can only hold it for six hours, while others for eight.
But according to our breeding experiences, young pups (around 5 month-old) need to pee every 5-6 hours, while adult dogs can be fine for up to ten hours.
So how can you start to train your dog to hold pee for long periods?
At first, take your pup outside to pee and remember the time! Now take the pup back inside and wait until s/he pees. Measure the time between two pees and deduct an hour. This is how you can estimate his/her actual peeing intervals. You need to take your dog for a walk within this time frame. But let's see an example!
Horatio, our imaginary five-month-old dog peed around 2 pm. At 8 pm, he peed on the kitchen floor. The elapsed time is sixhours. Now we need to deduct one hour, and so we know that Horatio needs to pee every five hours.
Now that you know your dog's pee intervals, you can start the training!
In case of Horatio, we take him for a walk every five hours for two weeks. After that, we delay the time of pee by half an hour. Now we should take our pup to pee every 5 hours and 30 minutes. We could continue this training till we reach the maximum of the dog's capacity. It's also age-dependent, so don't expect a 5 month-old puppy to hold it as long as an adult dog!
It's important that during the training, whenever your dog pees outside, give him/her a huge compliment! Be happy about it and reward him/her with some playtime or even with a piece of treat. Once the dog reaches a stable potty-trained state, there's no need to be always happy about a pee anymore. 🙂
But don't forget: once a day you have to take the dog for a longer walk!
Do you have a pet door?
Having a pet door is great, but it's quite difficult to teach a dog to use it. It requires lots of patience. At first, you need to teach your dog that s/he walk through that small doorway. In the beginning, leave the pet door open at all times, so your dog only has to walk through the doorway. This is not easy either. Some dogs just never walk through without the owner, while others get to like it pretty quickly.
Do not force the dog to walk through the pet door. Don't be impatient if s/he is scared. Whenever your dog passes on its own, compliment him/her! Be happy, reward him/her!
I hope you will find these tips useful. For further ones, please check out our closed Facebook group:
TomKings Frenchie Family, where we have popular topics, for example potty training.
Read what TomKings Family members think about this topic
We also have two blog articles related to this topic:
French bulldogs are very popular because it is a very flexible breed.
They are fine with sleeping all day if you have to work at your workplace, and at the end of the day they are very happy when you get home. They are ready to walk anytime or hike with you all day, if you do a lot of outdoor programs.
Couple of our buyers take their puppies with them to work too.
Some of the adopters crate train them and keep them on a safe place until they are not at home. Others hire a dog walker on very busy days.
Many of our adopters bring their Frenchies in a pet hotel when they are on holiday.
The most important thing is that Frenchies can get used to anything and be happy with it.
In a pack, there is always a pecking order, one dog is always higher in the hierarchy than the other, so it is completely natural for males to be fighting for leadership. If one of your boys is showing dominance that is only a problem if that crosses a line. In every situation like this, you have to step in, since you are the unquestioned leader, the highest in the hierarchy. Step in, tell your puppy off, you can even grab him to show your status, and send him away. I know it is hard for your soul, but it has to be done. With this method, you print in different behavior in him and you can make sure that when you are present, they won't fight.
Let me tell you an example, Tom's dog doesn't let Sandra's (Tom's spouse) English Bully in the doghouse. As soon as Tom or Sandra is present he immediately lets the English Bully in. If a human is around they are in charge, so no growling or attacking or misbehavior is allowed.
We have a blogpost about how a Frenchie parent can become the pack leader, I believe that will be very helpful for your situation. 🙂
You can read it here:
https://tomkingskennel.com/how-can-you-become-your-frenchies-pack-leader/
I hope this helps! Please contact us if you have any further questions!
SECOND PUPPY
FOOD
Every puppy is different, but generally speaking, we use to say it is time to switch from three to two meals per day around the 5th month.
If you notice that your puppy is becoming overweight, you should change to two meals/day immediately.
On the other hand, if your fur baby is still skinny in the 5th month, then three meals/day can be continued up to the 8th month if needed.
Read what TomKings Family members think about this topic
You can read lots of experiences from TomKings Family members about feeding a Frenchie here in our closed Facebook group called TomKings Frenchie Family:
You've only just put dog food into your pup's bowl, and before you've had a chance to put the bag of food away, your Frenchie's bowl is empty. Eating too quickly is a common problem in dogs, and you need to stop that. It is hard to teach your baby not to gobble, but it's easy to stop doing it.
What to do if your dog gobbles? We asked our Frenchie Health Expert, Sandra, to give you some useful tips.
First of all, always choose large-grain dog food. It's too easy to swallow the smaller grains without chewing, and it's also dangerous as they can cause drowning. On the other hand, your dog has to chew the larger grains, which takes time.
Feed your dog multiple times a day and always give smaller portions. Also, put some water on the food (not too much, just to cover the dog food).
Since these guys seem to be always hungry, you can give him/her some healthy snacks during the day: some carrots, millet balls, or even a large chew bone that s/he cannot eat, only chew.
And the golden rule: do not let your dog run around right after eating. So, postpone the playtime or walk to a later time to avoid vomiting.
This behavior can either indicate that your dog is being picky or a more serious, health-related issue. Therefore, it’s important to determine the cause of lost appetite.
To do that, answer the following questions:
Is your babe in a constant bad mood?
Is s/he languid, low-spirited?
Did s/he throw up?
Does s/he have diarrhea?
If your answer is yes to any of these questions, you should take your doggy to the vet.
But there also might be some other reasons your dog refuses to eat.
Your Frenchie may not want to eat because something in his/her mouth is causing pain. If s/he received a vaccination recently that can also cause a temporary appetite loss. If any of this is possible, go see your vet.
But if your dog is happy and playful like normally, it might be a behavior issue.
If you just moved to a new location or you were on a trip, the unfamiliar surroundings of the new place might make your dog nervous or uncomfortable.
Pickiness or behavior issues. Some dogs are just picky, or their refusal to eat may be caused by feeding them in situations where they aren’t comfortable, such as around an aggressive dog or from a bowl at an uncomfortable height. Because a decreased appetite in dogs may be caused by illness, never assume that your dog is picky without investigating other possibilities first.
But if it’s none of the above, it might just be some kind of a mood-swing, like being bored of the same type of dog food. Let’s see what you can do now!
What to do when your dog won’t eat
What you can do to help when your dog won’t eat will depend on what you and your veterinarian determine to be the cause of the problem.
If your dog’s decreased appetite is a behavior problem caused by pickiness or discomfort with mealtime, rather than the result of a medical condition, there are a number of things you can do to encourage your pet to eat.
These include:
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Cutting back on treats.
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Feeding your pet on a regular schedule, usually at least twice a day.
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Making mealtime a fun time for your pet, such as by playing with a toy that dispenses food or rewarding your dog with food for doing a trick.
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Taking your dog for a walk before mealtime.
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Changing your dog’s feeding situation. If you normally feed your pet with other animals, try feeding them alone. Or try using different bowls or plates at different heights to see what your dog prefers. (You might even put a few pieces of food on the floor next to the feeding dish.)
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Trying a different kind of food, such as canned food if you normally feed your dog dry food.
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Add a bit of warm water to your dog's kibble to make it more appealing.
If you need more information on this topic, join our closed Facebook Frenchie Family group, where you can read a lot of tips and experiences of other owners. If you are already a member, click HERE to jump to food-related posts.
If your Frenchie has reached the level of aggression when she bites you during feeding, that is a serious condition, and you need to seek professional help.
If you haven’t reached this state yet, but your dog growls or shows his teeth when you approach him during feeding, is not acceptable behavior either.
There must be some distance between the owner and the dog in the family hierarchy. You, as the owner, must be on top of this hierarchy. You have to be the alpha dog. You and only you get to decide what is his and what is yours. You have the privilege to decide which area is yours and which belongs to your dog. But when your dog believes he gets to decide, that means he thinks he is above you on the hierarchy.
Turning this around is not an easy task, but also not impossible. You’ve got to be consistent and remain calm at all times. Do not tell him off when he is aggressive over food, and do not fight with him. You’ve got to make sure he understands that you are the boss and not him. Here’s what you can do to achieve this.
You have to behave similarly to him. Create situations in which your dog cannot participate. For example, he is not allowed to approach you or the family table while you are eating. When he approaches anyway, tell him off and chase him away. Another situation is when you are resting on your couch, and he is trying to approach you. Do not let him jump on the couch except when you give verbal permission to do it.
Walking times:
Do not let him walk in front of you on the street, and never let him walk through any door before you do.
Feeding times:
Humans eat first at all times! Never feed the dog before you’d eat or while you are eating. Make him understand that the food is yours, and he only gets the leftovers. That will indicate to him that he is not the alpha dog, and he must wait for his turn.
Also, make him sit by the door while you prepare his food, and even when you put his bowl off the floor. Only let him approach the food when you give verbal permission to do it. If he is impatient, you can try growling back at him. I know it sounds funny, but you’ve got to make him understand that you are the alpha, you are the boss.
Make these rules unbreakable. Be consistent, and stay strong mentally. By the time he will get your point and will start to behave well.
You need to start off with a healthy, low calorie treat that your Frenchie loves.
Every dog is different and it might take a little bit of trial and error. If you don’t know your Frenchie’s favorite flavor, you’ll want to start sampling different flavors. Once you figure out what really gets your Frenchie going, buying in bulk will surely save you lots of cash in the long run.
Just like we wouldn’t put anything harmful into our bodies, the same goes for our Frenchies! I stick to all-natural treats made with the best ingredients. Stay far away from those made with artificial preservatives, artificial coloring, and chemical humectants.
Here are couple good ones:
Baby Carrot
Celery
Carrots
Apples
Lamb lungs
Antlers
Charlee bears
Rawboost mixer
Greenies
Zukes
Here you can read posts about treats in Tomkings Frenchie Family Facebook group (please join the group if you haven't yet)
Read it
Toxic flowers:
Safe home and garden:
How to keep your Frenchie away from dangers:
HEALTH
Las Vegas:
https://vcahospitals.com/decatur/team/michelle-hoyt
New Jersey:
https://vcahospitals.com/garden-state/team/jacob-d-leff
Toronto:
Vermont:
https://reviews.birdeye.com/tamarack-veterinary-hospital-155741283289460
Richmond:
http://therichmondhousecallvet.com
Texas:
Konner Kirkpatrick | VCA Lakewood Animal Hospital
Colorado:
https://vcahospitals.com/deer-creek-littleton/primary/team
Chicago:
https://wrigleyvillevet.com/our-veterinarians/
Los Angeles:
https://www.pacificanimalclinic.com
California, between Los Angeles and San Diego
New York (Brooklyn)
https://www.northsideveterinaryclinic.com
New York
Georgia (Kingsland):
www.integrityanimalhospital.com
Atlanta (Kennesaw):
Boston:
https://backbayvet.com , Dr. King
Memphis (Tennessee)
https://www.facebook.com/petvax/
Trussville, Alabama
http://www.littlecahabavet.com
Florida, Miami
https://www.facebook.com/seileranimalhospital/
Minnesota
https://animalcarecenterbaxter.com
North Carolina, Durham
https://www.carverstreetanimalhospital.com
Wilmington
Here you can find a list of shots and pills we give to our puppies during the first 12 weeks:
1st shot: Nobivac, Parvo C against, Parvo at 6 weeks old (passport IX. page)
2nd shot: Nobivac Lepto and DHP combined vaccinations at 8 weeks old against distemper, Parvo, adenovirus (passport IX. page)
3rd shot: Nobivac Lepto and DHP combined vaccinations at 10 weeks old against distemper, Parvo, adenovirus (passport IX. page)
4th shot: Nobivac Rabies against rabies at 12 weeks old (passport V. page).
The dates of vaccinations given are listed in the passport of the puppy (first date: vaccination date, second date: valid from, third date: valid until).
Before our pups leave, they get five rounds of dewormings at 4-6-8-10 weeks old and one right before they leave (passport VII. page). In addition to the last one they get Bravecto as well (against ticks and insects like fleas). If there's no sign of worms, please deworm your puppy every six months.
We give our puppies Nobivac KC drops against kennel cough when they are 9 weeks old, which is valid for 12 months.
The chip can be found in the left shoulder of your angel. The chip number is on page III. of the passport.
All of the Frenchies’ ears are flopping when they are babies and they stand up gradually as they get stronger! There are puppies whose ears are weaker, their ears straighten a little later. By the age of 4-6 months old, all of the puppies ears are standing!
You can also help them stand up by taping:
You should tape it for three days and then let it rest for one day. It will take a couple of weeks until the ear stands up without tape, but you need to be very consistent in order to see the results! 🙂
Here is a video of it:
https://youtu.be/VJZWhCr92Ko
The tape we recommend is called Rolltex. If you can't find it, look for an adhesive woven fabric tape that is about 1 inch wide. 
Please, give your Frenchie some calcium too, you can find that in any pet store!
Plus this is funny but this helps too:
https://www.amazon.com/Gerber-Single-Grain-Rice-Baby-Cereal/dp/B00BPESI9A
If you feed them a little bit of Gerber baby cereal with condensed milk with a morning meal and a night meal. Just a little bit, maybe the size of a shot glass. It’s like magic!
During teething the puppies consume most of their calcium, so sometimes their ears lose a little perkiness, but replenishing calcium would make wonders to pop them up again!
Dog ears can become greasy, too, just like any human ear. Therefore, you need to clean them the same way: with ear swabs or with wet wipes. But they need to be cleaned often, as they can quickly become greasy again. Dog earwax has a dark brown color, and this is normal.
If your dog starts to shake his head and scratch the ears with his legs, go and check his ears. If you see a light yellow colored, purulent fluid instead of the usual dark brown, thick wax, your dog needs antibiotic ear drops.
Join our closed Facebook group (TomKings Frenchie Family), where other Frenchie owners share their experiences similar to yours. Please check the popular topics: health.
We usually use these products, which you can read in the Facebook Frenchie Family Group too:
Read it HERE
Please join if you are not a member yet!
Nostril and soft palate surgery is quite a controversial topic as it is difficult to determine when a Frenchie is struggling and when their breathing is considered normal. It mostly depends on your experiences as you’re the one who sees how your puppy is doing day by day.
You should always pay attention to him/her when s/he’s doing some sort of physical exercise like playing, running or hiking. If you see that s/he is soon short of breath, starts panting really quickly, maybe even needs to lie down, then a surgery can be justified. But if s/he is just snoring and breathing a bit louder, that is completely normal.
You should also take into account that Frenchies are a small-sized breed with shorter snout and legs, and they will never be as athletic as bigger-sized dogs. That’s why you should never let him/her do too much exercise at once.
So if your instincts tell you that your Frenchie is having difficulties and needs a surgery, you can go ahead and do it. However, never do it only because your vet says so! Most of the time they are doing it totally in vain because Frenchies' breathing is simply different than other breeds’, but that doesn’t mean that a surgery is essential
It can definitely be scary when you see that your little Frenchie is unwell and you’re not sure why it’s happened or what to do. As young puppies lick everything, they can easily get an infection causing diarrhea.
Please reduce the amount of his/her portion for 2 days. Or you can give her/him boiled rice and carrot. Similar to humans, the puppies' tummy needs a little remedy with a reduced amount of food. If the diarrhea continues after 2 days with the reduced amount of food then your puppy needs antibiotics and probiotics, so please visit your vet. At a young age the puppies' digestion is very sensitive, similar to human babies.
Please, read our blog post to learn what you need to do to help your poor pup with diarrhea.
Normally, diarrhea is not a serious issue and often gets better over a 48-hour period. However, please watch out for more serious signs such as:
- a lack of appetite
- vomiting continually
- blood in stools
- if their diarrhea is persistent (lasting for over 3 days)
- continuous lethargy over a few days
If you do notice some of these signs, please do call your vet immediately.
In your puppy’s passport, you can find a list with the date of vaccination and the name of the drug. Find Bravecto, and add 1 month to calculate its expiration.
If you live in an area with many ticks and insects, continue the treatment with Bravecto (exposure time: 3 months, requires additional anthelmintics, too) once the previous Bravecto has expired.
If ticks and insects are not common in your area, there is no need to continue the treatment. In case you notice any sign of worms or insects along the way, we recommend a Bravecto treatment. If no sign of worms or insects, deworming your puppy every 6 months should be enough.
Please consult with your local vet whether heartworm is common in your area or not. If yes, take a heartworm test and if the result is negative, start giving your puppy Nexgard Spectra every 4 weeks during the mosquito season. If you skip more than 4 weeks between 2 Nexgard Spectra pills, please always take a heartworm test before restarting the treatment.
Some puppies develop separation anxiety and some don’t, it is not fully understood. Whatever the cause, it’s important to realize these behaviors are not malicious and that they are likely to panic or other coping behaviors. Adjusting your puppy to being alone is the best approach.
It’s good for your angel to be comfortable when home alone. You can help your puppy learn this by taking a little time and following these simple steps.
Please start as soon as possible:
-Develop a schedule for your puppy and make sure your family stick to it.
-Always give your puppy an opportunity to go potty prior to crating her/him
-You need to crate train your furry baby and she/he needs to feel confident and calm in the crate.
-Crate your angel for short periods while you are present. For example, when you are watching television, put your puppy in her/his crate and put the crate next to the sofa. Gradually increase the time your angel is crated. Reward quiet behavior with calm praise. Start leaving alone in the crate. Start with just a few minutes at a time. Gradually increase the time spent alone
-Limit the attention she/he gets shortly before leaving or when arriving home.
-When you let your dog out of the crate, remain calm and keep the greetings to a minimum. You don’t want to make your puppy excited.Typically, puppies aren’t ready to be given unsupervised freedom in your home until they are approximately a year-and-a-half or older.
-Try to make sure someone in your family is home as much as possible. Consider hiring a puppy-walker or neighbor to give your puppy a midday break while everyone is in work or school.
Please do not give up on your puppy and please read all the comments and posts related to separation anxiety in our Facebook group. They will be super helpful and you will realize it will get better very very soon
And here you can see Q and A-s about the topic in the Tomkings Frenchie Family Facebook group
(if you are not member yet then you need to join first to see them)
Owning a smaller sized dog requires increased attention from you. With shorter legs, Frenchies are sensitive to height. To prevent any joint injury, like bone fracture, sprain, or wrick, we recommend you not to let your dog jump on and off a higher place.
If you sleep with your Frenchie, and you have a bed with a high box spring, build a ramp so your baby can freely walk up and down. Jumping on and off a regular couch will not cause any harm.
The adult Frenchies' body structure is a lot more massive. But still, you should be careful with letting your puppy jump off high places.
If you need more information on this topic, join our closed Facebook Frenchie Family group, where you can read a lot of tips and experiences of other owners. If you are already a member, click HERE to jump to health-related posts.
Dog scooting might look funny at first, but it's a sign that something is wrong "back there".
If you notice your Frenchie scooting just once or just here and there, you might not need to rush off to the vet. It depends on how much it’s happening. Sometimes, they might just have an itch. You could try cleaning the area with a gentle shampoo and soft washcloth, making sure to rinse away all the soap completely and dry the area well with a clean paper towel.
If the dog scooting happens more than once a day, or if the behavior goes on for more than a day or two, it’s time for a visit to the vet.
Here's a list of possible scooting causes:
1. It might be caused by worms. If you notice any sign of worms in the dog feces, give the dog anthelmintics. Always follow the description on the box regarding the required amount!
2. The stench gland is full. The vet or the dog groomer will express the anal glands.
3. It also might be caused by fungus. Only vets can diagnose this, and they will prescribe a fungicide cream and some pills.
If you need more information on this topic, join our closed Facebook Frenchie Family group, where you can read a lot of tips and experiences of other owners. If you are already a member, click HERE to jump to health-related posts.
There is absolutely no need to worry! Heart murmurs are normal for young dogs and will pass by.
Let me quote you VCA's article on Heart Murmurs in Dogs:
In the case of a grown-up Frenchie, if s/he is often exhausted and has heavy breathing, you better take him/her to the vet. If s/he has a heart problem, the vet will prescribe some heart medicine. But this case is really rare! NONE of our dogs have ever had any heart issues!
OTHER
The chip can be found in the left shoulder of your angel. Your puppies microchip number is written in the passport on the 3rd page.
You can register your puppy’s microchip in the US on this link:
https://www.petlink.net/us/welcome
You can register your puppy’s microchip in the US on this link:
https://www.petlink.net/us/welcome
Your puppy's microchip number is written in the passport on the 3rd page.
(you need it just in case you bought a
registration for your puppy, it is important for breeders only)
Registering your FCI registered dog by AKC is a simple process.
There is a foreign dog registration form to fill out.
You send that in, with a copy of the 3 generations FCI pedigree and two photos of your dog, side and front standing.
It costs $100 and takes a few weeks to get the registration back.
AKC doesn't recognize blue or special color by French bulldogs so write on your registration form fawn or brindle. That way they will accept your application!
This is the link to the form to print out and enter the information with a pen:
http://images.akc.org/pdf/ADIMPT.pdf?_ga=1.155634303.558872889.1398093854
Write me if you need help to do it!
information for the transfer:
Microchip type:
ISO transponder: 2.12*12mm
Here is the breeders name:
Name: Tamas Kiss
City Csantavér
Address: Gruács Gyula utca 15.
Zip: 24220
Country: Serbia
This is a help to fill out the form:
https://bit.ly/3osQE0f
A Frenchie can chew on things for many reasons.
Between the age of 2-6 months, they are teething. It’s a natural process when puppies chew on everything. But if your dog is already past this age, he is clearly full of energy which he cannot release in other ways.
You know, we have an old saying here: a tired dog is a good dog. If your Frenchies is chewing on everything, that is a sign that he has lots of pent-up energy.
First of all, you need to exercise him often. You need to increase his exercise and his training as well. Take him for long walks in the morning, instead of the quick, 10-minutes pee-break. A 10 minutes walk 2 or 3 times a day is just not enough for a dog. He will be stressed due to all the pent-up energy and this leads up to health issues in the long run.
Play with your dog daily. This way he not only gets tired physically but mentally too. Take him to run free dog fields, dog school, and organize lots of activities together.
In case you really must leave him alone for hours, make sure he has chew toys available at all times, especially when teething. Rotate the toys to provide novelty. There are toys in which you can hide some dog treat, and he must get it out by chewing.
When possible, put items you don’t want your dog to chew away or out of reach. If this is not possible, keep your dog out of the area with gates or by closing doors. When you aren’t home, confine your dog in a safe area.
And most importantly, don’t blame the dog for being a dog! Give him toys to chew, reward him for chewing those, and prevent access to other items.
If you need more information on this topic, join our closed Facebook Frenchie Family group, where you can read a lot of tips and experiences of other owners. If you are already a member, click HERE to jump to training-related posts.
Answers from TomKings Frenchie Family members in the topic:
Many Frenchies are used to wearing clothing, due to short fur and a habit of their humans to walk outdoors in all weather conditions, even snow or heavy rain. A coat, sweater or costume shouldn't interfere with the movement of your Frenchie's vision, hearing or when doing his/her business. Some frenchies really enjoy wearing clothing, but not all do. It's important to be respectful and considerate of your angel's desire to wear clothes– or not.
Luckily Frenchies have short hair and short tail, despite of that we recommend wiping them after they are done, because that way they are surely clean 🙂
There is already a conversation about this topic in the TomKings Frenchie Family Facebook group.
(Please join the group if you haven’t done that yet)
Read it here
