Is Your Mental Health Important? Get a Frenchie!

If you regularly read our blog, you may have already come across our article on how Frenchies are wonderful emotional support dogs with numerous benefits on mental health. This time we wanted revisit this topic from a more personal approach and highlight some heartwarming stories from our TomKings Frenchie Family members, and share how their fur babies have brought balance into their lives and helped them become happier. Whatever your current life situation is, we can guarantee that a Frenchie will give you the joy and comfort that you crave so much, bringing a smile to your face even in the most challenging moments.

1. Enhancing Daily Life and Emotional Well-being

A Frenchie will not just share your home—they will enhance your whole life. They actively participate in daily activities, bringing a unique joy and energy that completely shifts the atmosphere of a home. Their presence can transform routine life into an adventure filled with warmth and laughter.

“Theo has enhanced our life with his love, curiosity and desire to be included in all aspects of our life. He brings joy to us through being a family member and participant in our lives, almost like another human versus just a pet.”  (Phil)

“Bob has brought so much love, warmth and joy into our home. We’re happier and more active since he joined us. Instead of scrolling or watching TV, we play with him, take him to the park, or to the beach. Every morning, he greets us with cuddles that set a positive tone for the day. Before Bob joined our family, as a childfree couple, we tended to focus primarily on our own needs. However, Bob’s presence naturally shifted this dynamic, fostering a healthier balance in our lives. I’ve never seen my husband light up with such happiness and joy before. It’s as if Bob has completed our family in a way we didn’t even realize was missing.”  (Agnieszka)

“Since Susie entered our lives, she’s brought a whirlwind of joy and connection to our family. It’s amazing how this little bundle of fur has managed to bridge communication gaps and fill our home with laughter and happiness. Susie’s funny gestures never fail to make us laugh. Whether she’s chasing her tail or playing with her toys, her antics light up the room and bring smiles to our faces. It’s like she has a knack for knowing exactly how to brighten our spirits. My mother-in-law has found a true friend in Susie. They spend hours playing together and chatting away. Susie’s presence has brought so much companionship and joy into her life, and it warms my heart to see them bonding like old pals.

And then there’s my wife, who seems to have become a celebrity overnight thanks to Susie. Everywhere she goes with our adorable pup, she’s showered with attention and compliments. It’s like Susie has this magnetic charm that draws people in, and my wife couldn’t be happier about it. Before Susie, our family conversations could sometimes feel a bit stale. But now, she’s the talk of the town—or at least the talk of our household. From discussing her latest antics to marveling at her cute puppy face, Susie has given us endless topics to bond over and share with one another. Susie truly is the cutest dog ever, and I can’t imagine our family without her. She’s more than just a pet—she’s a cherished member of our family who brings us closer together each and every day.” (Jonathan)

2. Providing Companionship and Reducing Loneliness

Your Frenchie can fill your life with companionship and reduce feelings of loneliness in ways you never thought was possible. These affectionate pooches are masters at sensing your mood and stepping in to provide comfort in just the right time. If you live alone and need a steady companion, your Frenchie will provide a constant source of joy and sense of belonging.

“I would honestly be lost without Frankie. Just looking at him makes me smile and I’m at peace. Truly a Godsend.”  (Lynn)

“I am divorced and live alone. While my family are within 45 miles it is my two Frenchies who are the everyday constant I have in my life. They provide structure, companionship, and rhythm to my day. Because of them, I never come home to an empty house. I would be lost without my little pack!” (Helen)

“Pippa is so amazing everyone loves her. She is funny sweet loving good sleeper and snorrer. During the pandemic when I was home a lot she was always with me close which helped me tremendously.”  (Nike)

“This 36lb dork gives me a reason to live most days.”  (Kurt)

3. Helping Cope with Anxiety and Stress

A Frenchie is much more than just a pet; they can be your calm in the storm. Whether you’re facing a tough day or ongoing challenges, your Frenchie will be right there, offering the steady support and soothing presence you need to navigate through stressful times.

“Finn is a certified emotional support animal and I take him everywhere with me.  The great joy that it brings me to have him with me at work is immeasurable!  I work in a high stress industry and Finn is a constant source of stress reduction.” (Kourtney)

“Ziggy is my best friend. Whenever I am stressed, anxious, sad, or really just upset in any way he comes and lays on me which makes me feel grounded. When excited, I feel he is excited too. I can tell he understands the difference in my tone of voice.”  (Valeria)

4. Helping with Grief and Loss

In times of grief, your Frenchie can offer a quiet comfort. Their presence alone can make difficult days a little easier, providing a reassuring sense of companionship that helps soothe the ache of loss. When words fall short, the silent support of your Frenchie can be a balm for your soul.

“Jack helped me feel better after the loss of my mom. While he came almost two years after, he helped heal some of my left over grief. Mom would have loved him and would have been happy I finally got the frenchie I always wanted.”  (Sarah)

“My father passed away in January 2022. I became very ill and had the worst anxiety and fear of dying next. Apollo came into our lives at the right moment. He has brought so much joy and happiness into a sad house. I see so many of my father’s traits in him. So grateful to have this beautiful, stubborn and loving munchkin.” (Lilly)

5. Dealing with Depression and PTSD

During the tough battles with depression and PTSD, a Frenchie can become a crucial support in your daily life. Their intuitive connection and loyal companionship can offer significant relief during difficult times. Whether it’s encouraging you to stay active or providing a comforting presence, your Frenchie can help light up darker days and offer a sense of stability when emotions feel overwhelming.

“My husband Fred battles severe depression. He comes from a family where there are multiple suicides due to depression. Fred is a specialty long haul driver. He hauls power transformers all over the US so he rarely gets to spend time at home. Mickey is his support system. Mickey forces him to get up and go for walks and also makes him have play time. Mickey’s favorite is the tennis ball. Not only does Fred have to take care of himself, but Mickey is just like having a child so Fred has to get up and take care of him as well. Other than me (😆) Mickey has been the best thing that has ever happened to Fred. He is extremely smart, has a huge personality, and loves to cuddle. Mickey Lyn keeps my husband going every day and I am very Thankful for that. Thank You TKK for such an amazing companion for my husband. He literally has saved my husband’s life and he continues to do so everyday.”  (Candita)

“Mabel and Norman are the MOST amazing companions ever!! They always want to be wherever my husband and I are at. We have both been diagnosed with PTSD – my husband from defending our country and me from my time as a 9-1-1 dispatcher. Anytime my emotions aren’t in check, Mabel and Norman stay by me and comfort me and they do the same for my husband as well. Life would not be complete without them.” (Jessica)

6. Providing Support in Difficult Times

In the midst of life’s challenges, your Frenchie can be an invaluable source of support. Whether it’s through moments of personal hardship, disease or family crises, these little companions consistently offer their unwavering affection. Their ability to sense distress and provide comfort can make a significant difference, lightening the load of tough times and bringing a touch of joy when it’s needed most.

“Super grateful for my two babies. I WFH and struggled with infertility and they provide me with so much comfort, joy, and at times chaos but I would not change it for the world. I can’t wait for them to meet their baby sister in a few months as I know they will love, protect, and play with her as I always have dreamt of. My forever first babies.” (Sophia)

“My husband burnt his hand badly a few weeks back (he’s fine now & his hand will recover 100%!) and Sully knew he was hurt & laid across his lap which Sully hardly ever does! He’s a mama’s boy for sure & 9x out of 10 he’s going to choose my lap to snuggle. He knew his daddy was hurt & gave him a little extra love. Dogs are amazing & know when their person(s) are hurting emotionally or physically.”  (Kimberly)

“Our family has gone through so much since my husband was diagnosed with schizophrenia and the main reason i became a nurse. (…) We have 3 Labrador retrievers 2 being emotional support and one is an actual service dog since my husband lost his right arm. They most definitely help but are really big. So we decided to get a smaller dog and I have always wanted a Frenchie and also heard they are good for emotional support. Boy were they right. This little guy just puts a smile on everyone’s face when they see him. It’s always the same remark too, “He looks like a pig!”. 

When we brought him home Joel was actually just starting to get depressed since he just lost his dad and it was around Christmas. Holidays and winter are the most depressing for him and it’s so hard sometimes to get him out of it. But this year we had Tike. Usually it would take months after Christmas to get Joel to a better place sometimes till spring, but Tike stayed right by his side and we managed to come out of it in a few weeks. Anytime Joel is starting to feel symptoms coming on or if we notice he is starting to decline, Tike takes the initiative to go be by him. And he just lays there on his chest or right on his lap. We have seen months of depression turn into what feels like short weeks since he has come into our lives. And I think it has a lot to do with the fact that he is small, he fits right there where he needs him for hugs and just being by his side makes him feel better. And I’m sure the face helps too. Tikes face like I said can turn any frown into a smile and just looking at him makes me smile and laugh sometimes. He does the funniest things. 

Joel’s mental health also takes a toll on fatherhood. It’s hard for our son especially when he wants a dad that will always be down to play. I could tell that my son gets upset or more emotional around the same time also because he sees his dad going through this. (…) Now that Tike is here, my son always has a puppy. He’s small compared to our big dogs so it’s like we have a small baby puppy always. We have been dealing with this for years now and my son now understands that his dad will go through these phases but will come back around and will always play with him when he is in a better state. But like I said before when it would take months before my son got his dad back, it now is down to a few weeks. I can tell a difference in my son’s emotional health since getting Tike. Whenever he is also feeling sad over seeing his dad like he gets he too also goes to Tike. And they will play for hours. Tike really enjoys spending time with them it’s almost like he knows they need him and is always down to play or snuggle up for a hug.” (Tiffany) 

7. Cheering up Children

Frenchies are not only adorable and loving, but they also have a remarkable ability to positively influence children. Their calm demeanor and playful nature make them ideal companions for young ones, helping ease anxiety, enhance emotional resilience, and bring joy to everyday activities. Whether it’s soothing fears, encouraging laughter, or simply providing a gentle friend to confide in, Frenchies can make a significant impact on a child’s life.

“My Magic has an amazing temperament of calm, kind and discipline. With a household of 3 boys ages 11,10 and 4. You all can imagine how crazy day to day life is. Magic is using her magic every day to be with my kids and calm them down when a breakdown happened. We love our Magic.” (Kay)

“Stitch was the reason my girl didn’t go crazy during zoom school in the pandemic! Forever thankful for our 2 adorable Tomkings puppies! The other day Maria Luisa had a gymnastics State Competition and we took both puppies to our trip. Guess what? She had the best scores ever. She was hugging them before going out there and do her best. They bring her so much calm.” (Maria)

“Long before we got Torri my son had scary experience with a dog that was adopted from a shelter.  We were at a shop where the owner had 2 dogs that were adopted from the shelter. At some point my son asked if he could pet the dogs.  I was very happy that he wanted to do that as he was scared of big dogs, and we were working on him being more comfortable around them. We asked the owner of the dogs if that would be ok and he told us that he could pet only one as the other one might react and bark (not bite but just bark). My son was happy and he pet the dog for few minutes.  

Later on when we were about to leave my boy came to me again asking if it would be ok to go and pet the dog again before we leave.  The man approved for my son to do that again and he run happily to the back of the shop and I let him while being very proud of the progress he made. Next minute I heard loud barking and my son running back to me screaming. He hugged me crying and being terrified. What happened is that when my son went to pet the dog that he pet before the other dog reacted and started barking at my son. The owner made a mistake when he said that it’s ok for my boy to pet the dog as at that moment he forgot that second dog barks only when owner is not there, and he was not there when boy went to pet doggy. 

All that caused for our son to develop phobia for dogs and not only for dogs but he developed phobia to most of the animals…cats….birds….even flies. Any animal or insect that would come near him he would jump on the chair being scared. We had talks, we were explaining to our son what happened and why dog reacted the way he did but none of this helped.  One day while being on Instagram I watched videos with frienchies and their zoomies and they made me laugh. Then the idea came and I started showing to my son videos of frenchies and the silly things they were doing.  Ones I remember asking him would he like to have one dog like that and his answer was NO! I let the time pass, we kept watching videos and slowly from NO my son said YES to frenchie.

Of course I have read before about the breed and how they are with the kids, also the good thing was that they are not big dogs so it was acceptable for my son. One of the videos we watched were TomKings frenchies and that was when we contacted them. My son wanted blue frenchie or frenchie like ‘oreo biscuits’ 🙃. Then we saw blue frenchie, now our Torri, and we all fell in love with this cute puppy.  She changed our lives, our boy overcame his fears. They were best friends, he was hugging her, kissing her. We call her defender as whenever she hears something outside she barks and stands in front of my son to protect him.  Torri changed few things for my son. Barking changed the meaning to protection instead of the attack, phobia changed into the love and screaming into laughter ❤️. Half year after we got for our boy oreo biscuit frenchie too  😊 and now we have Torri and Ozzy.” (Mira)

8. Spreading Joy Outside the Family

Frenchies give nothing but love and they constantly inspire us to do the same. Due to their high emotional intelligence, they can become amazing therapy dogs and help people in need within your community. 

“Ollie Pipin is now a registered therapy dog through Alliance of Therapy Dogs. I am a psychiatric nurse and she brings joy to the patients, my kids and me! She loves being at work and then loves being her frenchie self at home!” (Carla)

If you can’t get enough of our Frenchies, join our Facebook group called TomKings Frenchie Family to see our puppies in their forever homes!

The article is based on the expert knowledge of the TomKings Puppies team who have been breeding French Bulldogs for 10 years on their farm. All the pictures in the post belong to them and their customers, and show puppies from their breed. Check their available French Bulldog puppies, or if you have any questions or comments let us know below the article.