Are you ready to adopt the most popular and wonderful companion dog in America?  If so, the French Bulldog is for you.  French Bulldogs (Frenchies) have the same wonderful temperaments and personalities as their cousins, the English Bulldogs, only in smaller packages that do not drool :-).

In this article, we will offer tips and advice on how you search to buy a French Bulldog for sale near me, so that your experience will be a good one. Well-bred Frenchies are relatively healthy, especially among the brachycephalic (flat-faced) breeds, and will provide a decade or more of love and laughter.  However, poorly bred Frenchies, as with any breed, can bring a lot of heartache and heavy expenses.

Maybe the most important decision in purchasing a Frenchie puppy is finding the right breeder.  If there are good local breeders nearby that you can visit, great.  If not, there are many wonderful breeders, like BlueHaven, that breed and deliver high-quality puppies to clients around the country. If you work with a breeder that focuses on the health, temperament, and conformation of their puppies, in addition to color, you will be well rewarded.

Finding An Ethical And Reputable Breeder

Before looking for a French bulldogs for sale near me, you must know that it is very critical to work with an ethical breeder who has years of experience and success behind them. Because the Frenchie is both a brachycephalic (flat-faced) and chondrodystrophic (dwarf) breed, they are susceptible to several health-related issues, if not well-bred.  

A good breeder will have several high-quality males, so that good pairings can be made with each of their high-quality females. Alternatively, backyard breeders, puppy mills, and other unethical breeders will throw any two dogs together that they happen to have, and hope for the best.  It often doesn’t work out well, both for the resulting puppies and the unsuspecting clients.

• High-quality breeders will generally have a strong on-line presence and will have consistently high reviews for several years from past clients.  All of their dogs will be fully registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC). A high-quality breeder will be happy to have you visit their facility to meet them and see some of their dogs (although do not expect them to take you through their operation, mainly for safety and health concerns).  If any of these are not true, a red flag should go up. If you have any doubts before looking for a French Bulldogs for sale near me, ask for references and follow up.

• Buying a puppy from a backyard breeder, puppy mill, or other unethical breeder can lead to a lot of very negative consequences.  Often, their dogs are poor quality, do not have suitable living conditions, and lack proper documentation. This can result in puppies of very inferior quality, that are destined to have significant health issues. If you deal with a scammer, you won’t have to worry about health issues, because there won’t be a puppy at all after the transaction.

Checking The Health And Temperament Of The Bulldog

• If you purchase a puppy from a high-quality, ethical breeder, you can be confident that the puppy you are purchasing comes from parents with good temperaments that are free from common Frenchie health issues, such as significant brachycephalic syndrome, allergies, knee and back issues, etc. High-quality breeders also DNA test their breeding males and females to be sure they will not produce puppies with common Frenchie genetic health defects.

• High-quality breeders will have pedigree charts for each of their breeding males and females, which they should provide to their puppy clients.  They should also provide a Sales Contract and the health record for each of their puppies. They will be happy to answer any questions you have regarding puppies you are potentially interested in, and they should be more than happy to facetime with you or provide you with a video or pictures of these puppies.

•  A high-quality breeder will have each of their puppies examined by an experienced vet (and will provide proof of this examination) and will provide a fair guarantee for each puppy against congenital issues that could not be detected in the vet check.  Of course, a guarantee means nothing if the breeder will not stand behind it.  This is why it is critical to deal with a breeder who has a good track record over a number of years.

Pricing And Delivery Options

• Many people look for French bulldogs for sale near me but are not able to find a high-quality Frenchie breeder nearby, so they must resort to buying one out of the area. At BlueHaven French Bulldogs, we place around a third of our puppies with clients who live close enough to drive to meet us, but we send the other two thirds to clients around the country with one of our responsible puppy nannies.  These little guys are wonderful travelers.  

• A well-bred Frenchie will be expensive, for a lot of very valid reasons.  On the BlueHaven website, under Prospective Owner FAQs, we explain why well-bred Frenchies are so expensive.  Price needs to be a factor in a purchase decision, but if it is the primary criteria, a lot of bad decisions will be made.  Puppies selling for well below market price are in most cases going to be poor quality dogs, which will mean a lot of ongoing expenses, or they will be scams, in which case, the puppies never materialize after the money is paid.

• Do your homework and make sure you are dealing with a reputable breeder.  You will be much happier in the long run, as you are much more apt to get a high-quality puppy with no significant health issues, and if there is a problem, there will be someone there to help.

• If your puppy is to be delivered to you, the best way in many cases is to have them delivered by an airline puppy nanny to your nearest major airport.  They will be in the constant care of the nanny in the comfort of the cabin, and the delivery time will be minimized.  

• A surface nanny is a good option, in cases where the drive is no more than 8 or 10 hours, and the cost is generally competitive.  An added advantage is that the delivery will be made to your front door.  You should have a clear understanding of the various delivery (or pick up) options, and then make a decision based on what is best for your circumstances and the welfare of your new puppy.

• If a high-quality puppy is not within your budget, you might consider a retired female.  Most reputable breeders will retire their females after they have had an average of 3 litters and are between 3 and 4 years of age.  They are generally priced at a fraction of the cost of a puppy, but they are still young enough to have many good years ahead of them.  Another advantage is that they will be housetrained, or nearly so, and they will have the challenging puppy issues behind them.

• Sometimes males will be retired when they are still fairly young, and they can also make wonderful companions.  Occasionally, rescues will also be available from local animal shelters, but the chances of finding a Frenchie without significant baggage is not good.

Conclusion

Hopefully, we have touched on some points that will help you acquire a Frenchie that will provide a decade or more of love, laughter, and companionship with minimum problems and expense.  

Whether you are purchasing your puppy from a local breeder, or one from outside the area, care must be used to ensure you are working with a reputable breeder.  This is the best chance you have to obtain a high-quality Frenchie, which will save you money and heartache in the long run.

One of the things you can do to make your ownership of a Frenchie even more enjoyable is to find other Frenchie owners in your area.  There may be local clubs or you can find other owners through your local pet shops, etc.  Getting together for play dates, comparing notes, and just talking about your fun experiences with your Frenchie to others can be enjoyable and enlightening experiences.

If you are ready to begin the wonderful experience of Frenchie ownership and you are searching for high-quality French Bulldogs for sale near me, BlueHaven French Bulldogs would love to work with you. We produce high-quality Frenchie puppies in all of their glorious colors, and they all come from very healthy moms and dads with sweet temperaments. Visit us at bluehavenfrenchbulldogs.com or text or call on 435-770-5708.