Once we had decided that a French Bulldog is the ideal dog for us we knew that the next step was quintessential – we had to find the right breeder. It often seems like a daunting task, especially if you don’t really know how to determine whether it’s a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ breeder.
But I would recommend looking for the
French Bulldog Club/Association in your country, like the ones in the UK,
Germany or the USA.
In the USA the American Kennel Club is also a good source of information for quality breeders. They often provide
you with great information and sometimes already with a list and the contact
details of certified breeders. In addition, you can also often find a lot of
information online from “expert” dog sites (see link for an example), but I would be
very careful when it comes to contacts or names of trusted breeders. They are good
for general information about breeds and some introduction to training etc.,
but not very much for personal contacts and recommendations.
I can highly recommend to search for
private breeders that have an internet presence, with who you can get in touch
with and ideally, if the geography allows, personal visit. Often you can
already get a small sense of their commitment and expertise from their websites
and once you get in touch with them. Try to ask them as many questions as
possible and if you can, contact two or three breeders and ask them all the
same questions. That way you should also get a sense of who really knows the
Frenchies well.
Example: We have a very good example from
Ireland. See Celticlibrid – French Bulldogs
Every breeder should be very keen on
meeting with you, because it is in the breeder’s interest to give the puppies
only to responsible people. Therefore, breeders who don’t agree to meet are NOT
to be trusted. We would recommend meeting with the breeder once before
deciding. It is also important to stick with the breeder once chosen, even if
the litter still takes several months. It is not worth rushing to another breeder
just because he/she has a litter right that moment.
