VANCOUVER
BULLDOGS
frequently asked questions
Having a French Bulldog will bring infinite joy and laughter to your life almost everyday. Most Frenchie owners will agree there are countless ways their little faces and attitudes brighten up your life, sometimes in unexpected ways.
French Bulldogs are loving companions that require significant human interaction to thrive, so be prepared, this is not a set and forget dog. They NEED to be one of the family and should not regularly be left alone for long periods.
Questions About Vancouver Bulldogs
Please check our Puppies! page (click here). If we dont have any available or coming up that you are interested in feel free to send us a message and let us know what you are looking for as we work with many breeders who have contacts all over North America and even international (click here to contact us)
The following is included with all our Frenchie Furballs:
- References for you to speak to happy Frenchie owners that have purchased their pups from us
- A health guarantee
- Photos of both parents
- All litters are registered with either the CKC (Canadian Kennel Club) or AKC (American Kennel Club)
- A Certificate of health, up to date health and DNA records
- A legally binding document that details our entire agreement
Although we have only been breeding Frenchies for a few years we are lucky to have the honour of being partners with a few select breeders who are at the top of the industry in both Canada and the US. Most of our litters are co-owned with these breeders and they would also be happy to get in touch with you if needed.
All our Frenchie puppies are general health checked and examined by one of the top licensed Vets in BC. They come with their 1st set of vaccinations, a Microchip, are dewormed, a full genetic DNA panel is performed and a Health Certificate is issued. All pups have a health guarantee for 12 months against any genetic illness (please see terms of Purchase and Guarantee for details).
Your puppy will come with a 12 month health guarantee against any life-threatening genetic illness (please see the terms of your adoption contract in the “Health Guarantee” section for the complete details)
Yes all our pups are microchipped.
All litters, sires and dams are registered with the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) or the American Kennel Club (AKC)
The majority of our pups are purchased by top level breeders and people who are willing to pay a premium for French Bulldogs that are ethically bred, have unique colours, and most importantly have healthy DNA tested bloodlines.
There are significant costs to breeding high quality, rare colour French Bulldogs. Keep in mind we only use top of the line veterinarians (not the closest or cheapest), top tier equipment, food, and we strive to cross every “t” and dot every “i” twice. So if these prices seem high to you it’s because a) we live in Vancouver and EVERYTHING is much more expensive and b) we want the very best for our furry friends.
Here’s just a short list to give you some sense of a few of the costs:
- Top Level Studs fees can be over $10,000
- Overnight Shipping the Stud’s Semen ($450 2-3x)
- Amazing Females with breeding contracts are generally between $20,000 to over $60,000
- Progesterone testing ($500-$800)
- Artificial insemination ($800)
- Ultrasounds to confirm pregnancy for every litter ($200-$400)
- You can pay all costs above and the female’s pregnancy not take 🙁
- Most Frenchies have narrow hips which makes it dangerous to have natural births, so Frenchies generally have C-Sections ($2000)
- 2-3x the cost per month to feed the female her specialized premium human grade diet ($400-600 per month)
- Pregnancy and puppy supplements ($200-$300)
- Top quality puppy food ($150)
- DNA and health testing ($500-$700 CAD per pup)
- Standard Parasite Control (Deworming) mom and pups ($200-$300)
- Vaccinations and Microchip ($500-$1000 depends on how many pups)
- Constantly updating all the breeding related equipment like heated whelping pens and mobile incubators (only god knows as we are afraid to even add it up lol)
- Specialized and regular Cleaning supplies ($400)
- Puppy pack ($100-200)
- All the above does not include issues that may arise with a pregnancy and just like in humans there is always an unknown risk before, during and after birth.
Last but certainly the most costly is the time it takes to properly perform all the above. For some quick examples: We drive 2 hours round trip to see our reproduction veterinarian (because they are amazing), and 1 h 20 m round trip to see our regular vet each time (for the same reason) and the appointments can be up to an hour or more. Each progesterone test we drive to the vet (40 min), then so we can get the results quickly we drive another 40 min to drop off the sample to the lab that’s 2 h 40 min round trip just in drive time, and we perform 3-5 progesterone tests then another 2-3 reverse progesterone so we know the exact date for the C-Section. Those are just a few appointment types.
When the pups are born we don’t take our eyes off them or momma. They are watched 24/7 for almost 2 months. The first 1-2 weeks we make sure they feed every 2-3 hours 24-7. 2 am Feed, 4 am Feed, 6 am …. You guessed it… Feed.
Now hopefully you have an idea of why we charge a premium price. But we do this because we enjoy bringing these bundles of joy into this world and giving them the best paw forward, not just to make money.
We work with a network of breeders that have a significant amount of amazing contacts, let us know what you are interested in and we may have a solution for you.
1. The best way to start is by filling out our puppy questionnaire (click here for puppy adoption questionnaire) as we screen all potential buyers. Or contact us here (click here for contact info) to ask any preliminary questions.
2. After you fill out the questionnaire we can have a few convos to get to know you and your lifestyle to find the best puppy for you. We can send you photos and videos for you to view current and past pups, their parents, etc. If you pick a pup we can facetime/skype/whatsapp video call for you to see them.
3. You select a pup or secure a pup from a future breeding, you then make your deposit, and we sign an agreement.
4. At 8 – 10 weeks you will make your last payment and we can arrange delivery of your pup! Here are the 3 methods of delivery we use:
a) If you live within the lower mainland we can arrange a delivery to your home.
b) If you don’t live in the lower mainland you are welcome to fly or drive to the greater vancouver area and we can meet you at the airport or at another prearranged location.
c) If those options don’t work no worries we regularly have pups delivered by a pet nanny. The nanny will pick up your pup, fly with them to your city and you can meet them at the airport.
Yes, we require a questionnaire to be filled out and a few phone conversations to get to know you, as we want our pups to only go to the right homes. We spend much more time than most breeders do with every litter and puppy. We would rather keep the pups than wind up with one in the wrong hands and we will avoid this at all costs. It is not just about the money for us, it is about ethics and being able to sleep at night knowing the pups are safe in loving homes.
If you would like us to hold a puppy, you will be required to place a deposit, which is standard practice in the breeding world. The deposit you make on a puppy is non refundable unless there is an irreparable problem on our side and we renege on the agreed upon puppy contract. Which we never do.
Deposits can change according to the value and rarity of the puppy but generally they are $1000 CAD. We accept email transfer, cash, credit card (credit card has a 3.5% processing fee)
No the deposit is non refundable.
We put a lot of time and money into searching for not only clients that can afford to purchase our unique Frenchies but to find the perfect owners and forever home for our pups. Backing out can cause an issue for us in multiple ways. Our aim is to always find the right type of dog parent, which takes some work.
If you think there is a 1/10 chance you will back out please don’t make the deposit or make the deposit with another breeder. We can write a novel on the headaches we’ve seen people go through arguing about clearly defined non refundable deposits. You will be warned verbally, through text, through email, a warning is written almost everywhere a deposit is mentioned on the site, you will even initial in the contract at the section that details the non refundable nature of the deposit and will ultimately sign you name to this contract.
Here are the 3 delivery methods:
1. If you live within the lower mainland we can arrange a delivery to your home.
2. If you don’t live in the lower mainland you are welcome to fly or drive to the greater vancouver area and we can meet you at the airport or at another prearranged location.
3. If those options don’t work no worries we regularly have pups delivered by a pet nanny. The nanny will pick up your pup, fly with them to your city and you can meet them at the airport.
We do not ship pups (even short distances) by themselves under any circumstances.
We are based in the Metro Vancouver Area. Because of the high value and demand of Rare Colour French Bulldogs, many high quality dog breeders across North America have switched to delivering their pups offsite due to unfortunate break ins and thefts. Having said that we would be more than happy to facetime/video call you so that you may ask as many questions as you need to, see us and be introduced to the pups.
Note: This policy was in place even before Covid-19 so now legally businesses are required to follow specific guidelines, restrictions and social distancing. Some of these rules and laws can be confusing, we aren’t legal or health experts and want to avoid any liability. So again the path of least resistance is to deliver your pup offsite. Of course we’d love for you to come by and do things the “old fashioned way” but it can be a crazy world out there these days and we have to protect family first, including our dogs 🙂
Questions About French Bulldogs
The average lifespan of a Frenchie is 10-12 years old.
With the right consistency and firm but positive motivation, Frenchies can definitely be trained. How easy that is depends on your training techniques, if you properly socialize your pup, and your individual dog. At Vancouver Bulldogs we provide a lifetime of advice which includes training methods from some of the top trainers in the world.
Your puppy should be ready to go at 8-10 weeks. We gauge each litter and each individual puppy differently. Occasionally they just need a little more of momma’s and our love before they leave to their new homes.
You will be provided with a 1-2 week supply of dog food. If you wish to change to another dog food and avoid bowel issues and other issues with your new pup, you will have to slowly introduce the new puppy food. We recommend doing so over a span of 2 weeks adding a little more of the new puppy food exchanging it for the old day by day.
That’s a hard question to answer. Just like humans both sexes have what you could choose to see as positives and negatives. This is a highly debated topic with many great reasons to own both.
Frenchies don’t need giant yards and houses to thrive. As long as you have time to take your dog for 1-2 short walks a day, want a constant companion, and your living space allows dogs, a condo or apartment will definitely work.
Please check your rental agreement, Strata Bylaws, and City Bylaws to see if there are any restrictions on the type, size, and amount of dogs you are allowed to have.
One of the best qualities of a Frenchie is its highly social nature. They need and thrive off of being one of the pack. As a French Bulldog owner it is your responsibility to provide them with plenty of attention. If you work long days or are gone for long periods of time then this is not the dog for you.
No. French Bulldogs (and many other breeds) can die from heat stress because of their short muzzle (Brachycephalic) or the cold. If this is something you need to do please take our suggestion and look into another breed(s)
Really no dog should be left in your car unsupervised for any amount of time, Frenchies don’t do well in the heat or cold. If you absolutely have to leave them please make sure it’s under 5 min, the car is running with a slightly cracked window, the vehicle climate control is at room temperature, there is nothing in the car that they can’t ingest or chew safely. MAKE SURE THE DOORS ARE LOCKED. People know Frenchies are in demand and theft is a real possibility. Your pup winding up as a bait dog (don’t google bait dog) in a dog fight (this scenario is actually a harsh reality in some cities) or sold at a cheap price to god knows who is literally our worst and should be your worst nightmare.
Frenchies love water but make very poor swimmers and generally sink quite quickly. They are top heavy with short muzzles which makes it hard to breathe and swim. All dogs should have life jackets when on a boat but especially Frenchies. Even with a life jacket they should be supervised at all times.
Vancouver French Bulldogs would be happy to connect you with one of our fabulous frenchies and answer any questions you may have. Happy Frenchie hunting!!
Our Puppy Waiting List
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Our Puppy Waiting List
If you want to be notified when we have a litter and the occasional Frenchie related article please enter your name, email and/or mobile number below