French Bulldogs are the most affectionate, playful, and easy-going dog breed. Just like babies, these dogs need tender and consistent care.
A significant part of offering such care is understanding their growth stages and how much physical exercise they need at different stages.
Many dog owners, especially those who are passionate about outdoor living, wonder when their French bulldogs will start walking. Young puppies start walking at nine weeks.
However, if you received your little furry friend when he or she was already nine weeks of age, you should consider waiting for them to receive all the core vaccinations before walking him for the first time in the dog park.
What happens in the first 9 Weeks of the French Bulldog’s Life?
The first 9 weeks of your puppy’s life is filled with excitement and wonder. During this time, it seems as if every new change is an occasion to celebrate.
The new puppy parent is always interested in their pet’s growth and development journey. The following is a brief overview of your little Frenchie’s journey starting immediately after birth and onward.
Immediately after Birth
Newborn puppies are small, blind, deaf, and helpless in the first week after birth.
They spend their time sleeping and nursing. It is a critical time because they are not aware of their environment. This is when they need their mother’s nutritious first milk (colostrum). They must be kept warm and safe from danger.
The breeders monitor these pups closely to ensure that the mother does not accidentally suffocate them. This can happen if the mother has had a large breed and is unable to (or doesn’t have enough space) to not lie on them.
The First 2 Weeks After Your Frenchie’s Birth
The Frenchie puppies spend their time nursing and sleeping. The puppies spend the majority of their time in a whelping box with their mother.
Puppies should not be separated from their mother until many more weeks have passed.
It’s important for them to stay in contact with their mothers or gain heat from an external source to urinate and poo. In most cases, the breeders have to assist the mothers in nurturing these pups.
Watching them huddle together is so cute. One of the reasons they do this is to keep their young bodies warm. They do this because they cannot control their body temperature.
Sight development starts at this transitional stage.
Their eyes begin to open at 14 – 21 days old. Although their eyes are open, they still have limited sight. The reason for this is because dogs in general have fewer cones responsible for seeing the full spectrum of colors.
The two colors most easy to distinguish in dogs are blue or yellow.
More Developments at 3 Weeks From Birth
The puppies start crawling and taking the first shaky steps. At this point you can gently begin to place them away from the mother where they can poop and pee. Most people use newspaper or strategically placed pee pads.
This process will take time. Remember, 3 weeks is still very young. At this point, it’s more about expanding the puppies’ world than it is about actual training. You may be surprised to discover how much the mother actually teaches these dogs.
Your puppy may occasionally eat poop. It’s not usually harmful. They will either grow out if it themselves, or their mother will naturally stop them from doing it. Mommies have a way of teaching their pups how to be good canine citizens.
This includes basic litter rules and discipline. She has her own way of showing the puppies basic social skills within the pack.
Your little Frenchie might be more mobile, but he/she still needs mother’s milk for nourishment. This milk offers the complete and exact nutrition required for a newborn puppy.
Occasionally, feeding of the puppies may fall to the breeder. This is because some mothers reject their puppies. Other reasons include an inability to latch onto the nipple long enough, disability (cleft palate), or weakness.
If this happens, the puppy will need to be fed a formula designed specifically for puppies.
The young French Bulldogs start discovering their abilities to move around and being alert to their environment.
It’s normal to hear the puppies crying or making soft sounds. This doesn’t mean they are upset. It’s actually how they learn to communicate. They often make these sounds as they begin to crawl around looking for their mother.
4 Weeks From Birth – Personality!
At one month of age, the young Frenchies nurse or drink formula milk if their mothers do not have enough milk. This exercise ensures that each young puppy has an equal chance to grow. They need a lot of nourishment as they being to explore their surroundings.
At this stage, the excitement really begins. Your puppies are developing little personalities! Friends and family will want to pick them up and cuddle. A little human contact is fine, but it’s important that hands are thoroughly washed. This helps prevent passing along germs to the vulnerable puppy.
As the mother’s milk continues to reduce, the breeding team gradually introduces the French Bulldogs to solid food. In some cases, the puppies may also drink milk from a bottle.
When they stop nursing as often, the caretakers provide them with fresh water at all times.
These little explorers are quite playful at this stage. You can see how much they enjoy walking and running around like champs. Now’s the time to really ensure there are no dangers like open staircases or small objects that can be swallowed.
5 Weeks – Plowing Forward
When Frenchies are 5 weeks old, they start playing with each other and with the people around them. You will also notice them running around the small house or garden. They also begin using their sharp baby teeth to bite and chew things.
At this phase, it is easy to identify the first signs of their personality.
6 Weeks & Counting
By the end of this week, solid food is the primary source of nourishment for the puppies. Professional vets examine them to ensure that their limbs grow proportionally.
At this stage, these pups are energetic and active. They prefer to play on the farm instead of staying in a kennel. The pups also socialize a lot with each other.
This is the best time to watch your furry friends grow and enjoy life. The team at the breeding farm introduces the new puppy to potty training at this age.
7 Weeks
Frenchies achieve most of their puppy milestones by seven weeks. Their personalities also develop rapidly. This is the best age to identify companion dogs and intelligent dogs.
It is enjoyable to watch them play with kids, litter-mates, and toy bulldogs. However, they are still fragile and young. These require up to 18 hours of sleep daily.
8 Weeks
After receiving the vaccinations, the new puppies are ready to move to their new homes. Ensuring that the pets get lengthy naps of about 16 or 18 hours is vital. The breeders can hold on to the fur babies for a little longer if they feel that they are not ready to shift to the new environment.
9 Weeks
French Bulldogs start walking at this phase. They need adequate sleep and regular grooming. Lack of enough sleep can impact their health negatively. The Frenchy should also receive the remaining immunizations. As the new parent, you should be ready to take your pet through its milestones.
Regular Grooming
Frenchies’ signature wrinkles can provide a warm and dark place for bacteria, fre, and yeast to grow. Prioritizing your pets’ hygiene will help you protect them from these parasites. Ensure that you groom and bath it and trim its nails as frequently as possible.
You should also brush the short coats for about five minutes. This is a great way to remove the dirt and spread the pet’s natural oils all over its fur. Every French Bulldog’s parent should also understand its diet and nutritional needs.
Training, Learning, and Walking
The standard of French Bulldogs describes this breed as intelligent, well-behaved, playful, attentive, adaptable, and active. This means that these dogs love training, learning, walking, and picking up on different activities.
Do Frenchies need Walking?
There are many misconceptions about the Frenchie breed. For example, many new people assume that French bulldogs are lazy, inactive, and hence do not require much exercise. It is true that these puppies sleep a lot. However, they have a lot of energy when they wake. Pet parents should walk their puppies to allow them to burn this energy.
Benefits of Walking your French Bulldog
Read on to understand the common reasons why your puppy needs this physical activity.
Exercise and Health
Walking your French Bulldog will boost its health condition and make it physically fit. Naturally, this breed is prone to multiple medical problems. Obese French Bulldogs often experience more health issues, such as diabetes and breathing problems.
Sometimes, they injure their joints and hips. Severe overweight cases lead to death. Walking your pet will protect it from additional weight-related problems.
Socialization
The daily walks offer your Frenchie an excellent opportunity to socialize with other dogs as well as people. The social skills it acquires from this amount of exercise enable it to adapt easily to different situations and environments. Well-adjusted dogs are always happy and less likely to fall into depression even when they move to their new homes.
Mental Stimulation
Allowing your French Bulldog to stay indoors all the time can lead to loneliness. Such pets tend to suffer mentally. Additionally, most of them experience separation anxiety which further causes them to engage in destructive behavior.
Walking your furry friend to the dog park will keep it mentally active and help to prevent these mental and behavioral issues. It is an effective solution to this breed’s stubborn streak.
Natural Instinct
Naturally, dogs have a pack mentality that involves walking from their homes to search for food. Taking your little friend for a short walk will fulfill this instinct.
Training and Behavior
If you are looking forward to training your pet, you should consider walking it. This physical activity helps to reinforce good behavior and positive skills, such as obedience, patience, and self-control.
During the walk, the puppy will experience different situations that will provoke his or her reaction. This is the best time to train him to be well-behaved. Spending time together will also help you to establish a strong relationship.
These benefits prove that Frenchie owners need to walk their pets. However, it is also necessary to know how much walking these pets need and how often it should take place.
How much Time French Bulldogs Need to Walk
The amount of time that your Frenchy needs to walk depends on various factors, such as its age, health status, and personality. Dog owners should understand that the walking requirements for puppies are totally different from adult French bulldogs.
For instance, 4 months old Frenchies should walk to approximately 12 minutes while 9 months old Frenchies should walk for about 27 minutes. These minutes include the time spent on walking, resting, pooping, and playing. The intention is to spend time out of the house and not walk constantly.
How often should you walk your Frenchie?
Most vets recommend French Bulldog owners to walk their healthy and energetic twice a day. Most people love doing it in the morning and evening. However, the number of times depends on the factors explained below.
Health
Various health conditions that Frenchies suffer from limit their walking. You should take your pet for short walks once a day if it has health issues
Age
French bulldog puppies are more energetic and need more walking than the adult French Bulldogs.
Character/Personality
Dogs have different personalities. Some are more active and will need more walking than others.
Appropriate Walk Length for a French Bulldog
The distance that the French bulldogs need also depends on their age, health, and personality. For example, a healthy adult Frenchie can comfortably walk for 3 miles. Morning walks are better because the sun is not very bright.
Walking French Bulldog Puppies
Your puppy should learn to socialize and be active from a young age. The general rule of thumb is to walk the puppy for 3 minutes every month.
Frenchie puppies under 16 weeks of age do not need a lot of walking like the adults. It is important to be easy on them because they are still growing and have undeveloped bones and weak immune systems.
For these reasons, you should walk your furry pet around your garden only to protect it from heat stroke, bone damage, and diseases like canine parvovirus. If there is another dog within your private space, ensure that it is up to date with its vaccinations.
You are free to walk your pet to other places like the local park two weeks after he or she receives the final vaccination.
The rule of At this point, their bodies will be strong enough to fight the viruses and fatal diseases that they might contract from other dogs, shared food, and shared spaces.
Is it safe to walk older Female French Bulldogs in Public Parks before being spayed?
You should avoid letting your female Frenchie off the leash if it has not been spayed. Most vets advise female Frenchies owners to get them spayed once they reach 4-9 months of age.
These pets rarely conceive naturally. However, you will be running a risk by letting the pet interact with other dogs in a public space.
Safety Precautions
You should take several precautions when walking this brachycephalic breed. To start with, you should not allow them to walk continuously for more than five minutes.
Secondly, you should avoid walking them on a sunny day. They are likely to overheat and experience trouble breathing in hot weather because of their short nose and flat faces.
More Info on French Bulldogs Before You Go!
We thought you might also be interested in the following posts on French Bulldogs. Read the following hand-picked posts:
Why French Bulldogs Shouldn’t Have Puppies Naturally
How to Encourage Your French Bulldog Puppy’s Ears to Stand UP
29 Least Aggressive Dog Breeds You Can Trust
Potential Dangers of Long Walks
Pressuring your furry friend with too much walking for long periods of time or under the heat can lead to various issues, which include:
• Vomiting
• Glazed eyes
• General body weakness or Collapsing
• Seizures
• Excessive drooling
• Heavy continuous panting
• Damages joints and muscles
To avoid this issue, ensure that you check the weather and calculate the walk time.
Summary
In conclusion, every French Bulldog need to be walked after nine weeks. Ensure that you start training your Frenchies to engage in different physical activities like walking and playing as soon as you welcome them into your home.
The activeness will boost their health, stimulate them mentally, and allow them to socialize and explore the world. However, you should avoid walking the French Bulldog during the summer months because of the extreme heat.
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