French bulldogs? Oui Oui! Area residents express love for the country's top dog
Apr. 15—ASHLAND — The French bulldog has become the favorite dog in the country, according to the American Kennel Club, and for good reason, according to Frenchie owners in the area.
"I love bulldogs in general and their smushed-up little faces," Erin Dixon of South Shore said. "(Frenchies) have big ears and I just love their ears, but we also had heard they had such great personalities."
For 31 years, Labrador Retrievers were the top dog in the country.
"The French Bulldog has seen a surge in popularity over the years, and for good reason," AKC Executive Secretary Gina DiNardo said. "Frenchies are playful, adaptable, loyal and outgoing. They make wonderful companions for a variety of people, but it's extremely important to do your research to not only find the right breed for your lifestyle, but to ensure that you're getting a well-bred dog from a responsible breeder."
Finding new love
After losing both dogs they had last year, the Dixons found themselves in Petland falling in love with a female puppy they bought and named Luna; they went back a couple of months later and fell in love again — with Cheeto. "He was on sale and we couldn't pass him up," she said. Luna is 9 months old and Cheeo is 7 months.
She said she's learned they do have great personalities: They play well with other dogs, big or small, are not aggressive and don't bark much. However, they can make some odd sounds.
"When they do bark, they are so loud," she said. "It shakes their whole bodies. They don't make any weird noises, but they are the snoringest and fartinges dogs I've ever seen."
It's also convenient that Frenchies are easy going.
"They have this 'I-don't-care' personality," Dixon said. "You put sunglasses on them and they just let you." She said her daughter, 9, loves to put clothes on them, which they are fine with.
"They call them house hippos, and there's a good reason why," she said. "My kid calls them pigbies. They kind of act like little pigs, but they're very good dogs and have their own personalities. They're crazy, and they're really, really sweet, and they're super intelligent."
A trio of cuties
Amy Creasy of Catlettsburg stays busy with three Frenchies: Kimber and Ruger, both about 2, and their son, Taurus.
"They have always been my favorite but I couldn't afford them," Creasy said.
But they are a bit like potato chips; you can't stop with one.
Taurus was the only puppy in the litter, which isn't unusual with Frenchies.
"It's common for their first litter to be small, one or two," Creasy said, noting Kimber's mother's first litter yielded one. "But they can have quite a few babies. I read about one that had 12."
Kimber had a C-section, which also is standard for the breed. "It's safer for mom and baby."
Creasy said the brindle Ruger is a laid-back fellow, while Kimber, a blue, is "high strung and mouthy." Baby Taurus is a mixture of both parents.
"He's my baby," Creasy said.
She agreed with Dixon that these are very smart dogs.
"Kimber saved our house three weeks ago," she said. "We have a heating pad in the kennel and I thought I'd taken it out and turned if off. My husband put it back in. I was off work sick and my husband had laid back down and, all of a sudden, all three started barking like crazy."
When her husband checked, he smelled something burning and ran through the house to find Kimber and pulled the heating pad out of the kennel; there was a small burned area on the carpet.
"If neither one of us had been home, we probably would have lost our house," Creasy said. "She was protecting her home, too."
Chewy, chewy
After Samantha Adkins of Huntington lost her German shepherd, she began looking into other breeds.
"I was like, Oh my God! They're so cute and funny," she said. "I thought I'd be happy with them."
She's now the proud owner of Little Miss Misty.
"She's the funniest dog. She has a big personality and she's very demanding," Adkins said. "She'll tell you what she wants. ... She's very intelligent and it didn't take long to potty train her."
But Misty presented her share of challenges.She loves to chew on things and can be high maintenance.
"At first, I didn't know if I'd be able to handle her because she was so wild," Adkins said. "I put her in training classes and that helped. She has her stubborn moments, but I'm glad I got her."
She advises those who have a Frenchie to offer the dog a wide assortment of toys and keep wipes on hand to clean both ends. She said they need a comfortable bed, clothing for the cold months and a means to stay cool in the heat.
"They can go in the sun and she loves to sunbathe," Adkins said. "They've gotta be loved and have good care."
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS contributed information to this story.
