Anyone lucky enough to experience French Bulldog puppies will cherish each new stage as their puppy matures. While the cuteness level is off the charts at every stage, let’s look at some adorable Frenchie pups and see what it’s all about.
Newborn Frenchies
French Bulldog pups have a very distinct look when they are first born, which you might mistake for a hamster at first glance.
They can’t yet open their eyes and the birthing process has them excited. A French bulldog puppy will cry a high-pitched squeal as they familiarize themselves with the new world around them.
They eventually find either mom or some littermates to snuggle up against to stay warm. They’ll begin to calm down as the rest of their brothers and sister make them feel safe. Newborn Frenchies must stay close together to stay warm for their survival during this critical period.
In the days ahead, the Frenchie Pups will slowly learn how to nurse. It is frustrating for them at first because mom’s milk can take up to a day or more to arrive. They are a hungry and bit cranky for the first twenty-four hours. Once the milk is flowing these pups will have a feeding frenzy like no other, followed by another long, long nap!
Eye Opening Experience
It’s always a reason for excitement at our house when we get the first glimpse of a Frenchie pup’s eyeball. You’ll first notice one opening up just a sliver, and only occasionally. Within a few days, they’re all fully open. This usually happens around day 10.
The pup’s eyes look a bit cloudy and their vision is not great at first. As the weeks pass, their clumsy search for the nipple shifts to a confident suckle! They still don’t like leaving the dogpile yet and will likely cry when picked up.
Independent Pups
Around 4 weeks of age, they are introduced to solid food….well solid-ish! We refer to it as mush, a blend of puppy formula and kibble that we grind into a paste.
The food rubbed near their mouths until they start lapping some in. Some get it right away and start digging in for more. Others need to be repositioned near the food until they figure it out. It’s a messy few days, watching them lick food from each-others faces always keeps us smiling around here.
They begin to establish some independence in the weeks ahead and are slowly weaned off of mom as they transition from mush and milk to puppy kibble. The pups start to play and climb, but still only have a limited amount of energy. Frenchie pups at this age still love being in a puppy pile with their siblings.
Frenchie Puppies Love to Play
Around week 6 the pups begin to take shape in several different ways. Their energy levels increase dramatically, their rough-and-tumble play escalates daily, and their ears begin to stand by themselves.
The pup’s eyesight has improved dramatically by this point. They are nursing almost too well and can be too aggressive for mom if they are still nursing. They begin engaging with toys and testing their limits with humans. The play bites can be a bit aggressive at times, but they slowly learn when they’ve crossed the line. The pups are making a big mess of their pen at this point and it’s very hard to keep up with them!
We hate to say goodbye
After 8 weeks of adventures, the puppies will move on to their forever home. At this point, they are very independent and love all the attention they can get. They start to look like the classic French Bulldog puppy you’re familiar with, but they will go through an awkward teenage stage yet on their way to adulthood.
Grown Up Frenchies
Over the next few months, the Frenchies will all start to settle in at their new homes. As the body develops at a different rate, the head will look small for a short period of time. This is the teenage Frenchie stage.
The heads size eventually catches up and continues to thicken over the next year. Although they get older, Frenchies never actually grow up. They are not adults, just big puppies!
Yes, they likely spend over 85% of the time sleeping until around week 4. Adult Frenchies sleep a lot too.
Over the first week or two, the coating becomes more obvious. Certain colors can be easily confused in the early days.
They will usually stand up by themselves around 5-6 weeks of age. They are sometimes supported with medical tape to assist with the process.
Yes, you will observe their chests moving at a rapid rate while they are young.
They do not generally snore as puppies under 8 weeks old.
