Comparing Breeds: Mini French Bulldog vs. French Bulldog

The Mini French Bulldog is sure to make even the most stoic of hearts melt but what do we know about them besides their miniature stature?

The Mini Frenchie is actually not a distinct breed but rather selectively bred to be a much smaller version of the French Bulldog meaning that for the most part they are the same apart from their size. The Mini French can be cultivated in multiple ways: crossbreeding with a smaller dog; introducing dwarfism; selectively breeding with French Bulldog runts.

Depending on the breeding method chosen for your Mini Frenchie there may be more or less health complications so for the healthiest dog it’s best to opt for a crossbred Mini French.

Size

Naturally, the Mini Frenchie is much smaller than the standard French Bulldog but how much smaller?
The Mini French Bulldog weighs between 20-25lbs and reaches heights of 13-14 inches. The standard French Bulldog on the other hand, weighs roughly 28lbs and stands at 15-18inches. Since the Mini Frenchie isn’t a distinct breed there aren’t stringent height parameters meaning that these so-called “Mini” dogs can really vary in size depending on the breeding mechanism.

Lifespan

It is well known that the French Bulldog suffers from myriad health issues thanks to its brachycephalic skull and inbreeding. The Mini French Bulldog is no different and depending on the breeding technique their health problems can be a lot worse making their life expectancy slightly lower than the standard Frenchie. The Standard French Bulldog lives between 12 and 14 years whereas the mini lives between 10-12 on average; again, this number can vary depending on the breeding techniques used to get their miniature size.

Grooming

The grooming requirements for the French Bulldog and the Mini French Bulldog are much the same due to their near identical coat. Both these dogs require occasional brushing with a soft bristle brush to keep them looking prim and proper.

Energy Level

The smaller size of the Mini French Bulldog means that generally they’ll need slightly less exercise than the standard Frenchie. The exact amount of exercise they’ll need will again, depend on their breeding because if the smaller size was achieved through crossbreeding with a higher energy dog their energy requirements might be higher so this will be unique to the dog.

The standard French Bulldog requires about an hour of exercise a day split into smaller increments, this is to avoid any laboured breathing made that much more difficult thanks to their brachycephalic skulls.

Temperament

Much like the standard French Bulldog, the Mini French Bulldog is loyal, affectionate, patient and sociable but not without a stubborn streak. The Mini and the standard French Bulldog are both great options for first time dog owners thanks to their easy going nature.

The specific qualities of the Mini French Bulldog will vary depending on the breeds of the parents so this will only play a factor when the crossbreeding technique was chosen.

Intelligence

Small breeds of dogs are often mistaken to be entirely low maintenance, this is definitely not the case with the Mini French Bulldog; The Mini is every bit as intelligent as its standard counterpart. The Mini Frenchie is extremely smart when it comes to reading emotions of its owner thanks to the standard French’s breeding for companionship.

Both the standard French Bulldog and the Mini Frenchie will make great companionship pets thanks to their incredible ability to communicate with their human families.

Protectiveness

Both the Mini French Bulldog and the standard Frenchie have a slight tendency toward protectiveness as exemplified by their tendency to chase after cars and be occasionally apprehensive toward strangers. This is something that is quite easily trainable thanks to the intelligence of both breeds.

Conclusion

You know what you’re going to get much more reliably with the standard French Bulldog than with the Mini Frenchie thanks to the inconsistent breeding strategies to achieve such a tiny size. Be assured that despite the health issues of both types of French Bulldog, you will have a great friend in these loveable little pups!