Breed History
The story of the French Bulldog can largely be summed up by the expression one mans trash is another mans treasure....
During the mid-1800s, many English lace workers relocated to France to find work, bringing their English Bulldogs with them. Bulldogs of small Toy size and those possessing pointy bat ears were decidedly unpopular in England, but it was exactly these two features that made the dogs instantly popular in France. French women sought these undesirable English Bulldogs as lapdogs, and by the end of the 19th century the Bouledogue Franais, as it had come to be known, was making headway in wealthy French homes. The French Bulldog was also introduced to the United States around this time; the French Bulldog Club of America was founded in 1898 and AKC recognition came the very same year. The French Bulldog found its greatest notoriety during the early 20th century. It was during this time that the Frenchie became popular with les belles du nuit de Paris (Parisian prostitutes) and the family of Russias Czar Nicholas II. By 1913, the breed had become one of the most popular dogs in American show rings - a French Bulldog aboard the Titanic was even ensured for $750, a colossal sum for the time. Today, the French Bulldogs popularity has eased back a bit, but the dog remains a common fixture in the ring and the home.