How to Select the Perfect French Bulldog Stud
Choosing the right French Bulldog stud is a crucial decision for breeders looking to produce healthy, well-tempered, and desirable puppies. The stud you select will contribute half of the genetic material to the litter, so it's essential to consider various factors before making your choice. This article will guide you through the process of selecting a French Bulldog stud that aligns with your breeding goals and ensures the best possible outcome.
Lilac Pied Fluffy French Bulldog Stud
DNA Health Testing
The priority goal of every breeding program should be health. I would always recommend finding a DNA health tested and clear male, for example Spiffy with You Winnie Some Frenchies.
Start by health testing your female to see if she is a carrier for any of the traits on the French Bulldog Health Panel. The current standard French Bulldog Health panel (according to mainstream DNA testing sites like Animal Genetics or UC Davis) is as follows:
CMR1 (Canine Multifocal Retinopathy)
DM (Degenerative Myelopathy)
HUU (Hyperuricosuria)
JHC (Juvenile Hereditary Cataracts)
Bonus testing for any overachievers would include:
CDPA (Chondrodysplasia)
CDDY (Chondrodystrophy)
Two variants of C3 (Complement Component 3)
If your female fails any of these tests it doesn’t necessarily mean she isn’t breeding quality. Many of these are recessive genes which means you can breed to a male who is clear and prevent any puppies from having an increased risk of these diseases. You could still possibly create carriers, so you would want to disclose this to any breeders who would like to purchase a puppy.
Also, something to note almost 90% of all French Bulldogs have the genes for CDDY. Do not be discouraged if you have one or both copies. Almost all frenchies do. Spiffy is one of only a few working studs who can boast only a single copy just to give you an idea of how rare it is.
French Bulldog Health Assessment Infographic
OFA Health Testing
A CHIC (Canine Health Information Center) certified litter is a great selling feature and can give you confidence in your health guarantees for the litter. Unfortunately for studs under 2 years of age, this section will not be able to be met (the maximum they can do is preliminaries). However, it is strongly recommended your female should be 2 years of age or older prior to her first breeding so you can get her OFA completed.
These are the minimum recommended tests for French Bulldogs taken from OFA’s website:
Hips (either via OFA Radiographic Hip Evaluation or PennHIP Evaluation
ACVO Eye Exam
Patella Vet Evaluation
Cardiac Evaluation
Again, for my overachievers:
BOAS (Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome) Check
BAER (Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response) procedure
Be sure to find a stud that is strong in any areas your female may be weak. If your female is below breed average in many areas or is significantly below in one area you may want to consider not breeding her as she could have issues to pass down to her offspring.
Stud's Temperament
Temperaments are hereditary, so you can expect some of the dog’s offspring to carry on their demeanor. Unlike many other breeds, French Bulldogs are not expected to carry out any specific working tasks, so your likely going to assess the stud for companionship characteristics. Here are some questions to ask yourself when selecting a stud for temperament:
Is this stud friendly towards people and other dogs?
Does this stud have a history of biting?
How does this stud tolerate young children?
Does this stud show signs of destructive behavior? (for example destroying furniture)
Does the stud seem anxious? Or calm and relaxed?
You may not get the opportunity to meet the stud in person, but a lot can be assessed from social media and videos sent by the owner. Also, most owners are very candid about their dog’s strengths and weaknesses.
Stud's Reproductive History
A stud's reproductive history is an important consideration. Inquire about his previous litters and their health and temperament. If possible, speak with owners of his offspring to get firsthand information about the quality of his progeny. Your puppies could look similar to him as a pup or his offspring, so if you don’t like the previous outcomes you can look elsewhere before your litter ends up with the same traits.
Additionally, ensure that the stud highly fertile. Male fertility is determined by sperm motility and count. The motility is measured by percentage of lively sperm. If motility is above 80%, this is considered good motility by most vets and clinics. The stud should excrete a minimum of 3 ccs (ml) per breeding with a minimum of 200ml of sperm count.
Our male Spiffy is above and beyond in the fertility department. In a recently tested package, we had a 100% motility and an estimated 1.6 billion sperm in one collection.
Compatibility with Your Female
Because French Bulldogs are frequently born via c-section due to their large head sizes. Size discrepancies between males and females aren’t as big of a factor to consider when assessing compatibility as other breeds.
It is recommended you compare your female to AKC’s ideal breed standard structure for French Bulldogs and partner with any of her shortcomings. For example, if your female has a longer tail than the 2 inch breed standard, maybe go for a stud with a tail below 1 inch.
Always, request a copy of their stud’s pedigree (they should be able to provide 4-5 generations). This will allow you to verify your dogs are not closely related. This also gives you the opportunity to check their AKC number and make sure they will be able to approve your litter with AKC. You can also make note of any champions in their lines.
Breeding Contract
Before proceeding with the breeding, establish a clear breeding contract with the stud owner. The contract should detail responsibilities, financial arrangements, and any terms and conditions related to the breeding process. It's vital to ensure both parties expectations are laid out. The contract should be provided by the stud owner and the female should make any special requests known so they can be added to the contract and potentially accommodated if both parties agree.
Color & Fur Matching
The only two color matching rules I always recommend is no merle to merle breeding and no albino to albino (or pink to pink) breeding. These can result in medical issues in the breed. There are some who have success in both of these types of breeding and I’m sure it is possible, but in most cases this is a dangerous match that can result in blind or deaf puppies.
This is an optional part of the process. If your female has not had her color DNA tested and you have no intention of doing her color DNA, you can always breed to a male whom you hope the puppies look like. You can either create puppies like the male in that litter if your female is a carrier or keep a pup and produce one in the next generation.
If you have done her color DNA, I’d recommend downloading the app “Color my Frenchie” and viewing the possible outcomes of her and various matches before making a selection to make sure you’ll get the colors you would like from the litter.
Recessive color genes generally tend to increase the value of the pups; however breed standard is usually made up of entirely dominant genes and shouldn’t be discredited as a great option as well.
Marketability
Even for the least greedy breeder, marketability does matter. High supply and low demand is a real issue for many breeders resulting in puppies being held on to by breeders at older ages which is really not best for the puppies and their ability to adapt to their new home.
Just like any business, you need to seek out what is missing in the market and meet the need. Is there a shortage of health tested French Bulldogs in your area? Are people looking for pieds, blues, or fluffies? Are people unable to find Frenchies their price range? Or is there a lack of higher end Frenchies? Who is your audience and how will you get your puppies in front of your audience? I recommend assessing interest from your circle prior to breeding and establishing a waiting list of homes before the puppies come.
Location
An obvious one is to find a Frenchie stud that is in either driving proximity to your local stud service clinic or can ship chilled semen to your area. Some French Bulldog studs cannot ship due to requiring a female present for the extraction. Stud owners can usually mitigate this issue by doing a few test extractions when the stud is young. However, it is possible the stud just isn’t capable without a female in heat and would be limited to local side by side breedings. On the flip side, our male is actually more comfortable without the distraction of other dogs during the extractions process so we’ve had no issues with shipping sperm within the US.
The benefit to selecting a local stud is you will usually have a higher sperm count and higher motility than sperm that has been transported and sitting in an extender. It is estimated that even properly stored sperm will have a 10% loss in motility each day after the extraction.
Prepare for the Breeding Process
Once you've selected the ideal stud, prepare for the breeding process by ensuring that your female is in the best possible health, both physically and mentally. I recommend a good supplement and a healthy diet six months prior to breeding. When your female’s heat begins, the stud you’ve selected should be notified and appointment with your local reproduction vet or reproduction lab should be set about 8-10 days after the first sight of blood. This will allow you to secure a progesterone test to determine best time for mating, which would typically be done via artificial insemination for French Bulldogs.
My progesterone testing cheat sheet:
Optimal breeding levels chart (you’ll find these slightly vary from kennel to kennel)
Here is an example of our females heat cycle results (every female is different so these values are only to give an idea of your dogs cycle):
Her values were spot on for two different heats. Recommended breeding points would have been any of these points: 8.6, 10, and 16.27. I would do TCI at the 20.41.
Selecting the right French Bulldog stud is a meticulous process that requires careful consideration of health, pedigree, compatibility, temperament, and reproductive history. By conducting thorough research and collaborating with responsible stud owners, you can increase the likelihood of producing healthy and well-rounded French Bulldog puppies that meet the breed standard and make wonderful companions. Remember that responsible breeding practices are essential for the betterment of the breed and the well-being of all dogs involved.