As well as Frenchie-proofing your home, you’ll need to find your French Bulldog essential equipment before the new addition to your family comes home.
The following list is a great starting point:
A crate and/or bed
Food and water bowls
A complete puppy food (read our guide to choosing the right food below)
Collar and tag (a legal requirement)
Lead and harness
Car restraint
Lots of toys
Puppy pads for toilet training
Poo bags
Grooming equipment
Toothpaste (one for dogs!) and toothbrush
Blankets
Where to start
As you get settled into your new life as a dog owner you will find some things work and some don’t.
All dogs (and dog owners) are different. Except for food, sleep and exercise they all have different needs. You have the freedom to choose the type of life and type of equipment required to make you and your Frenchie happy.
Crate
A crate gives your dog a place to go when tired, nervous or stressed. Can help with toilet training – dogs naturally tend to avoid making a mess where they sleep. Having its own space helps to settle your Frenchie into its new environment, providing a safe place for your puppy/dog to go when not supervised.
Guide to our top 5 crates for French Bulldogs
Food and Water Bowls
French Bulldogs are ruled by their stomach, if there is food available it will be on their mind. Unfortunately, they are prone to problems with bloating if they eat too fast or have bowls that are raised off the floor.
As they are a flat-faced (brachycephalic) breed they can struggle to eat from standard dog bowls. This combined with their love of food can cause problems with bloating and possibly choking from eating too fast.
Click here for our guide to the top 5 bowls for French Bulldogs
A complete puppy food
As most people are aware French Bulldogs are very interested in food. In fact, they think about almost nothing else.
It is important to find the food that suits your dog. A dog food that’s right for an adult Frenchie may contain too little calcium for a growing puppy… and too many calories for an inactive older dog.
Click here for our guide to the best food for you Frenchie.
Collar and tag
In the UK a collar and tag are a legal requirement, in the US each state has its own rules. Normally dogs and cats need to be registered after a certain age (over 4 months in Texas). They should be microchipped and have a tag issued to them.
The collar is also used to keep your dog safe from running away by attaching to a leash and to identify your dog if it does manage to escape.
Click here for our guide to the best collars and tags.
Lead and harness
A leash is an important tool for keeping your dog safe when away from home and for training in some of the basic commands.
They come in an amazing variety of designs, colors, and materials. You must choose carefully as some can actually be dangerous to use.
Our guide to the best leash for your French Bulldog
Car restraint
If you are lucky enough to live with the country on your doorstep this may not be a priority for you. However most people now, even those who don’t live in the city need to travel by car at some point.
Car restraints can be as simple as a harness that connects to the safety belt or can be a full cage built into the trunk of your car.
Car restraints can literally be a lifesaver in an accident but can also reduce stress on the dog during travel. They can also reduce your stress by holding an excited dog back when you are driving.
Click here for our guide to the best car restraints.
Toys
Toys are more than just a bit of fun for your dog. They stop them from getting bored and causing trouble around your home, such as scratching at furniture or digging up the garden. Having suitable objects for your dog to chew and play with helps keep them stimulated, entertained, happy, and healthy.
Our guide to the best (and nearly indestructible) toys for a French bulldog.
Puppy pads and poo bags
Puppy pads offer an absorbent, safe spot for your dog to go potty inside without ruining your floors or carpet. Place the puppy pad in an area of your home where your dog can relieve themselves as needed. This makes a great option for puppies potty training, senior dogs, or dogs who have to stay home during the day.
They come in a range of sizes and absorbencies. There are even washable pads available which helps to reduce cost and the amount of waste going to landfill.
Poo bags should be self-explanatory. Part of the responsibility of owning a dog is cleaning up after them. It can be an unpleasant job, but with the right equipment and the right mindset it isn’t so bad.
Our guide to using puppy pads
Our guide to poo bags and why you should pick up your dog’s poop.
Grooming equipment
French bulldogs have short fine hair so you shouldn’t have too much trouble with shed hair accumulating in your home.
Weekly brushing removes dead hair and circulates their skin oil around their body. This keeps their coat healthy and shiny.
French Bulldogs don’t need regular baths like some dogs. They only need bathing when they are visibly dirty.
Be very careful with the type of soap you use as they are prone to sensitive skin and may flare up if they don’t suit the soap.
Be careful with cleaning the fold in their face as they can trap bacteria and cause infections.
Our full guide on French bulldog grooming and skin care
Dental care – toothbrush and toothpaste
Frenchies are just like their human owners, if they don’t look after their teeth they have problems. Dental problems for dogs can escalate into serious problems if they aren’t caught early. It is recommended to get your Frenchies’ teeth checked every year by a vet and to regularly clean their teeth.
There are a number of different ways to clean your French bulldog’s teeth.
Click here to read about them in our Frenchie dental care guide.
Blankets
French Bulldogs are not well known for being the tough guys of the dog world. They have small bodies and short fur so they don’t respond well to too much heat or cold. It’s not unusual to find your Frenchie burrowing under covers trying to find a cosy spot.
A blanket in their bed can make them more comfortable and improve their hygiene as you can wash their blanket when they aren’t using it.
Check out our full guide to dog blankets and nest making.
Designer clothes
On any other breed of dog, designer clothes would not be classed as an essential. But you wouldn’t be on this page and I wouldn’t write this page if you thought Frenchies were any other breed.
Here is our guide to the essential designer outfits for your Frenchie.
My French Bulldog 