French Bullnese
Hybrid Breed Description
The French Bullnese is a cross between the French Bulldog and the Pekingese. Because each hybrid inherits a unique combination of traits from both parents, we recommend thoroughly researching both breeds before choosing a French Bullnese. Pay special attention to temperament, health issues, and care requirements, as your dog may express characteristics from either parent breed.
French Bulldog
The French Bulldog presents a compact and muscular physique despite its small stature, typically weighing between sixteen and twenty-eight pounds with males being slightly heavier than females. Standing approximately eleven to twelve inches tall at the shoulder, these dogs possess a sturdy bone structure that contributes to their distinctive stocky appearance. Their body is well-proportioned with a broad chest, short back with a slight arch, and strong legs set wide apart, creating their characteristic rolling gait that showcases both stability and agility. One of the breed's most recognizable features is their large bat-like ears that stand erect on a square, flat-topped skull. The head is massive in relation to their body size, with a domed forehead and well-defined stop where the muzzle meets the skull at nearly a ninety-degree angle. Their short, broad muzzle is significantly pushed in, creating their brachycephalic profile, while their large, round, dark eyes project an alert and intelligent expression. The nose is black and wide with visibly open nostrils, positioned well up between the eyes. French Bulldogs have a short, smooth coat that is fine and dense, lying tight against their muscular frame. The coat comes in a variety of colors including brindle, fawn, white, cream, and combinations thereof, often featuring black masks or white markings. Their skin is soft and loose, particularly around the head and shoulders where it forms characteristic wrinkles that require regular cleaning. The tail is naturally short, either straight or corkscrew-shaped, set low and tapering toward the end.
Key Characteristics
French Bulldogs are renowned for their playful, adaptable, and affectionate temperament, making them excellent companion dogs for various living situations. These dogs thrive on human attention and form strong bonds with their families, often displaying a devoted and loving nature. Despite their somewhat serious expression, Frenchies possess a clownish personality and are known for entertaining their owners with amusing antics and playful behavior. They are intelligent dogs with keen observation skills, making them surprisingly alert watchdogs who will bark to notify their owners of visitors or unusual occurrences, though they are not typically excessive barkers. The breed demonstrates a generally calm and even-tempered disposition, though they can experience bursts of high energy and playfulness, particularly as puppies. French Bulldogs are sociable by nature and generally get along well with children, other dogs, and even cats when properly socialized from an early age. However, they may display some stubbornness during training sessions due to their independent streak, requiring patience and positive reinforcement methods. Food motivation often proves effective in training, though owners should monitor treat intake to prevent obesity. While not aggressive, Frenchies can be somewhat possessive of their owners' attention in multi-pet households. These dogs adapt remarkably well to apartment living and urban environments, requiring only moderate exercise such as short daily walks and indoor playtime. Their patient and agreeable nature makes them suitable for first-time dog owners, seniors, and families alike. French Bulldogs prefer to spend most of their time indoors with their people, often seeking lap time and physical closeness. They do not tolerate being left alone for extended periods well and may develop separation anxiety if their social needs are not met, making them best suited for households where someone is frequently home.
French Bulldogs face several significant health challenges primarily related to their brachycephalic facial structure and compact body type. The most prominent concern is Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome, which affects the majority of the breed to varying degrees. This condition results from anatomical abnormalities including stenotic nares, elongated soft palate, everted laryngeal saccules, and hypoplastic trachea, all combining to restrict normal airflow. Dogs with this syndrome experience difficulty breathing, especially during exercise or in hot weather, and may exhibit snoring, wheezing, gagging, and exercise intolerance. Severely affected individuals require surgical intervention to improve their quality of life, though the breed's sensitivity to anesthesia adds additional risk to such procedures. The breed is predisposed to various orthopedic and spinal issues including hip dysplasia, which causes a loose hip joint leading to arthritis and chronic pain, and patellar luxation where the kneecap slips out of position. Intervertebral disc disease occurs frequently due to their body structure, potentially causing severe pain, nerve damage, or paralysis. French Bulldogs also commonly develop skin conditions such as skin fold dermatitis, particularly in their facial wrinkles, along with allergies that manifest as itchy skin, ear infections, and sometimes gastrointestinal upset. Eye problems are prevalent due to their prominent eye placement, including corneal injuries, dry eye, and cherry eye that may require medical or surgical treatment. Cardiovascular concerns are significant in the breed, with many developing heart disease as they age, particularly mitral valve disease that can progress to congestive heart failure. Gastrointestinal issues are common, including food allergies, inflammatory bowel disease, and hiatal hernias causing chronic regurgitation. The breed's average lifespan ranges from ten to twelve years, though with proper care and management of health issues, some individuals live longer. Potential owners should be prepared for regular veterinary care, possible surgical interventions, and the financial commitment required to manage these breed-specific health concerns throughout the dog's life.
Pekingese
The Pekingese is a small but remarkably sturdy toy breed, typically weighing between seven and fourteen pounds and standing six to nine inches tall at the shoulder, with no significant size difference between males and females. Despite their compact dimensions, these dogs possess a surprisingly heavy, muscular body with substantial bone structure that contributes to their characteristic dignified bearing. The body is distinctly pear-shaped and low to the ground, with a broad chest and slightly bowed front legs set wide apart, while the rear legs are positioned closer together, creating their unique, effortless rolling gait that has become a hallmark of the breed. The Pekingese head is massive and broad in proportion to the body, wider than it is long with a flat skull between the ears and a domed forehead. Their shortened muzzle, while brachycephalic in nature, should show evidence of presence with a small but noticeable nose, a modification from earlier breed standards to address health concerns. Large, round, dark eyes convey an alert and intelligent expression, positioned prominently on the face. The distinctive heart-shaped ears hang long and flat against the sides of the skull, heavily feathered with long hair that blends into their luxurious coat. A characteristic V-shaped nose wrinkle extends between the muzzle and eyes, requiring regular cleaning to prevent skin issues. The crowning glory of the Pekingese is their profuse double coat consisting of a long, straight outer coat with a harsh texture and an abundant soft undercoat. The coat is particularly long around the neck and shoulders, forming a magnificent lion-like mane, with extensive feathering on the ears, tail, legs, and feet. All coat colors and combinations are acceptable in the breed, including gold, red, sable, cream, black, white, tan, and various patterns, though black masks and black outlining on features are considered desirable. The tail is set high and carried majestically over the back in a slight arch, covered in long, straight fringe that adds to their regal appearance.
Key Characteristics
Pekingese possess a temperament that reflects their imperial heritage, displaying an air of dignity, self-importance, and regal bearing that sets them apart from other toy breeds. These dogs are aware of their noble ancestry and carry themselves with confidence and pride, though they are also capable of letting down their guard to romp and play when in comfortable surroundings. While they can appear aloof and reserved with strangers, Pekingese are deeply affectionate and loyal to their families, often forming particularly strong bonds with one or two individuals. Their devotion manifests in a desire for constant companionship and physical closeness, making them quintessential lap dogs who thrive on receiving attention and affection from their chosen people. The breed demonstrates remarkable intelligence combined with a strong independent streak that can make training challenging but certainly not impossible. Pekingese require patience, consistency, and creative approaches to training, as they tend to be strong-willed and may only cooperate when convinced that following commands serves their own interests. Despite their small size, they possess surprising courage and serve as excellent watchdogs, readily barking with authority to alert their families of approaching visitors or unusual occurrences. However, this alertness can lead to excessive barking if not properly managed through early training and socialization. They typically coexist peacefully with other dogs and household pets when properly introduced, though they may assert themselves as the dominant personality in multi-pet households. While Pekingese are generally calm and moderate in energy levels, requiring only short walks and indoor playtime for exercise, they should not be underestimated as sedentary dogs. They enjoy participating in family activities and possess a playful, sometimes comical personality that endears them to their owners. The breed does best with older children who understand the need for gentle handling, as they may become defensive or irritable if subjected to rough play or teasing. These dogs demand respect and proper treatment befitting their royal background, and when given appropriate care and training, they become devoted, entertaining companions who bring both dignity and warmth to their households.
Pekingese are predisposed to numerous health concerns largely stemming from their brachycephalic facial structure and unique body conformation. Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome affects virtually all members of the breed to varying degrees, characterized by stenotic nares, elongated soft palate, everted laryngeal saccules, and sometimes tracheal hypoplasia. These anatomical abnormalities combine to create significant breathing difficulties, exercise intolerance, increased susceptibility to heat stroke, and disrupted sleep patterns. The condition is progressive and can lead to secondary complications including gastrointestinal issues from increased pressure during breathing efforts. Surgical interventions may provide relief for severely affected dogs, though the breed's sensitivity to anesthesia presents additional risks during such procedures. Eye problems are extremely common in Pekingese due to their prominent eye placement and shallow eye sockets. The breed frequently develops progressive retinal atrophy leading to vision loss and eventual blindness, keratoconjunctivitis sicca resulting from inadequate tear production, corneal ulcers from injury or chronic irritation, and cherry eye caused by prolapse of the third eyelid gland. Additional concerns include cataracts and glaucoma, all requiring vigilant monitoring and often medical or surgical intervention. The breed's long back combined with short legs predisposes them to intervertebral disc disease, where spinal discs may herniate causing pain, weakness, or paralysis. This vulnerability is exacerbated by the hemivertebrae condition, a malformation of vertebrae often associated with their characteristic curled tail, which can lead to spinal cord compression and neurological deficits. Cardiovascular disease represents a leading cause of death in older Pekingese, with mitral valve disease being particularly prevalent. This degenerative condition causes the heart valve to weaken and leak, eventually leading to heart enlargement and congestive heart failure if left untreated. Orthopedic issues including patellar luxation, where the kneecap dislocates from its normal position, cause intermittent lameness and can progress to arthritis. Skin fold dermatitis commonly develops in their facial wrinkles if not cleaned regularly, while their dense coat and skin folds make them susceptible to various skin infections and allergies. Dental disease poses significant problems due to tooth crowding in their small mouths. The breed's average lifespan ranges from twelve to fourteen years, and maintaining their health requires dedicated grooming, regular veterinary care, careful weight management, and environmental modifications to prevent overheating in warm weather.
Important to Remember
Each hybrid dog is unique and may inherit any combination of traits from either parent breed. The information above represents the characteristics of the purebred parent breeds. Your French Bullnese may favor one parent over the other or display a blend of both. We strongly encourage you to read the complete breed profiles for both the French Bulldog and Pekingese to fully understand the range of possible temperaments, health concerns, and care requirements.