Frenchnese
Hybrid Breed Description
The Frenchnese is a cross between the French Bulldog and the Havanese. Because each hybrid inherits a unique combination of traits from both parents, we recommend thoroughly researching both breeds before choosing a Frenchnese. 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 build that belies their small stature, typically weighing between sixteen and twenty-eight pounds and standing approximately eleven to twelve inches tall at the shoulder. Their distinctive body features a broad chest with well-developed ribs, a short back that gently rises over the loin, and sturdy, well-boned legs set wide apart. The breed displays a square-shaped head that appears proportionate to their body size, with a characteristic flat skull between the ears and a domed forehead. Their most recognizable feature is undoubtedly their large, rounded bat ears that stand naturally erect and wide apart, giving them an alert and endearing expression. The coat of the French Bulldog is brilliantly short, smooth, and fine in texture, lying close to the body without being overly coarse or dense. Standard coat colors include white, cream, fawn ranging from light to red tones, brindle patterns, and various combinations of these acceptable colors, often featuring distinctive markings such as black masks or white markings. Their facial structure includes a broad, deep muzzle with well-padded lips that create a slight bulge at the base, characteristic loose and supple skin that forms fine wrinkles on the skull and forehead when alert, and dark, round eyes set wide apart that contribute to their expressive and curious demeanor. Additional distinguishing characteristics include a naturally short tail that may be straight or corkscrew-shaped and is set low on their body. Their front legs are notably shorter than their hind legs, creating their signature appearance and contributing to their unique, slightly waddling gait. The breed's overall impression is that of an active, intelligent companion with heavy bone structure and a smooth coat, appearing compact and well-balanced despite their small to medium structure.
Key Characteristics
French Bulldogs are celebrated for their adaptable, playful, and remarkably affectionate nature, making them ideal companions for various living situations from apartments to larger homes. These dogs thrive on human companionship and are often described as velcro dogs who want to be involved in every aspect of family life. They display an even-tempered and friendly disposition toward strangers, children, and other pets, though they may compete for attention in multi-pet households without proper socialization. Their personality combines a loving, patient nature with entertaining clownish qualities, as they naturally seek to make their owners laugh through amusing antics and expressive behaviors. Intelligence characterizes the breed, though this mental sharpness comes paired with a notable stubborn streak that requires patient, consistent training using positive reinforcement methods. French Bulldogs are generally calm and not excessively boisterous, preferring moderate activity levels with periods of play interspersed with relaxation. They possess relatively low exercise requirements, being content with short daily walks and indoor play sessions, though care must be taken to avoid overheating due to their brachycephalic facial structure. While not typically excessive barkers, they remain alert and will vocalize to notify their family of unusual sounds or visitors, demonstrating their capability as watchdogs despite their small size and friendly demeanor. Socialization and early training prove essential for developing a well-adjusted French Bulldog, as they can develop anxiety or undesirable behaviors if left alone for extended periods. Their food motivation makes training relatively straightforward, though their short attention spans require brief, engaging training sessions. The breed exhibits sensitivity to their owner's emotions and thrives in environments where they receive consistent attention and gentle handling, responding poorly to harsh correction methods. Overall, French Bulldogs combine loyalty, intelligence, and an easygoing nature with moderate energy levels, creating devoted family companions who adapt well to their owner's lifestyle as long as their need for companionship is consistently met.
French Bulldogs are predisposed to numerous health challenges primarily stemming from their brachycephalic anatomy and selective breeding practices. The most significant concern is Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome, which encompasses multiple structural abnormalities including stenotic nares with narrowed nostrils, an elongated soft palate that blocks the airway, everted laryngeal saccules, and sometimes a hypoplastic trachea with reduced diameter. These anatomical issues cause noisy breathing, snoring, exercise intolerance, and increased susceptibility to heat stress and overheating, which can become life-threatening situations requiring emergency veterinary intervention. Many affected dogs benefit from corrective surgery performed at a young age to widen nostrils and trim excess soft palate tissue, though anesthesia sensitivity remains a concern for this breed during any surgical procedures. Orthopedic and spinal problems frequently affect French Bulldogs due to their dwarf-like conformation. Hip dysplasia occurs when the hip joint develops abnormally, causing pain, lameness, and eventual arthritis, while patellar luxation involves the kneecap slipping out of position, potentially requiring surgical correction in severe cases. Intervertebral disc disease represents another major concern, as their compact vertebrae and shortened spine predispose them to disc herniation that can cause severe pain, mobility issues, or even paralysis. The breed also commonly experiences skin fold dermatitis in their facial wrinkles, which requires regular cleaning and drying to prevent bacterial and yeast infections from developing in these warm, moist areas. Additional health concerns include various eye problems such as cherry eye, where the third eyelid gland prolapses requiring surgical repair, and corneal ulcers resulting from their prominent eyes and flat facial structure. French Bulldogs are prone to allergies manifesting as skin irritation, ear infections, and gastrointestinal upset, often requiring lifelong management with special diets and medications. The breed's average lifespan ranges from ten to twelve years, though responsible breeding practices, maintaining healthy weight, regular veterinary care, and avoiding extreme temperatures can help maximize their quality of life and longevity despite their numerous genetic health predispositions.
Havanese
The Havanese is a small, sturdy toy breed displaying a charming appearance and surprising substance beneath their luxurious coat, typically weighing seven to thirteen pounds and standing eight and a half to eleven and a half inches tall at the shoulder, with the ideal height ranging from nine to ten and a half inches. Their body structure is slightly longer than tall, creating a rectangular profile that contributes to their distinctive springy, light-footed gait. The breed features a broad, gently rounded skull, drop ears covered in long furnishings that hang close to the head, and large, dark brown almond-shaped eyes that sparkle with intelligence and warmth. Their tail is set high and curves gracefully over the back with a plume of silky fur cascading down, allowing for expressive movement and enthusiastic wagging. The Havanese is often called the Havana Silk Dog due to their magnificent double coat that feels remarkably soft and silky to the touch, almost cool like silk rather than warm. The adult coat grows six to eight inches in length and can be either straight or wavy, flowing naturally without parting down the back in mature dogs. Unlike many double-coated breeds, the Havanese outer coat remains soft and lightweight rather than coarse or overly dense, with the undercoat sometimes being completely absent. This profuse, untrimmed coat comes in an extraordinary variety of colors including white, black, chocolate, cream, gold, red, silver, blue, champagne, and numerous combinations creating parti-color and tricolor patterns, making them one of the most colorful toy breeds. Distinguishing features include long, untrimmed head furnishings that may fall forward over the eyes, creating a charmingly shaggy appearance, and facial features with black pigmentation around the eyes and nose in most color varieties, with chocolate dogs displaying dark brown pigmentation instead. Their short upper arm combined with moderate rear angulation creates their characteristic bouncy, springy movement that distinguishes them from other small breeds. The breed maintains a sturdy, muscular build despite their diminutive size and flowing coat, with well-developed bone structure that prevents them from appearing overly delicate or fragile, allowing them to be more resilient than many other toy breeds while maintaining an elegant, graceful appearance.
Key Characteristics
The Havanese is renowned for their exceptionally affectionate, outgoing, and intelligent temperament, earning them the nickname Velcro dog due to their strong desire to remain constantly close to their human family members. These dogs display extraordinary friendliness toward everyone they encounter, including strangers, children, other dogs, and even cats, making them ideal companions for families and individuals across all age ranges. Their personality combines playfulness with a natural clownish quality, as they genuinely enjoy entertaining their families through amusing antics, tricks, and spirited games, often spontaneously racing through rooms or performing silly behaviors simply to elicit laughter and attention from their beloved people. Intelligence defines the breed, as Havanese learn commands and tricks quickly when training incorporates positive reinforcement methods including treats and praise. However, their sharp minds can work against untrained owners, as these clever dogs become adept at training their humans rather than the reverse, potentially developing undesirable behaviors if not given proper guidance and structure. They respond exceptionally well to gentle, patient training approaches but become anxious or resistant when subjected to harsh corrections, reflecting their sensitive nature. The breed requires moderate exercise consisting of daily walks and play sessions totaling approximately thirty minutes, though their compact size allows much of their activity needs to be met through enthusiastic indoor play. Separation anxiety represents a significant concern for this deeply people-oriented breed, as Havanese genuinely suffer when left alone for extended periods and may develop destructive behaviors, excessive barking, or depression without adequate companionship. They possess a notably vocal nature and will bark to alert their family of unusual sounds or visitors, though this tendency can be managed through early training. Early socialization proves essential to prevent the development of nervousness or timidity around unfamiliar situations, people, or animals. Despite their small size, Havanese display surprising adaptability to various living environments from apartments to country homes, requiring primarily that they remain near their families and receive consistent love, attention, and mental stimulation to thrive as the devoted, cheerful companions they naturally are.
Havanese are generally considered a healthy breed with an impressive average lifespan of fourteen to sixteen years, though they remain predisposed to several hereditary health conditions that require awareness and monitoring. Progressive Retinal Atrophy represents a significant concern, encompassing a group of genetic diseases causing gradual degeneration of the photoreceptor cells in the retina, initially manifesting as difficulty seeing in low light conditions before progressing to complete blindness over time with no effective treatment available. Cataracts commonly develop in aging Havanese, causing cloudiness of the eye lens that impairs vision and may require surgical removal in severe cases. Additional eye concerns include cherry eye where the third eyelid gland prolapses, and potential tear staining that creates unsightly discoloration around the eyes requiring regular cleaning and maintenance. Orthopedic problems frequently affect this small breed, with patellar luxation being particularly common, occurring when the kneecap slips out of its normal position causing intermittent lameness, discomfort, and potential long-term mobility issues that may necessitate surgical correction in severe cases. Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, another orthopedic condition, involves spontaneous deterioration of the femoral head leading to hip collapse, with affected dogs experiencing pain and difficulty bearing weight on the affected limb, often requiring surgical intervention. Hip dysplasia, while more commonly associated with larger breeds, does occur in Havanese when the hip joint develops abnormally, causing inflammation, pain, and eventual arthritis that requires management through weight control, supplements, physical therapy, or surgery depending on severity. Portosystemic shunts, also called liver shunts, represent a serious congenital condition affecting approximately four percent of Havanese compared to less than one percent in mixed breeds, where abnormal blood vessels cause blood to bypass the liver, preventing proper toxin filtration and potentially causing stunted growth, neurological symptoms, and organ damage requiring surgical correction or lifetime dietary management. Additional health concerns include heart disease particularly affecting middle-aged and older dogs, dental disease common in small breeds due to tooth crowding, allergies causing skin irritations and gastrointestinal issues, and deafness occurring either congenitally or developing with age. Regular veterinary examinations, maintaining appropriate weight, providing proper dental care, and working with responsible breeders who perform health screenings can significantly improve outcomes and help affected dogs maintain good quality of life despite these predispositions.
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 Frenchnese 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 Havanese to fully understand the range of possible temperaments, health concerns, and care requirements.