Caring for your French Bulldog

Below is a collection of some of our favorite products. They have worked successfully with our Frenchies or we have very similar ones. When in doubt, always consult your vet, and if you have a Vixbull Pup, feel free to drop me a line.

FOOD
- Your puppy is currently eating ROYAL CANIN PUPPY - SMALL (teal bag). For years we have fed all our Frenchies grain free diets but with the recent push to reintroduce grain to dogs' diets because of health concerns, we have found our puppies do a lot better eating this food.
- As an adult, due to the recent studies regarding grain free dog food, we are currently feeding our grown Frenchies: Pro Plan Sensitive - Salmon and Pro Plan Sensitive - Lamb. Here we feed both and just switch them around so they always get a new flavor and get so excited. For our Puppy families, when your Frenchie grows, we always advice you to consider using a quality kibble with a protein source of other than Poultry. When dogs have coat problems or even allergies, often times Poultry is the culprit. Also, some Frenchies can be gassier when they're being fed a Poultry based food. But if needed, chicken based kibble can be given, it's just not preferred.
- Don't forget your treats and stainless steel bowls!

SUPPLEMENTS
- As a puppy, we supplement our babies' food with Gain & Shine. It makes their skin and coat beautiful! Not to mention, they love it. It lasts a good while since you only need a small amount sprinkled on top of their food.
- As they grow, we gradually start adding a good quality fish oil to their food for added supplementation.
- To maintain a beautiful coat, our adults and show aged Frenchies coat supplements, we alternate between this Royal Jelly Coat Supplement from Isle of Dogs, and this EFA Coat Supplement for dull / flaky coats. The results are outstanding. Shine bright like diamond, baby!
- It's not a bad idea, and never too early, to start a quality joints supplement. But if you have a middle aged / senior Frenchie, it is definitely strongly recommended to keep everything running smooth.

GROOMING
- Try to keep nails always short. You can use a nail clipper if preferred but we like and recommend nail grinders such as dremel, with this specific bit, on the lowest/medium speed. Here is a great tutorial. Don't forget to get styptic powder for any little accidents. It helps any little bleeding to quickly stop. If you get your pup used to the dremel from the start, then he will learn to be ok with it.
- Our favorite shampoo is the MinkSheen one! It smells so good and clean, and you are supposed to dillute it so it lasts for a loooong time!
- For noses, we strongly recommend this amazing product. It is great for moisturizing noses and you can leave it on overnight and next morning you can just wipe all the crust off!
- Wrinkle and folds care: I maintain wrinkles clean with these wipes. I then carefully dry the area and finish off with the same ointment that I use for noses - the l-lysine ointment which is a miracle worker.
- Don't forget a good ear cleaner, some people also really like the ear cleansing pads better.
- We litter train our puppies using paper pellets litter and a puppy potty box. We have great results! It is really great for when they are still litter and not able to control their bladder well enough for crate training. It is also way less messy than pee pads.
- We have and recommend this dog bathtub. It is a back saver, so easy to clean and drains outside or right into a toilet. This is a 2 in 1 hand sprayer/scrubber that helps a lot too. These are optionals, but we love them!

TRAINING
- We encourage crate training! Here is a good one. Precision brand is our favorite, it lasts forever and it has two doors. They even have them in blue and pink. But there are other brands available. Make sure you get the 24 in size.
- Try not to get excited and get many cute and expensive beds for your new baby. He will likely pee, chew or otherwise ruin a couple of them. It's always a good idea to start with a simple crate pad (or 2-3 just so you can throw them in the wash) and then graduate from there :)
- Training pads are always VERY useful to have around.

TAKING A WALK & TAKING OFF
- We recommend avoiding public places until your baby has had rabies for a few weeks. But until then, you can get a leash and collar. This is just a guide to show you what they can look like, you don't have to get these exact products. A slip collar or a martingale style collar are the two kinds we recommend, it all depends on what you and your puppy best addapt to. Or you can use this one piece, which is what we always use for walks and training sessions! We don't favor harnesses for walking puppies as it does not help with training your new baby. You can use them down the road if you prefer, when your Frenchie is more behaved and knows that they should follow you, and not the other way around.
- Our favorite harnesses are from Frenchie Pet Supply. They also have very cute hoodies! Vixbull Frenchies can try promocode: VIXBULL10 for a nice discount at check out! Baby frenchies are a size Small,
- To travel, this is our favorite carrier. Size large. So many colors to choose from! Awesome for airplane rides or to go to the vet. A must have. It will last your Frenchie a lifetime and it fits everywhere because it's squishable!
- For riding in the car, always always make sure to have a crate in the car. Make sure it's well ventilated, preferrably with an AC opening pointing straight to it. I like wire crates instead of plastic crates, because they allow more air to circulate. For long distances, I use and love these lixit bottles (I have them at home inside crates too).
- A great alternative are booster seats. This one is our favorite! Size MEDIUM. Make sure to have one per dog or a larger one that fits two. You will need a good and secure harness to go with it.
- Don't forget your poo poo bags - I am always running out of them, so now I have it on auto ship.

TOYS
- What works well here is that I leave out 2-3 toys at a time and put the rest of them out. Then I rotate them every few days. They get so excited!
- We absolutely LOVE NylaBones and Benebones! The certain hits are the wishbone, the Dinosaur, this ring, the double twisty bone, this awesome double action bone, the cause of many jealousy fits - the key ring, and the puppy triple teething ring. If your Frenchie is not easily impressed, or you just like to SPOIL, this variety pack is a hit! But there are many to get. Don't forget to check if it's suitable for powerful, mild chewers or teething pups and see what works best for your pup!
- A frisbee can be fun, just remember to hydrate and to not run around like crazy when it's hot outside.
- Our dogs also enjoy KONGs! KONG Cozie and KONG Floppy knotted toy are a hit among puppies.
- We recommend natural antlers for your Frenchie to chew, such as Elk antlers and Deer antlers, whole or split. Just make sure they are bigger than their mouth. They last forever!
- Don't forget to update their toys as they grow and frequently inspect them. At any sign of tear or puncture, discard of the toy to keep it from becoming a hazard.

KEEPING COOL
- Look for a good cool coat, something like this one. It helps on hot days, but do NOT leave your Frenchie out unsupervised!
- My Frenchies love playing with ice cubes. It can be messy but fun! Some toys are also good to soak in water and freeze, then played with on hot days.
- A cooling pet pad can help around the house and also in the car (inside a crate please!) when going somewhere during summer.

IN CASE OF ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY
TAKE YOUR FRENCHIE TO THE VET IMMEDIATELY!