“How Small Is Too Small?” – A Guide to French Bulldog Size Variations

French bulldogs are one of the most popular and unique dog breeds. It’s not just how they look, but also their fun personality.

French Bulldog Sizes

They’re easily considered the best option for apartment dogs. They don’t need to be walked often, don’t bark all that much, and well, they’re tiny.

With the rise of different types, the breed’s sizes have been quite confusing. I’m writing this article as an attempt to explain French Bulldog’s size variations.

Typical Size of a French Bulldog

Amid the ubiquity of breeders and different dog blogs, it has been a confusing time of assessing the quality of a dog breed. There are, however, still some rules for the size of a typical French Bulldog.

Height

Frenchies are small short dogs. They never grow to large heights, only about 11 to 13 inches in height as adults.

Weight

Although small, French Bulldogs can get quite chubby. Females, on average, weigh between 18 and 26 pounds, while males weigh 20-28 pounds.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) puts the breed standard weight at 28 pounds. Any French Bulldog over 28 pounds is disqualified.

Length

A Frenchie’s back is around 10 or 11 inches in length. To make this measurement, hold the tape starting the withers and run it to the stub of the tail.

Head and Neck Size

A French Bulldog’s head is large and square, with dark round eyes and bat ears. The top of the skull is flat and the muzzle is short and broad.

The average head circumference is between 13 and 18 inches.

As for the neck, its circumference is around 14 inches and the collar size ranges from 12 to 16 inches. The neck is thick and arched with loose skin all around.

Chest Size

A French Bulldog’s chest sizes range between 18 to 26 inches. Their chests are muscular, stocky, and heavy.  

Micro, Mini, and Teacup French Bulldogs

There has been a growing popularity for fun-sized dogs in recent years. Even French Bulldogs that are naturally one of the smallest breeds have been bred to be tinier.

This has resulted in three subtypes of French Bulldogs, the micro, the mini, and the teacup. The Micro French Bulldog weighs around 15-20 pounds.

The Mini French Bulldog can weigh as little as 5 pounds and the Teacup French Bulldog weighs around 10-14 pounds. All can attain normal heights.

The life-span of these tiny French Bulldogs is said to be 12-16 years, equally as standard-sized French Bulldogs. However, if inappropriately bred, they face the risk of having health problems. Many puppies don’t survive past the first year.

Breeding Methods

In order to produce smaller Frenchies, breeders resort to one of three breeding techniques. Although this happens quite often, it’s considered by many unhealthy for the dogs, which is why you should always search for trusted breeders.

The first option is breeding from runts. A runt is the smallest puppy in the litter. And considering that runts aren’t only the smallest, but also the weakest puppies in the litter, this doesn’t always work perfectly.

The second option is crossbreeding with a small terrier breed. This obviously won’t be a purebred, which isn’t ideal for everyone.

Another option is using the genetic mutation of canine dwarfism. However, this gene also carries the potential for many diseases.

Features of Fun-sized French Bulldogs

Although mini, micro and teacup Frenchies aren’t considered among the American Kennel Club (AKC)’s breed standard, they’re a lot like the standard-sized French Bulldog.

There are, nonetheless, some features you should pay attention to for the optimal health of your Frenchie.

Single Coat

They have single coats, which might make it hard to cope in these cold winters. Try to keep them warm and don’t keep them outside if it’s chilly.

Consider shopping for Frenchie’s clothes. You get the side benefit of them looking absolutely adorable and cuddly.

Low Energy

Frenchies are slackers. They just like sitting on the couch and chilling. Here’s where you come in.

Make sure you walk them at least twice a week and that they’re eating a healthy diet. They can easily become overweight or obese, which leads to a ton of health issues and breathing difficulties. 

To Sum Up

A French Bulldog isn’t only one of the most special breeds there are. They’re also great apartment dogs as well as efficient watchdogs.

They also keep getting tinier. It’s a blessing and a curse. They’re definitely more and more adorable, but this comes with a risk to their health. Consider this when you’re looking for breeders and only settle for trusted and certified ones. I hope this article helped lift some of the doubts and confusion around French Bulldog Size Variations.