THERE’S A NEW TOP DOG IN TOWN
IT’S got bat ears, a squashed face and can be prone to flatulence. Yet, thanks in large part to its popularity with trendsetting celebrities such as Victoria and David Beckham, Holly Willoughby and Lady Gaga, the French bulldog is set to become Britain’s favourite dog breed, overtaking the labrador retriever which has been top dog for the past 27 years.
The rise up the “canine charts” of the “Frenchie” has certainly been remarkable and shows the power of endorsement by the rich and famous in the age of social media.
Ten years ago there were just 670 French bulldogs registered in the UK. In 2016 that figure had risen to 21,470, meaning that in the past decade numbers have increased by a mind-boggling 3,104 per cent.
In a relatively short period of time the breed has become the coolest canine for anyone to own. Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding has been photographed walking her two French bulldogs in London while Lady Gaga has posed topless with her puppy Koji.
In 2011 Victoria Beckham tweeted a picture of her husband David with a new addition to their family: a French bulldog puppy called Scarlet. “David loves little Scarlet !!!! She is so cute !!!!!! ” Victoria enthused.
Other proud owners include actress Reese Witherspoon whose pet is called Coco Chanel and Wolverine star Hugh Jackman who regularly posts pictures to Instagram of his Frenchie Dali.
The late Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher was another big fan and regularly attended film award ceremonies and social events with her French bulldog Gary. Last July Fisher posted a photograph of her and Gary having afternoon tea at the Ritz. Gary even had his own Twitter account (run by a fan) with more than 66,000 followers and after Fisher’s death in December the message, “I’ll still be waiting for you,” was tweeted.
It’s not hard to understand why the Frenchie became such a hit with those who live busy lives in large urban centres. The breed doesn’t need much exercise and they’re ideal pets for city dwellers with small flats.
They’re also exceptionally affectionate and friendly natured. “The French bulldog has endearing charm and a very loyal nature,” says Penny Rankine-Parsons, the president of the French Bulldog Club of England and a breeder and owner for 35 years. “Their expressions draw people to them.”
She points out that they were originally designed to be companion dogs and that their status as a fashion accessory is in fact nothing new: “It has always been the case. They were favoured by highsociety French ladies, artists, Russian noblemen and German counts. The only difference is that today because of social media more people are aware of it.”
DESPITE its name experts believe that the French bulldog can claim at least part of its ancestry to Britain. Writing in 1903 WJ Stubbs traced the development of the breed to British exports of the toy bulldog to France in the 1850s and Nottinghamshire lace workers who had emigrated to Normandy taking their dogs with them. The “bouledogue français” became a feature of Parisian life towards the end of the 19th century and was captured on canvas by artists such as Edgar Degas and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
Frenchies even enjoyed the patronage of the British Royal Family. King Edward VII owned one named Peter and had a painting of his beloved pet commissioned. His son King George V also owned a Frenchie when he was Prince of Wales which was called Paul.
However the breed’s return favour today is not without its drawbacks. While she is a great enthusiast for Frenchies, RankineParsons believes that they’ve now become too popular for their own good. “They have been turned into a commodity,” she says. “People are seeing them as a moneymaker without regard for the breed’s long-term welfare.
“It is a wonderful dog to have but it is not one for the novice owner as there is maintenance involved and the vet’s bills can be very expensive. The danger is that people see a celebrity with the dog and think ‘I to must get one’ without thinking it through properly. I’d like to see some of the celebrities help with the problems that have been created.” The concerns of the French Bulldog Club of England are also shared by The Kennel Club. The organisation, which operates a national register of pedigree dogs in the UK, has warned against people buying French bulldogs on a whim and has urged puppy buyers to consider other breeds that might be more suited to their lifestyle. “The breed is a favourite with celebrities, who often flaunt them on their Instagram and Twitter accounts for people to coo over,” says Caroline Kisko, the Kennel Club secretary. “While it’s normal to want to show off your dog, when famous people do it, it usually results in a surge in the popularity of certain breeds, which is not a good thing as it opens the doors to unscrupulous breeders who see it as an opportunity to breed lots of them without due care to health and welfare.”
There are also worries about how the Frenchie craze, which has seen the price of puppies soar to as much as £2,000, is adversely affecting the popularity of other breeds, some of whom are now under threat.
As well as larger dogs, such as the Otterhound – of which only 33 were bred in 2015 – smaller breeds have also been affected. Even the Queen’s favourite Pembroke Welsh Corgi has seen its popularity tumble with just 274 puppies registered at the Kennel Club in 2014.
A number of well-known breeds which were once common pets have seen their numbers fall sharply in recent years.
The Kennel Club’s Vulnerable Native Breed Register, which lists breeds that achieve 300 or fewer registrations each year, includes English setters and five types of spaniel, including the King Charles.
West Highland White Terriers, whose numbers reached a peak in the early 1990s, and poodles are others whose popularity has been on the wane as Frenchies take over.
“It seems that nowadays there is a general preference across the board for dog breeds that are seen as being more exotic and fashionable at the expense of some of our native British breeds, which are being ignored,” warns Kisko. Some breeds are even considered to be at risk of disappearing from our streets and parks.
Experts hope that the trend for French bulldogs will gradually die down and other breeds will come back into fashion.
For that to happen celebrities will probably have to do their bit too by choosing other breeds and posting fewer pictures of their “cute” and “adorable” Frenchies online.