From the Molossus breed came a sub-family of breeds and from those sub-families countless breeds including St. Bernards, Great Pyrenees, Rottweilers, Pittbulls, Newfoundlanders, and a breed known as the Bullenbeisser. The Bullenbeisser, now extinct, was used for bull-batting a blood sport where dogs would attempt to immobilize a bull by latching it’s strong jaws onto the bull’s snout. These dogs would give way to the modern day breeds we know as “bulldogs”; there are the Olde English Bulldogs, English Bulldogs, American Bulldogs, and French Bulldogs.

When discussing the history of the French Bulldog, we should also add the influence of three countries: England, France and America. England provided the foundation for our modern Frenchie: the old bulldog. Breeders in France developed the smaller bulldogs into a distinctly “French” type and American breeders set the standard for the “bat ears.” The Bulldog in England  was an athletic, strong long- legged dog. 

In 1835, Britain outlawed the brutal blood sport of bull-baiting. Unemployed, bulldogs were resigned to a simpler life, including less stringent breeding laws. Breeders began crossing the massive Bullenbeisser to create the modern bulldogs we know, including the breeding of terriers and bulldogs to create smaller version of the bulldog.

By 1850, London was littered with miniature Bulldogs. These bulldogs hardly resembled their Bullenbeisser ancestors, sharing only the famously short muzzle and broad facial structure. They had become companion dogs, rather than sporting dogs. Before arriving in France, the bulldog was crossed with terriers and pugs to achieve the compact French Bulldog size we’re familiar with today.

By 1860, miniature bulldogs weighing around 16-27 lbs could be found in conformation shows around England. During the same time, lace workers from Nottingham, forced out by the Industrial Revolution, began moving to France to search for work in Normandy. The lace workers brought along a variety of dogs, namely, the miniature bulldog. The miniatures became very popular amongst the French and new importing lines were created for the miniature bulldogs between England and the Normans. 

Bulldogs that the English deemed unfit for breeding were shipped straight to France. The English were happy to sell the dogs to the French since there was little market left for them in Britain. The French loved the characteristics of the bulldog that the English deplored, including being small and having ears that stood up.

The French lace workers loved the bulldogs with erect ears and soon, the breed was named the Bouledogue Français. The dogs instantly became a fashion symbol of Parisian life, from prostitutes, madames, and the social elite. The companion Bouledogue Français became a required addition to any socialite’s lap.

In 1893, the Bouledogue Français made its way back to England. The English breeders did not welcome the new breed because they did not fit the English Bulldog standards. Fanciers of English and Bouledogue Français breeds were concerned that their dogs would be cross-bred to the detriment of each other. 

Rather than assimilate their dogs into the Bulldog mainstream, supporters of the Bouledogue Français formed their own kennel club and held their first show in 1902. In 1903, the English Kennel Club permitted the Bouledogue Français into their roster, due to their rising popularity. By 1912, the name was officially changed to French Bulldog.

As early as 1885, French Bulldogs were arriving in America alongside wealthy Americans traveling through Europe. The social elite instantly fell in love with the new breed. French Bulldogs had stolen the hearts of Americans. Highly influential Frenchie-owners such as the Rockefellers and J.P. Morgans hastened the breed’s recognition by the AKC (American Kennel Club) in 1898. The Americans preferred dogs with erect ears which was fine with the French breeders as they preferred the rose eared specimens, as did the British breeders.

After World War I the breed’s popularity began a decline that would last for the next fifty years.  The enormous popularity of another small brachycephalic breed, the Boston Terrier, probably contributed to this. Also many Frenchies had problems whelping naturally; it would be years before safe veterinary cesarean sections would be routinely performed. 

Hot summer months — before residential air conditioning became common — were rough going for the dogs. And interest in purebred dogs generally declined during the Depression of the 1930s. A small number of Frenchie breeders in America and Europe kept the flame alive but by 1940 French Bulldogs were considered a rare breed and only 100 were registered with the AKC. 

The 1980s witnessed a rapid rise in Frenchie registrations due to a newly energized French Bull Dog Club of America . The 1980 breed registrations were 170 and by 1990 were 632. Since then, the popularity of these little dogs has soared and over 5,500 dogs were registered in 2006. 

In 2015, they were the fourth most popular registered dog in the United Kingdom, and in the U.S., the sixth most popular AKC-registered dog breed They were rated the third most popular dog in Australia in 2017.

Source: French Bulldog Club of America