The Most Popular Dog in the World Can't Breathe: The Real Story of the French Bulldog

About this episode

This episode explores the history, challenges, and ethical considerations of owning a French Bulldog, the most popular dog breed in the U.S.

The French Bulldog has been the most popular breed in the United States four years in a row. It also can't breathe the way other dogs breathe, can't reproduce without surgery, and can't swim. None of that is in the Instagram caption. In this episode, Coach Francis traces the Frenchie from a Nottingham lace factory through a Parisian brothel to the most copied dog face on the internet — and explains what it actually means to own the world's most misunderstood animal. We go from Gamin de Pycombe — a champion French Bulldog who went down with the Titanic in 1912, insured for the equivalent of $17,000 today — through near-extinction in 1940, a viral comeback, and four consecutive years at #1 on the AKC's most popular breed list. And then we talk about what we actually built. The flat face, the compromised airway, the C-sections, the spinal deformities, the heat risk. The real cost of owning this dog — financially, physically, and ethically. This is not an episode against the French Bulldog. It's an episode for the owners who want to do right by one.

People in this episode

Host: Coach Francis

Topics covered

• French Bulldog
• dog ownership
• breeding issues
• animal welfare
• pet care
• history of dog breeds

Keywords

• French Bulldog
• dog health
• breathing issues
• pet ownership
• animal ethics
• dog breeds
• AKC
• history of dogs

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: AKC

Books & works: Gamin de Pycombe

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