Are French bulldogs easy to train? This might be one of the first questions going through your mind if you decided to buy a Frenchie. Training a dog is one of the most challenging tasks for every new dog owner so that’s why it’s important to make a plan and start with lessons on time.
Are French bulldogs easy to train? Revealed
French bulldogs belong to companion dogs who learned to spend time alongside their humans. Due to this fact, they should not be allowed to spend time alone for more than 3-4 hours a day. Otherwise, they can start suffering from separation anxiety that may grow into a severe issue.
When we talk about French bulldog training abilities, they can be quite good students if you use positive reinforcement in teaching. One of the bad traits of French bulldogs can be stubbornness. Frenchies may act stubborn if you force them to learn commands and lessons without creating a positive association with the time spent in teaching. Therefore, our answer to the question ‘are French bulldogs easy to train?’ will be – it depends!
If your Frenchie is in a good mood and he’s willing to learn, then you can expect rapid progress. Sometimes, a Frenchie may need only a few repetitions to figure out and memorize certain tricks. Your role is to always listen to your dog’s temperament, mood, and behavior before you start with training. If he’s not ready to learn, don’t force him. It can cause only a negative effect and slow down the progress.
When to start with training a French bulldog?
The best time to start with training a French bulldog is between the 8th to 10th week. This period includes teaching a dog basic lessons such as sit, stand up, lay down, and stay.
Besides, an important part of your Frenchie’s training is socialization. Your Frenchie should get used to spending time with other dogs, people, and even cats in order to grow into a confident pet. The earlier you start to teach him to meet other animals, people, and new environments, the better it will be.
How do you housetrain a French bulldog?
Potty training is definitely one of the most frustrating parts of dog ownership. Accidents are normal to happen, so you have to be ‘armed’ with a lot of patience. One of the first things to do about potty training is to set the schedule. Once your dog becomes ready to go outside, you need to stick to the same potty schedule every day.
In the first few weeks, your dog should be allowed to go to the toilet in a specific place in the house. The potty pad should always be placed in the same place to escape confusing your pet.
Are French bulldogs easy to train before the first year of life?
During the teething phase that lasts between the 4th and 6th month, your Frenchie might show a lack of concentration. He can be nervous, clingy, and will start to chew on different items to release the pain. Therefore, this key period is the time for teaching him what to chew. He should know the boundaries and you should be the only one responsible to take the role of the pack leader.
Speaking generally, Frenchies can become fully trained by the first year of life. However, you’ll need a lot of time, consistency, and patience. Hormones can also affect your Frenchies temperament and ability to train. That’s why it’s often recommended to spay or neuter a Frenchie between the 6th and 8th month. Since your pet will be more developed in this period, it will also be the perfect time to start more advanced training lessons.
What are the key lessons to teach a Frenchie?
Even though you don’t want to use your Frenchie as a show dog, it’s important to teach him basic tricks and commands.
Besides the first lessons such as stay, sit down, come, and lay down, your pooch should become fully potty trained. You certainly don’t want to live with a disobedient pooch that will make accidents at home.
Another key lesson is to teach your dog who is the leader of the pack. Since dogs are pack animals, they need to have a leader. So, if you don’t set the rules and boundaries from the start, then you can live with a disobedient pet.
Socialization is another essential factor that will affect the shaping of your dog’s personality. Therefore, start to socialize your pet from the start to escape aggressive behavior toward other people and pets.
Crate training and bite inhibition are equally important. The crate should represent your dog’s place for relaxation, sleeping, and playing. Dogs who become crate trained will be less prone to suffering from separation anxiety.
