Why Are French Bulldogs So Expensive?
Among the most popular dog breeds, the French bulldog is one of the most expensive breeds to purchase. The price tag of a French bulldog can reach up to quite high. The most expensive French Bulldogs from rare bloodlines can cost you a fortune. Factors like color, size, personality, and bloodline all affect the cost of a French bulldog. The cost of living for a French bulldog can also be quite high, and owners will have to incur expenses like food, grooming, and veterinary care. This blog will discuss the factors that affect the price of a French bulldog.
Key Reasons Why French Bulldogs Are Expensive
When it comes to buying a dog, there are lots of factors to consider. Everyone knows there are a lot of moving parts to take into consideration when determining the value of a French bulldog. Many factors determine its price tag. That said, here’s what you need to know.
Nutritional costs
French bulldogs need a high protein diet to induce lactation, which is the process whereby they develop milk so they can nurse their puppies. This process requires a lot of extra energy, so those dogs have to consume a very large number of calories in order to provide enough nutrients for their nursing puppies. As you can imagine, this comes at an economic cost that naturally reflects in the price of dog food.
Similarly, vaccination cost also adds up to increase the initial costs. Both of these costs add up to increase the amount to almost $1500.
Pre-pregnancy checkups
Before getting your French bulldog pregnant, you may want to run some tests first just to make sure that she ovulates as expected. Such a test might cost $600 and help ensure successful insemination.
They are not easy to breed
French bulldogs were selectively bred and so their bodies have been molded to fit their particular lifestyle. As such, females have a narrow pelvis but their puppies' heads are large. That makes them more susceptible to birthing complications than other breeds. Dogs of this breed often struggle with conceiving naturally, so many breeders rely on artificial insemination (ART) as a viable alternative.
They go through artificial insemination
Bulldogs are a man-made breed and they can mate. However, when a male French bulldog is trying to get aroused, they simply can’t reach the females because of anatomical differences. In addition: many French bulldogs are unable to reproduce naturally because the female’s vulva is placed too high up on her body making it unlikely that she could get impregnated through penetration alone.
Artificial insemination is the only option when it comes to the process of reproduction. French bulldogs can be bred using artificial insemination, but the success rate with this method could vary depending on how the artificial insemination was performed.
In general, artificial insemination has been around for many years and its primary goal was to help make up the number of a dog that is becoming less common. Artificial insemination allows better management of the female reproductive cycle, which in turn can contribute to a reduction in stress as well as risks of worsening health conditions from being stressed. This method also avoids complications or potential adverse effects that may result from a natural approach.
If a stud service is not in your program, fertility specialists charge from $2,500 to $5,000 for the use of a stud for breeding purposes. Stud fees can be significantly lower if the stud is relatively local to you. It's also possible to ship semen instead of bringing the stallion back and forth.
Please note that shipping frozen semen typically costs from $100-$400 per vial of semen depending on how far it needs to travel and what carrier is being used but refrigerated semen is more expensive shipping out at about $500 per vial. To schedule artificial insemination (AI) costs approximately $150 each time.
Regular checkups during pregnancy
Ultrasounds serve to determine the health of the mother and pups during pregnancy. This provides valuable information to breeders like how many puppies the dam carries and whether or not there's enough space for them to grow fully. A medical check and ultrasound can cost you $150 to $300 each time.
C-section
French bulldog females have a difficult time giving birth due to the anatomy of their bodies. The reason for this is that their birth canal is small and so it causes some difficulties in the process of birthing (giving birth). Surgery is needed, as it allows for puppies to be removed from the uterus. Because Frenchies are sometimes born with larger heads and more than one puppy, these emergency procedures prevent puppies from being crushed or injured during the birthing process.
Before undergoing a cesarean section, a reverse progesterone test is done to ensure that the body is ready to deliver by surgically cutting open the uterus. Charges for uncomplicated cesarean sections vary depending upon whether a doctor performs it or whether you have an emergency procedure, which on average can cost around $1,100 - $2,100. If they go into labor at night the going rate is usually between $1,000 and $2,300.
Post-pregnancy care
A post-pregnancy caregiver takes good care of a Frenchie mom's wounds and puppies. The breeder or designated person that undertakes to deal with the new litter feeds the pups and suckles them as mama does. It is also his responsibility to worm the pups, clean off umbilical cords and help in time of labor with puppies. It is because this requires a lot of hard physical work that some people might not choose to do it on their own.
Breeders need to make sure that the mother is healing well after her surgery and that she is kept as comfortable as possible. Breeders have to administer any pain medications to keep the mom-to-be as relaxed and stress-free as possible.
Vet checkup after birth
All breeders are required to take their puppies for regular veterinary checks. This includes their first vaccinations and worm treatment, microchip from the vet, flea treatment, and they should be weighed regularly in order to keep a healthy weight.
Although we can feed them special high-quality puppy food to help them grow at an optimal rate, it's vital that they have guidelines in place for an overall healthy diet and lifestyle so that they develop into the kind of pet you'd love to own. These vet trip vaccination can cost you anywhere between $200 to $500.
Total expenses
“You’re going to find a lot of factors that need to be taken care of when you bring home a French bulldog, and the same thing applies when you start a business. You have to have enough capital to set things up so that you don’t run into any major roadblocks down the road. We understand that it can cost anywhere from $5,000-$9,000 just in order to raise a litter!
So if you add on top of this the initial costs of having to buy females or males with good pedigree - this can be anywhere from $5,000-$15,000! It’s just something that every pet owner should consider before bringing home a French bulldog.”
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed our article about why French bulldogs are so expensive. We know that the price can be a bit of a shock at first, but if you think about all the things you have to pay for when you own a dog, it’s not a crazy amount of money. In fact, it’s sort of a bargain compared to how much it costs to own a lot of other pets. So, if you’re thinking about getting a French bulldog, don’t let the price discourage you! Instead, think of it as an investment in your relationship with your pup.