French Bulldog Weight Guide

Full Grown French Bulldog Weight (Male & Female)

An average adult French bulldog can weigh up to 30 pounds (13.8 kg). Male Frenchies generally weigh – up to 33 pounds (13.8 kg). Adult Frenchie females weigh 20 to 28 pounds (up to 13 kg). The dog’s lifestyle and genetics can also influence the weight difference between individuals.

Newborn French bulldog Weight

A newborn French bulldog puppy weighs 11 to 14 ounces (300-400 grams). Some puppies can weigh 14 to 18 ounces (400 – 500 grams). The size of the litter also influences the size of each newborn.

Until maturity, the French bulldog continues to pack in weight and gain a heavy-set body. French bulldog full grown reaches optimal body size.

French Bulldog Growing Weight Chart

A Frenchies weight varies depending on the weight of their parents, but in general, they grow at about similar rates, unless it’s a mixed breed or a mini French Bulldog. On the other hand, the weight of a French Bulldog depends on also, on gender. As a result, male Frenchies weigh more than female Frenchies.

Here is an average weight chart of a Frenchie. However, note that this is merely a lead, and your Frenchie may be under or over, or somewhere in between.

The Importance of Maintaining Your Frenchie’s Weight

The danger of obesity or being overweight applies to both humans and dogs equally. French Bulldogs are prone to obesity, and it is important to maintain their ideal body weight for quality health. Obesity or being overweight can affect your Frenchie’s joints and cause permanent damages. It may even affect the proper functioning of the body’s organs.

French Bulldogs also have breathing problems because of their flat noses and the shape of their heads. Not being fit and healthy may add to these problems, and your Frenchie may find it difficult to breathe properly.

French Bulldogs like to play around and perform various activities. However, they have moderate levels of energy and may feel exhausted very soon. They may even find difficulty in breathing under continuous activities. Therefore, try to maintain your Frenchie’s weight through a good diet and moderate exercise. A walk or short exercises every evening is good enough to maintain a healthy weight.

French Bulldog Overweight

Considering how hard it can be to make your Frenchie exercise, even just a few extra calories can show on your pets’ body really easy. Whenever you feel that this may not be a lot and that you are not putting your little friend in danger of becoming unhealthy, just remember that he is, as I already said, little. His body size is much smaller than humans, so, to compare, 4-5 (2 kg) extra pounds on your French bulldog are approximate to almost 40 pounds (~18 kg) as a human. That is a lot! Let’s put the physical appearance into the background for a little.

You need to understand that your overweight Frenchie can develop some serious health issues and diseases, such as diabetes, or joint problems, which can cause serious difficulties in his movement. Also, research has shown that overweight dogs live an average of two years less than normal-sized dogs, so if you want to keep your friend longer, we would advise you to watch his weight.

Signs of Overweight French bulldog

1. Unable to feel the ribs

How do you do it? Gently place your hand on your Frenchies chest, and apply a small amount of pressure to see if you can feel its ribs. If you can feel it, the dog is fine and healthy. If not, your dog might be overweight.

But, if you can see its ribs, then your dog might be unhealthy – underweight.

2. Quickly exhausted and often lazy

You know your Frenchies regular habits. Suppose you notice that your dog is unable to run or do activities normally. Then, it would help you to realize that your dog might be showing symptoms of obesity.

A fat French Bulldog will not show any interest in physical activities.

You should pay attention to these details as it might put a risk on your dog’s health.

3. Unable to scratch or lick themselves

Dog’s usually scratch themselves and licks their body parts.

If you notice that your cute furry friend is finding it difficult to reach her/his ears, then she/he might be overweight. Your Frenchie should be able to perform these tasks without any difficulties.

4. Breathing heavily

French Bulldogs, just like pugs, have short noses and a round head structure. It is without a doubt that you will find your Frenchie breathing heavily after taking a short walk outside. The breathing becomes heavier while running or if the weather outside is hot. It is normal for a Frenchie to breathe heavily while performing these activities.

However, it becomes an issue if you see your Frenchie taking heavy breaths even while sitting or lying down. That indicates that she/he is overweight and finding it difficult to do anything at all. Another sign to look out for is to see if there is heavy breathing after walking at a normal pace for just five minutes or so.

5. Unable to jump

Dog’s love to sleep on the couch. The easiest way to find out if your fat French Bulldog is overweight is to notice if your dog can jump on the couch without a struggle.

A fat French Bulldog will find difficulty in lifting its body to jump on the couch.

They will also have trouble climbing the stairs.

These simple steps are helpful and will allow you to understand your dog’s health better. You should always take professional help and pay a visit to the professional vet if you notice any of these issues.

Prevent French Bulldog Overweight

Lifestyle and diet changes can drastically help in maintaining a healthy weight or losing excess weight in your French Bulldog.

1. Physical exercise is CRUCIAL

Same as humans, animals, and therefore dogs, put on the pounds by consuming more calories than they spend. Find something that is interesting for your Frenchie – go run in the park, throw the ball, or take him out in the park with other Frenchie friends to play. When it comes to these dogs, you should exercise at cooler times of the day like the morning and evening, and exercise in short amounts, but more frequently, instead of longer, more intense sessions.

They don’t require heavy exercises, but it is essential to take them for a short walk regularly. Or longer but slower walks.

Too much exercise for an overweight Frenchie might put danger to their health. It would be best if you did so in moderation.

This task may seem very difficult because it requires a lot of attention and works on your side, but just remember that you’re taking care of your friend and that your dog will be very grateful to you.

2. Healthy and Balanced Diet

Firstly, a healthy balanced diet is essential to help your dog shed extra fats, maintain its weight and keep a healthy body. You should avoid feeding them fatty foods.

Feeding them the right food with the right amount of portion will reduce the risk of obesity or health problems. Check out our article about best dog food for French bulldogs with sensitive stomach. Food for a sensitive stomach will help lose weight and stay healthy.

Foods that contain the high-quality animal protein are suitable for French Bulldogs. Dog foods that have low calories are a great option for overweight Frenchies.

A portion of healthy food and the proper diet will provide health benefits such as strong muscles, better digestion, coat support, increased energy level, etc.

3. Feed them in small quantities

Feeding French bulldog small portions of food a few times a day is more helpful. It would be best if you kept them from getting hungry. Keeping a schedule and feeding your dog according to the time set will show effective results.

And make sure to make it a habit so that he can get used to eating a smaller portion of food every day.

It will help if you try giving them fruits and vegetables like broccoli, cucumbers, apples, carrot, green beans, bananas, etc. Check a full list of what fruits and vegetables you can give to Frenchie here.

The lesser you give them treats, the better they are. Switch treats with vegetables like cucumbers. They are rich with vitamins and water.

4. Check their weight regularly

If your fat French Bulldog requires a diet, you should visit a vet and ask for their advice. They should be able to tell you how much your Frenchie should weigh. And it would be best if you kept the target weight in mind.

Checking their weight once in a few days will help adjust their diet and keep Frenchie in shape.

5. Give them toys

Frenchies putting on too much weight might be lazy and refrain from doing physical exercises.

The great idea is to give Frenchie toys. They like toys as much as kids do.

A small amount of playtime with their toys will help in keeping them active.

Lastly, their diet and exercise, depending on their age and weight, is to be checked. Frenchies quickly gain weight, so you should pay proper attention to their health details.

Health Risks for Overweight French Bulldog

Just like humans, even animals face health issues if they weigh more than they should. It would put a risk to their life span and can cause a significant health problem.

Although, most of their health conditions are genetic. It does not mean that your dog has them, but they are more exposed to health risks than the other dogs.

Overweight Frenchie health risks:

Once again, always seek professional help before deciding on any health problems for your Frenchie. And receive timely treatment to keep help them from any significant risks.

French Bulldog Underweight

For many Frenchies, the issue of being underweight does not arise very often. However, if so, the most obvious way of checking is observing the rib-cage area. 

If your Frenchie’s ribs can be seen distinctively, then it’s a sure sign that your Frenchie is underweight.

However, you must know that the Frenchies owing to its playfulness have leaner body structure when they are young. So, don’t make the mistake of taking it as a sign of being underweight.

Required Daily Amount of Protein

Protein provides in strengthening their muscles. The food intake differs from their size and age.

The amount of protein needed for a day for French Bulldogs as per AAFCO (The Association of American Feed Control Officials):

• Adults: The amount of protein required for a daily diet is 18% protein and 5% fat.
• Puppies: The amount of protein required for a daily diet is 22% protein.

Conclusion

French Bulldogs can quickly gain weight if their food habits are not properly checked or maintained. If you are feeding a diet rich food, then it is crucial that you take her/him for exercises every day. Maintaining French bulldog weight is paramount in increasing the lifespan of your Frenchie.

Their life span is 10-14 years. You need to make sure that they receive lots of love and proper health care during their short years of living because nothing brings more joy than they do. Monitor your French bulldog weight and life will be easier for you both.