Teach your French bulldog commands to keep them safe and promote positive behavior. If you are wondering how to train a French bulldog, teaching them basic commands is a great way to start. French bulldogs are affectionate, playful, loyal and intelligent. With the right plan and training schedule, you can help your Frenchie develop positive habits.
Are French Bulldogs Easy to Train?
French bulldogs are fairly easy to train, but they can be stubborn. It’s essential to approach French bulldog training with patience and firmness. Frenchies are intelligent, adaptable, alert and typically well-behaved, so you can successfully train your Frenchie with the right plan and strategies.
Why You Should Teach Your French Bulldog Commands
Teaching your Frenchie basic commands can keep them safe and limit negative behaviors. A well-trained French bulldog is more likely to stay out of harm’s way and behave appropriately. They will walk to you when called, stay out of the road, urinate outside, show good manners and leave your furniture unchewed. Training your dog is the best way to help them understand what you expect of them and develop good habits.
When to Start Training Your Frenchie
Train your Frenchie as early as possible. Start housebreaking your Frenchie as soon as you bring them home so they know the appropriate places to urinate and defecate. Your four-legged companion can begin learning basic commands as early as 8 weeks old, so this is a great time to start. The younger your Frenchie is, the easier it will be to train them.
Things to Know Before Training
Frenchies are naturally ritualistic, so setting and sticking to a schedule will help you successfully train your four-legged companion. Since French bulldogs are habitual, it’s important to remain consistent. Continue to use the same schedule and training habits that you start with so your Frenchie understands what you expect from them.
If you are wondering how to train your French bulldog, understand the breed’s temperament, energy level and unique traits. To have the best training experience with your Frenchie, consider the following:
- French bulldogs tire easily: Frenchies are low-energy and tire easily, so stick to short training sessions and let them rest when they need to.
- Frenchies hate your absence: Frenchies are people-oriented and love being close to you. Give frequent attention as a reward, and occasionally use absence as negative reinforcement.
- They can experience difficulty breathing: Frenchies can have trouble breathing due to their flat facial structure, so limit their physical activity to what they can handle.
- A harness is safer for your Frenchie: Collars can obstruct French bulldogs’ airways, so use a harness to keep your Frenchie comfortable and safe.
- It’s best to start with the basics: Start with basic training commands, and start housebreaking training as soon as you bring your Frenchie puppy home.
Basic Commands to Teach Your French Bulldog
Teach your Frenchie basic commands to help them develop positive behaviors. Basic commands include “heel,” “sit,” “down,” “come,” “stay” and “roll over.” With these commands, positive reinforcement and a consistent training schedule, you can help your Frenchie stay safe and behave appropriately. If you want to learn how to train your Frenchie puppy, start with the following commands:
1. How to Teach Your Frenchie to Heel
Place a harness on your Frenchie and adjust it so that it is not too tight or loose, and hold the leash in your hand. With your Frenchie beside your left leg, extend your left foot first and use the “heel” command with your dog’s name. Give positive praise along with a treat if your dog walks correctly. If your Frenchie pulls ahead of you or remains behind you, gently tug the leash to bring them back in place and try again.
2. How to Train a French Bulldog to Sit
To train your Frenchie to sit, hold a treat over the back of their head and use the command “sit” with your dog’s name. Your dog should automatically sit, so give them positive reinforcement and a treat if they do. If your dog does not sit, gently touch their butt as you try the command again.
3. How to Prevent a Frenchie From Jumping
To prevent your Frenchie from jumping on you and guests, teach them the “down” command. When your Frenchie is seated, say “down” with your dog’s name and gently pull their paws outward until they are lying down. Praise your dog and give them a treat, and continue practicing this command in short intervals.
4. How to Train a Frenchie to Stay or Come to You on Command
To teach your Frenchie to stay on command, stand in front of them while they are sitting. Show an open palm as you give the command “stay” with your dog’s name. Maintain eye contact and wait 30 seconds before releasing them with “okay.” Reward your dog with praise and a treat if they obey. Continue practicing this command in short intervals, and increase the waiting period a little more each time.
To teach your Frenchie to come to you on command, attach a 6-foot non-retractable leash to your dog’s harness. Stand 6 feet away from your Frenchie and use an excited voice to say, “come,” along with your dog’s name. Praise your dog and give them a treat if they obey.
5. How to Teach a French Bulldog to Roll Over
While basic commands train your dog to behave appropriately and help you keep them safe, teaching your Frenchie some tricks is a fun way to bond with your canine friend. Training your dog to roll over is fun and easy once your dog masters the “down” command.
When your Frenchie is lying down, kneel beside them and hold a small treat beside their nose or to the side of their head. Use the command, “roll over,” with your dog’s name and move the treat toward their shoulder to lure them into rolling flat on their side. Each time your dog rolls over, praise them and give them a treat.
Purchase a Trained Frenchie Puppy From Francoeur French Bulldogs
French bulldogs are loyal, playful, affectionate and sweet dogs that make perfect companions. A well-trained Frenchie obeys commands to maintain positive behavior habits and stay safe.
At Francoeur French Bulldogs, we breed healthy dogs and begin training puppies early. Our puppies start socializing at birth, and we train using the Von Falconer method when puppies are 3 weeks old. At 7 weeks, we prepare puppies for their new home with crate training, and we can provide extra training at an additional cost. Browse available French bulldog puppies at Francoeur French Bulldogs, or contact us to learn more about our training process.
