Preparing your home for a French Bulldog puppy

Equipment checklist

You do not need much, but what you buy should be safe and the right size. Buy durable things once rather than cheap things twice. For a full budget, read what a French Bulldog costs.

• A crate or a pen sized for an adult French Bulldog, with a divider while the puppy is small.
• A washable bed and two or three soft blankets.
• A well-fitted harness and a light lead. A collar for the ID tag only.
• Heavy, non-slip food and water bowls.
• The same food the puppy eats at the breeder, enough for at least two weeks.
• Chew toys of the right size and a few soft toys. Avoid anything small enough to swallow.
• Puppy pads, enzyme cleaner and poo bags.
• Soft brush, nail clippers and unscented wipes for face folds.
• A soft carrier or car crate for the journey home.

Puppy-proof your home

Get down to puppy height and look around. Anything at that level will be explored with the mouth.

• Lift cables, chargers, shoes and children's toys off the floor.
• Block stairs with a gate. Short legs and a heavy front make stairs risky for a growing French Bulldog.
• Keep medicines, chocolate, grapes, raisins, xylitol gum and onions out of reach.
• Check houseplants; several common ones are toxic to dogs.
• Close off gaps behind sofas and appliances.
• Put non-slip rugs on slippery floors where the puppy plays.

Food plan

Keep the food the same as at the breeder for the first weeks. Moving home is stressful enough, and a sudden change of diet often upsets the stomach. If you want to change food later, mix the new food in gradually over about ten days.

Young puppies usually eat three to four small meals a day, moving to three and then two as they grow. Follow the amounts you receive with the puppy and adjust to keep a visible waist. A lean French Bulldog breathes and moves more easily.

Vet and insurance

Choose a vet before homecoming, ideally one used to brachycephalic breeds, and book a first check within a week. Bring the passport and vaccination record.

Arrange insurance so it starts on the day the puppy comes home. Veterinary care for French Bulldogs can be expensive, and most policies have a waiting period for illness, so a gap at the start is the worst time to be uninsured. Register the microchip in your name, or transfer it if your country requires that.

Set up the crate and sleeping place

Place the crate in a quiet corner of a room where the family spends time, not in a far-away utility room. Many owners keep it beside the bed for the first nights, so the puppy can hear and smell them.

Make it a good place: a soft blanket, a chew and the door left open during the day so the puppy can choose to rest there. Never use the crate as punishment. In summer, place it away from sun and radiators; French Bulldogs overheat easily, see heat and summer.

Agree on house rules before day one

Puppies learn fastest when everyone does the same thing. Agree as a family on a few simple rules before the puppy arrives:

• Is the puppy allowed on the sofa or the bed, now and as an adult?
• Which words do you use for toilet, sit and come?
• Who feeds, who takes the morning walk, who takes the last one?
• How do children greet the puppy: sitting on the floor, calm hands, no lifting.

Use a harness rather than a collar for walks. A harness keeps pressure off the throat and airways.

The journey home and the first night

Plan the journey home so it is quiet. Bring water, a blanket and puppy pads, and let the puppy travel in a secured carrier rather than on a lap. Go straight home instead of visiting friends.

At home, start in the garden or outside the door, then let the puppy explore one or two rooms. Keep the first evening calm with a small meal, a short play and early bedtime. Expect some crying the first nights; a hand near the crate and a toilet trip in the night help more than leaving the puppy to cry.

What comes next, from house training to socialising, is in the first weeks with your puppy. Still waiting for your puppy? See our current litters.