The Australian Veterinary Association just called welfare in brachycephalic breeding a 'paramount consideration' — and then left the breeding door open. So which is it? French Bulldog Weekly — today, a vet association policy, a list-only rescue page, and a training article that swears your Frenchie is a people pleaser. Let's start with the AVA language, because the word to listen for is 'continued.' The AVA says welfare has to be 'paramount' if brachycephalic breeding continues. I've been waiting for a vet body to say that plainly — but those words, 'continued breeding,' still concede the breed keeps getting bred. That's three vet bodies now in the same conversation. One's describing the flat skull like a feature to select for, the AVA's calling welfare paramount. They're not reading from the same page. Let's park the standards there — we've circled them long enough. The FBRN page is where it gets concrete. FBRN only takes applications for dogs already listed, and the list refreshes weekly. So what happens to an IVDD-history dog that isn't ready, or doesn't move fast enough, for the Available page? Eight is about when IVDD and BOAS complications tend to escalate. So the rescue load today may be the downstream bill from that 2018 surge. A list-only page can turn into a dam on a flood that started filling years ago. Then PetPlace runs a training piece calling them easy, people-pleasing, fairly trainable. My dog would like a word. It's the cute-only frame again — easy and trainable sells better than 'plan for the airway.' We'll take the honest version after the break. This one's from Australian Veterinary Association:
The paramount consideration in any continued breeding of brachycephalic dogs must be the welfare of the individual dogs and future generations. Individual dogs must be given the best chance of living a healthy, pain-free life. To reduce the incidence of avoidable conditions that result in a lifetime of discomfort, any brachycephalic bitch or dog being considered for breeding must be assessed using phenotypic screening, as well as genetic testing where available; they must only be bred if they meet the recommendations below.
The Australian Veterinary Association just put the line on paper I’ve wanted to hear from an actual vet body: welfare has to come first in any continued breeding of brachycephalic dogs, for the dogs alive now and the generations after them. But I want to stay with those two words — 'continued breeding.' That's the AVA acknowledging the breeding goes on, then trying to put guardrails around it. It's not a stop sign. Right, and that's the third document from a vet body we've put on the pile now. I keep coming back to this: does 'paramount consideration' actually require anything from a breeder, or is it advisory like that voluntary BOAS screening? Because the AVA does get specific — phenotypic screening, genetic testing where available, and only breeding dogs who meet the recommendations. That's more teeth than 'think hard before you buy.' And they don't soften the why, either. The AVA flat-out says selective breeding for that dramatically shortened face causes genuine individual suffering and distress — BOAS hitting breathing, exercise, thermoregulation, sleep, play. They name the corkscrew tail, too — deformed vertebrae, twisted, shortened. People select for that. My dog's tail pocket is a daily vet-wipe situation, so yeah, that one lands. Here's Zoe Belshaw; Sean Wensley:
In 2018, the French Bulldog topped the list as The UK Kennel Club’s most registered breed for the first time (The Kennel Club 2018). Bulldogs, Pugs, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Chihuahuas, Boxers, Shih Tzus and Boston Terriers also featured in the top 20 most registered breeds, suggesting a shift in popularity towards dogs with brachycephalism.
Belshaw and Wensley pin this to a hard date — 2018, when the French Bulldog topped the UK Kennel Club's registrations for the first time. And it wasn't just Frenchies — Pugs, Cavaliers, Boston Terriers, flat-faced breeds showing up across the top twenty. And what jumps out to me is the machinery — advertising, TV, celebrity accounts, all selling the face with zero mention of the airway. Right. Do the calendar math on that 2018 peak. It's 2026. Dogs born in that registration surge are now eight — squarely the age when BOAS and IVDD complications start escalating. The rehab load we're seeing didn't come from nowhere. That's the part the cute clips never show you. A 2018 puppy was cute content. A 2026 eight-year-old is a vet bill with a heartbeat, and somebody's deciding whether they can carry it. And that lines up with the AVA piece we just hit — a vet research consultancy and the PDSA describing those consulting-room conversations as genuinely difficult. Owners walk in positive, and the vet has to break the news. This one's from FBRN:
All applicants will be notified when a home has been selected. We look carefully at each application and follow up on applications that specifically address each dog’s stated needs and best fit the dog’s temperament, health, and behavior requirements, so when you are applying, take the time to explain that you have rescue experience, for example, or you have trained a shy dog, or you have experience with dogs with allergies, if these are part of the dog’s bio.
So FBRN's rules are blunt: they only take applications for dogs on the Available page, and that page updates on the weekend. They don't keep applications on file — twenty bucks a pop, non-refundable. That's a real contrast to the open-intake model we talked about on May 30. FBRN is list-only — you can't apply for a dog until they post it. And here's what nags me — they're explicit that the twenty dollars covers foster expenses. So an IVDD-history dog sitting in foster and racking up vet bills, that's exactly the kind of cost the fee is trying to cover. Connect that back to the Belshaw and Wensley note we just heard — Frenchies topped UK Kennel Club registrations in 2018. Those dogs are eight now, hitting the window where BOAS and IVDD escalate. A list-only rescue with a weekend update cycle is absorbing that wave dog by dog. The friction point is the dogs who don't move. A scary medical history doesn't get a dog onto the Available page fast, and applications aren't held. So who's advocating for the ones that linger in foster? This one's from PetPlace:
Training a French bulldog can be a little challenging. That’s because Frenchies have a stubborn streak. French bulldogs have big personalities and can require a fair amount of training to make them good companions. But basically Frenchies are people pleasers, making them fairly easy to train if you give them the proper motivation (like treats), and make a game of the process. Then you will get their cooperation.
PetPlace says Frenchies are "people pleasers" who are "fairly easy to train." Tell that to anyone whose dog has gone full sphinx on the kitchen floor at 7 a.m. They hedge it a little — "stubborn streak," treats, make a game of it. The motivation framing is honest. It's the "fairly easy" that smooths over a lot. Right, the people-pleaser thing is real — mine will do anything for a piece of cheese. But "easy"? That's a sales-pitch word. It's bribery with good PR. And after the AVA piece we just hit, reading a training listicle that calls this breed a low-exercise apartment dream feels like a different planet. Nobody here mentions BOAS or heat. That's the part that gets me. "Don't require a lot of exercise" — sure, but is that temperament or is that a dog that can't breathe on a warm walk? The article never says. If French Bulldog Weekly helps you stay on top of life with your Frenchie, take a second to subscribe and leave a review wherever you’re listening. It really helps other bulldog lovers find the show.
You’ll find links to everything we mentioned today in the show notes. If a story caught your ear, the links are there whenever you want to dig a little deeper.
That’s French Bulldog Weekly for this Saturday, June 13. This is a Lantern Podcast.