FrenchBulldogCare: The following is a guest post by Zoe about her life with Shaggy (a merle Frenchie). Zoe is a young marketing professional who lives in Denver and was totally new to Frenchies. We thought it would be great to start sharing real-life examples of Frenchie owners in the hopes that all of you reading can learn from their success and failures. Enjoy!
My First Month With My French Bulldog…
The day I adopted Shaggy, a goofy little black French Bulldog with oversized ears and a snort that could rival a pigâs, I thought I was ready. I had read all the blogs, watched countless YouTube videos, and stocked up on every dog toy imaginable. Yet, nothing prepared me for what the next few weeks had in store.
Shaggy was a rescue, and while the shelter had told me he was around two years old, they couldnât tell me much about his past. All I knew was that he had a mischievous glint in his eyes, and I was completely smitten. I had always wanted a dog to keep me company during the long work-from-home days. Shaggy seemed perfect.
But our first week together was⌠tough. Shaggy wasnât house-trained. I quickly learned that he had a habit of chewing anything in sightâshoes, couch cushions, even my laptop charger. One morning, after a sleepless night of trying to calm him down during a thunderstorm, I found myself sitting on the kitchen floor, tears streaming down my face. âWhat have I gotten myself into?â I was feeling overwhelmed.
To make things worse, Shaggy didnât seem to trust me. He was distant, preferring to hide under the bed rather than cuddle. I began to wonder if Iâd made a huge mistake. Maybe I wasnât cut out for this.
Then, one evening after work, something changed. I was sitting on the couch watching Netflix, when Shaggy hopped up beside me. He nudged my hand with his little snout, looked up at me with those big, round eyes, and for the first time, snuggled in close. My heart melted. It was as if he finally decided he could trust me.
From that moment, things began to improve. The accidents in the house became less frequent, and with patience (and a lot of treats), Shaggy began to understand basic commands. He even started following me from room to room, his little snorts echoing around my apartment like music.
By the end of the month, I couldnât imagine life without him. Shaggy had gone from a stubborn, anxious rescue dog to my best friend. Adopting him wasnât easy, but it was, without a doubt, one of the best decisions Iâve ever made.
-Zoe