Are ALL Female Frenchies assertive?

Willowrun · Dec 16, 2013

So here is my ramble:evil: I have 12 dogs,half adoptees. We run a boarding business and live on site so the kids are always near us or underfoot- 8 chihuahuas,1 corgis,1 cattle dog 1 Pomeranian and of course 1 Frenchie now! Bindie! She will be a year old at the end of this month, and even though years ago I raised and showed Boxers,she is my true first "bully" and what fun we are having! She has been raised with my pack since she arrived at 11 weeks of age,.....of course they have taught her much and since we are "home" all day they are let out regular,playing in the yard or asleep on the sofa in the tv room. So, as this past month has arrived, I see Bindie stretching and flexing her wings within the pack....sometimes it is just a stance, a look, a short charge or a downright challenge over a toy or lap space when we watch tv in the evenings. I let whoever she is testing correct her but if she dominates too strongly I intervene and correct. It' s hard to do sometimes because I am really laughing so hard I almost forget to follow through. But I am wondering if many owners here have experienced this and do they mellow with age? It does seem to me that in the

"wrong hands" that these little frawg dogs could become very big monsters! Bindie seems assertive and can be downright dominate to a couple of the girl Chihuahuas but they give it back and she backs off. Then at other times she seems to have a crazy prey drive kick in and chases them around the kitchen/living room till they run for cover! She responds nicely to voice commands but you can just see her wheels spinning! Lol And they are so cunningly cute and smart that I may have to get one or two more after my older dogs have gone to the bridge in a couple of years!

Alice Kable · Dec 16, 2013

Buster is half OEB and half FB and he is a male, but the 1 and only female in his litter of 7 was the alpha!

winginit66 · Dec 17, 2013

As Gidget is our first as well, I don't have previous experience to draw on. She has a Cairn sister and elderly Corgi brother. She and the Cairn play-fight all the time. The Cairn will let her know when she has had enough or overstepped her bounds. Gidget loves to chase the cats and with one of them she actually has what I like to call wrestling matches. She is a little weirded out around other dogs, even little ones at the dog park and I am always holding my breath that she is going to behave herself. Especially when she gets out of the car and all of the hair on her back is standing straight up!!!

We are getting 2 more puppies (a male and a female - half brother and sister) within the next 2 months and I am very interested (and a little anxious) about the reaction. Gidget has pretty much ruled the roost since she came home.

trishkidd24 · Dec 17, 2013

Well I have two firsts with our frenchie.... She is our first french bulldog, and she is our first female... We have two 70 pound mixed breed males, and two cats.
Marg runs the house. She bosses everyone around, barks to alert the others if someone/something is in the yard. She bullies our male dogs, and steals their treats and food. Our one male will not let the other male take toys from him, he always growls to tell him to get away, but when marg comes up to him to take a toy or treat he lets her have what ever she likes without any fight.
She is our alpha dog, no questions asked.... Not sure if this is common in all female frenchies, but it is for sure true in our house...
The good thing is, even though she is alpha, she plays well with everyone, and does listen and respects me when I yell or tell her no.... So technically does that make me the alpha haha?

2bullymama · Dec 17, 2013

Has nothing to do with the breed and everyting to do with being a female. I have a female EB and she is Queen of the Universe in her mind. However, if she were in any way back down on her thrown.... Cheli would definitely try to rule the universe

Julie Stevenson · Dec 17, 2013

2bullymama said:
Has nothing to do with the breed and everyting to do with being a female. I have a female EB and she is Queen of the Universe in her mind. However, if she were in any way back down on her thrown.... Cheli would definitely try to rule the universe

2bully mama has it right! It's never the breed (yes the frenchie is stubborn and can be assertive) but it's not the breed but the individual dog that tells you the personality. Now,on the whole, most females of all breeds do tend to be more assertive and pushy and bitchy. That's just a female for you, but not ALL. Some are wonderfully laid back and could care less about being the dominate force in the room. I do tend to own males due to the fact that they do tend towards the more laid back attitude. If you have a dominate (assertive) female it's always important to establish rules and boundaries quickly.

davidh · Dec 17, 2013

We got Hazel when she was three years old ,and she fit right in the pack nicely and is pretty much laid back, but will play with the best of them.

Willowrun · Dec 18, 2013

Well then it sounds like the Bindie Bomb is on track.....I really enjoy everyone's story and I guess the Gerls are just plain bossy and in charge!&#55357;&#56384;&#55357;&#56888;