French Bulldog Vs. American Bulldog: What’s The Difference?

American and French Bulldogs belong to the same lineage and hence they have some similarities and differences as well. In this article, we will discuss the differences between the two dogs. This article will help you figure out both dogs in detail and thereby you can choose which dog among the two is best to own.

The French Bulldog is also known as Frenchie or Bouledogue Français. It is a mixed breed dog produced by crossing between the Toy Bulldogs of England and Ratters of Paris. The American Bulldog on the other hand is muscular and stocky. The American Bulldog is descended from bull terriers and a selectively-bred blend of bulldogs. 

french bulldog vs american bulldog

Let’s discuss the characteristics of American Bulldog and French Bulldog.


French Bulldog Vs. American Bulldog: Size

american bulldog size

The French Bulldog is small in size and weighs in the range of 18-30 pounds. The American Bulldog on the other hand is muscular and weighs in the range of 70-120 pounds. The maximum height of a French Bulldog is 13-16 inches while an American Bulldog is large and the average height of an American Bulldog is 22-28 inches. So clearly American Bulldog is bigger than the French Bulldog.

French Bulldog Vs. American Bulldog Quick Info:

  • French Bulldog – 18 to 30 pounds – 13 to 16 inches in height
  • American Bulldog – 70 to 120 pounds – 22 to 28 inches in height

French Bulldog Vs. American Bulldog: Temperament

french bulldog temperant

The French Bulldog is affectionate, patient, athletic, lively, easygoing, and keen. American Bulldogs are courageous, alert, social, loving, and energetic. One common thing among both the breed is that they are the most playful dogs. Talking about sensitivity level French Bulldogs are not so sensitive and have an average emotional level. American Bulldogs on the other hand are quite sensitive. 

French Bulldog Vs. American Bulldog Quick Info:

  • French Bulldog – Affectionate, patient, athletic, lively, easygoing, keen
  • American Bulldog – Courageous, alert, social, loving, energetic

Life Expectancy

french bulldog and american bulldog life span

The life expectancy of both the breed is 10-12 years. However, since French Bulldog is less prone to health injuries they live a little extra than the French Bulldog.

French Bulldog Vs. American Bulldog Quick Info:

  • French Bulldog – 10 to 12 years
  • American Bulldog – 10 to 12 years

Health Issues: What Could Go Wrong?

french bulldog vs american bulldog health issues

The French Bulldog is one of the healthiest dog breeds. French Bulldogs are strong and vigorous. However, they still tend to suffer from some health issues such as ear infections as they have floppy ears. Due to ear canals tend to keep closed and moist most of the time.

This leads to the formation of a humid environment, which promotes the growth of yeast and bacteria. As a result, infections tend to occur inside the ear. Symptoms include rubbing the ears, head shaking, and scratching. There are some other medical conditions too from which a French Bulldog suffers are Hip Dysplasia and Hypothyroidism among others. 

The American Bulldog, on the other hand, has frequent health issues and if you own don’t forget to take them to the vet regularly. Some of the complications from which they regularly suffer are Corneal dystrophy, Hip Dysplasia, and Elbow Dysplasia among others.

Corneal dystrophy also known as cheery eyes is common in American Bulldogs. Corneal dystrophy is a progressive, genetic disorder which is characterized by the accumulation of abnormal materials around the transparent part of the eye that is the cornea, eventually blinding the vision.

French Bulldog Vs. American Bulldog Quick Info:

  • French Bulldog – Ear infections, yeast, bacteria, shaking, scratching, Hip Dysplasia, Hypothyroidism
  • American Bulldog – Corneal dystrophy, Hip Dysplasia, Elbow Dysplasia

Grooming Differences

french bulldog and american bulldog grooming

Grooming requirements for both the dogs is minimal. Since none of the dogs shed hair, it is not required to groom them regularly. For a French Bulldog since the dog is used mostly for domestic purposes brushing twice a week is enough.

Also, very little care is required when it comes to ear, nails, teeth, and eyes. For an American Bulldog, the grooming required is even less than that of a French Bulldog. Brushing once a week is enough.

French Bulldog Vs. American Bulldog Quick Info:

  • French Bulldog – Brushing twice a week is enough, ear, nails, teeth, eyes
  • American Bulldog – Brushing once a week is enough

Feeding French Bulldog & American Bulldog

feeding french bulldog and american bulldog

A French Bulldog should be fed at least 2-1/2 to 3 cups of high-quality dry food for dogs daily. Ensure that you divide the overall meal amount into equal two parts, and you’ll be good to go. Since they are low shedders even if they eat a little extra it won’t harm your dog but that can lead to some other health issues.

Hence always feed the recommended amount. The American Bulldog is moderate shedders but in comparison to French Bulldog, they shed more. Since they are large dogs 3 cups of dry dog food are recommended for them.

They tend to show extreme appetite and hence to maintain them in good shape owners can divide the overall meal amount into equal parts over the day, maybe twice or thrice depending on the activity period.

French Bulldog Vs. American Bulldog Quick Info:

  • French Bulldog: Fed 2 to 3 cups of high-quality dry food daily
  • American Bulldog: 3 cups of high-quality dry food daily

Appearance: How They Look

french bulldog vs american bulldog appearance

The French Bulldog is small in size and the coating is fine, smooth, and close in texture. They are available in colors like fawn white and brindle cream. American Bulldogs are large dogs and their coating is fine in comparison to the French Bulldog. They are available in fawn brown, white, & black colors. 

French Bulldog Vs. American Bulldog Quick Info:

  • French Bulldog: Small in size and coating is smooth
  • American Bulldog: Large in size and coating is fine

Training The Two Types

training french bulldog and american bulldog

French Bulldogs are fairly easy to train. They are quick learners in terms of training, however, it is important for the owner to shows authority or dominance, as these intelligent dogs might be uncontrollable, taking the role of master themselves. They love tasks and their training can include jumpers training and agility training.

Just Like French Bulldogs, American Bulldogs tend to be extremely intelligent and always a pleasure to train. They always respond well to positive reinforcement, but can sometimes show their stubbornness as well. Therefore, you should keep the training sessions engaging and entertaining.

They also need to be handled gently but with a firm approach. For both the dogs though early socialization training is vital to make your dog obedient and well-behaved in-front of other pets and humans. In case you need a helping hand, you can seek a professional trainer.

French Bulldog Vs. American Bulldog Quick Info:

  • French Bulldog: Easy to train, quick learners, the owner has to show dominance
  • American Bulldog: Intelligent, enjoyable to train, requires positive reinforcement

Cost Between French & American Bulldog

french bulldog vs american bulldog cost

The French Bulldog is too costly as they cost around $2000-$4000. The American Bulldog in comparison to the French Bulldog is quite cheaper as they are available in a range of $1,500-$3,000.

French Bulldog Vs. American Bulldog Quick Info:

  • French Bulldog: $1,500 to $3,000
  • American Bulldog: $2,000 to $4,000

From Smiling Bulldogs,

Other than the above-mentioned differences, you should also check dogs barking levels, and in this case, the barking level of French Bulldogs is slim to none while American Bulldogs barking level is low to average.

Well if you own for domestic purposes, a French Bulldog can serve your requirement and an American Bulldog is ideal for commercial purposes due to their size. It’s difficult for strangers to trespass your property if you have kept an American Bulldog for a guard.

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