Are French Bulldogs prone to weight gain?

Yes, the breed's stocky build and relatively low natural exercise drive make weight gain easy if food and treats are not managed carefully. Keeping treats small, low-calorie and counted toward the day's total intake helps keep this in check.

Should French Bulldogs avoid hard chews?

Very hard, long-lasting chews are not off-limits, but softer chews tend to suit the breed's shorter muzzle better for comfortable, less tiring chewing sessions. Always supervise any new chew and remove it if it seems too hard or your dog is struggling.

How many treats a day is too many for a Frenchie?

There is no single fixed number, since it depends on the calorie content of the treat and the dog's individual size and activity level. As a general guide, treats should make up no more than about 10% of a dog's total daily calorie intake.

Can French Bulldogs have dental chews?

Yes, dental chews sized appropriately for a small-to-medium breed are generally suitable and can help with dental health, but check the size and hardness suit your individual dog and supervise them while chewing, as with any treat.

Best treats for a French Bulldog

A French Bulldog does best with small, low-fat treats that are easy to chew and swallow without a lot of effort — soft training treats, small biscuits or softer chews rather than large, hard chews that take a long, effortful session to get through. Frenchies are a compact, brachycephalic breed that gains weight easily and can find prolonged hard chewing physically tiring, so treat choice is worth thinking about a little more than for an average dog.

Why size and softness matter for this breed

French Bulldogs are a small-to-medium, stocky breed with a shortened muzzle, which changes how comfortably they can manage certain treats compared with a longer-nosed dog. A very hard, large chew that takes a long session of vigorous gnawing can tire out a Frenchie's jaw and breathing faster than it would a longer-muzzled breed, so shorter chewing sessions and softer textures generally suit them better.

The breed is also prone to weight gain, partly because they are not naturally a high-exercise dog and partly because their stocky build carries extra weight less visibly than a leaner breed would. Treats that are genuinely small and low in calories matter more here than for a leaner, more active dog, since it is easy to add up calories without noticing in a compact, food-motivated breed.

What to actually look for

Small, soft training treats are ideal for regular use — low in calories per piece, easy to break smaller still, and quick to eat, which suits both weight management and a shorter jaw. For an occasional chew, choose something softer than a very hard antler or thick bone-style chew, which is more about comfort and effort than any specific breathing risk.

Check the calorie content on treats you use often, particularly if your Frenchie is already close to or over their ideal weight, and factor treats into their daily food allowance rather than treating them as extra on top of a full meal plan.

What we stock

Our dog treat range includes small, low-calorie training treats suited to daily use, softer natural chews for occasional treating, and dental chews that double up as a treat while doing something useful for a small breed's teeth.

If your Frenchie tends to gulp treats quickly, breaking larger treats into smaller pieces, or choosing treats that are already bite-sized, helps slow things down and keeps portions genuinely small rather than accidentally generous.

Pedigree DentaStix Light daily dental chews for medium and large dogs

£2.35

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Common questions

Are French Bulldogs prone to weight gain?: Yes, the breed's stocky build and relatively low natural exercise drive make weight gain easy if food and treats are not managed carefully. Keeping treats small, low-calorie and counted toward the day's total intake helps keep this in check.
Should French Bulldogs avoid hard chews?: Very hard, long-lasting chews are not off-limits, but softer chews tend to suit the breed's shorter muzzle better for comfortable, less tiring chewing sessions. Always supervise any new chew and remove it if it seems too hard or your dog is struggling.
How many treats a day is too many for a Frenchie?: There is no single fixed number, since it depends on the calorie content of the treat and the dog's individual size and activity level. As a general guide, treats should make up no more than about 10% of a dog's total daily calorie intake.
Can French Bulldogs have dental chews?: Yes, dental chews sized appropriately for a small-to-medium breed are generally suitable and can help with dental health, but check the size and hardness suit your individual dog and supervise them while chewing, as with any treat.

Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.