Two Frenchies in France - How a duo of bat-eared clowns make even the greyest day glorious
August 05, 2019 • Travel •
While they may be irresistibly chic, French bulldogs aren't actually French. Originally used as lap warmers, they were brought to the country by English lacemakers who traveled in pursuit of better work prospects.
An increasingly popular breed both in America and around the world, the French bulldog makes one of the best canine buddies. Charismatic clowns, they will wrap you round their little bat ears in no time. While they love a good snuggle session on the couch, they will also take any opportunity to charge around and do something decidedly daft – and their broad, toothy grins make even the most serious among us slip on a smile.
Charming, intelligent (when the mood strikes) and willingly prepared to sacrifice all vestiges of dignity in exchange for goofing around, a day spent with a Frenchie will be filled with love and laughter.
I'm not sure who was most surprised when I bought a cottage in a tiny hamlet in Finistere, 'the end of the world'. My mother was certainly taken off-guard, and the seller thought all her Christmases had come at once when, just days after listing the property, my offer appeared. And I have yet to recover from the shock of moving from the Caribbean to northern France in the depths of winter, a decision made all the more ridiculous by the discovery that I now owned a home with close to zero insulation and a chimney that doubled as a water feature.
As I sat outside breathing in my new reality, I met my first dog mere hours after arriving. Jess, a French bulldog, snuffled and snorted her way into my living room and my life, presenting me with the perfect opportunity to meet her owner Jude. In the company of wine and, er, wine, Jude was my first friend in the community and she alone kept me sane during the long winter evenings.
A couple of months later, little Rubie joined Jess. Previously a curious but well-behaved dog, Jess now took on all of Rubie's bad puppy habits and tendency towards mischievous misdemeanors. Jude wondered if perhaps I might be mad enough to stay in her place and look after the two while she popped over to England and, despite it being just a few hundred yards from my own home, I jumped at the chance.
My tendency to talk to every dog that passes had paid off. Not only did I acquire an excellent friend in Jude but I also had the chance to install enough insulation to bring the temperatures in my house akin to those inside a sauna – crucially, without the misery of living there while carrying out the work. I have always said that dog-sitting benefits everyone involved and this is exactly what I mean: Jude had her trip away while knowing her pooches were with someone who would tend to their every whim; the dogs got to hang out with Auntie Jane and delight in her determination to take a different route for every walk, and I could escape dusty chaos for a cosy retreat well-stocked with canine companions.
I've taken care of the pair a few times now. As Rubie has grown she can now keep up with Jess, and unless you've seen French bulldogs at full pelt you can't appreciate how fast those little barrels can travel. They're definitely front wheel drive dogs, the two front legs powering forwards and the back ones just bouncing along behind. Sticks, balls and fir cones are fiercely fought over, and each dog has no qualms about using the other to gain a height advantage.
Rubie wins the battle of the stick
At night, they curl up together – white and fawn yin and yang – snoring louder than two aged drunkards. During the day they have more energy than they know what to do with, bouncing about as if the ground was made of trampolines. Jude has had to get increasingly high fences around her property to stop the pogoing pooches leaping out to greet every passerby. I love how on my daily visit they will hurl themselves towards me as if they hadn't seen me in a lifetime, yet when I'm staying with them, responsible for their health and food and general doggy maintenance, I become a part of the furniture. An appreciated piece of furniture, but one that doesn't require the administration of manic overtures.
My advice to anyone moving to a new area would be to hang around waiting for the neighborhood dogs to appear and take care to befriend them. Dog owners like dog lovers, and it's an easy way to integrate into a new community. And if you ever plan to remodel your kitchen, it might be handy to have a house around the corner complete with dogs eager to dole out their lighthearted magic.
Jane Thomas
