When Will My French Bulldog Calm Down?


Well that’s a good question, it’s hard to put a direct timescale on when your French Bulldog will calm down. Due to their fun-loving and playful characteristics, Frenchies have a lot of energy as young pups and will run around having mad 5 minute spells, jumping and chewing, it’s just one big game and lots of fun for a pup, but from my experience with my Frenchie, I would say he calmed down after turning 3 years old.

That’s not saying that all Frenchies will calm down at that age because every Frenchie is different and has different circumstances, you have to take into consideration their environment, training regimes and how you socialize them.

Also think about introducing some mentally stimulated toys to calm them down here’s a guide Click here

Will My French Bulldog Calm Down With Age

I would say, if you’ve got a hyper pup or maybe a little bit more of an energetic oldie then that’s usually a great sign, why do you ask? Well, its to do with health if you’ve got a healthy dog he’s going to have a lot more energy and will want to be a lot more active, but if you have over the top behavior then this could also be a bad sign, that there might be some issues in training and possible separation anxiety.

As your French Bulldog ages they might not have that extra energy and craziness they once had as a pup and you might find yourself missing these characteristics so enjoy the energy while it’s here.

The thing is French Bulldogs are part of the brachycephalic breeds which means they have difficulty breathing and cooling down, as your Frenchie gets older they won’t need the extra walks and play, so they will generally get calmer and more relaxed.

What to do if my French Bulldog is not calming down with age 

So if you find yourself with a hyper unsettled dog this most definitely will cause you some problems, this could lead to being destructive to you house, not making visitors feel welcome with possible jumping up and being a pain, being over boisterous with other dogs, excessive barking when not needed, the list goes on.

If you do have these behavioral patterns there could be many factors causing this but there are a few steps to take and action needed to introduce to help. It may just be the simple process of going for more exercise and longer walks or it could be something mentally like separation anxiety.

Separation Anxiety in French Bulldogs

If you find yourself having a bad behaved French bulldog then this could be the number one cause, the thing is Frenchies are very sociable dogs and absolutely love their human friends, so when being left alone for long periods of time this can cause massive stress and strain to your Frenchie. 

The separation anxiety characteristics can show as extreme distress with excessive barking and panting when you leave them on their own, they almost can’t process the situation and can turn destructive in your house, sometimes injuring themselves with this behavior, maybe they’re trying to find you.

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Signs That Your Frenchie Has Separation anxiety

  • Excessive Barking when being left and you’re about to leave the house.
  • Panting.
  • Pacing.
  • Chewing.
  • Digging the garden up.
  • Escaping.
  • Urinating.
  • Destructive behavior.

Separation anxiety can develop from being very attached to one person and when they are not around it brings on massive panic and unrest. This could be also down to a lack of socializing from a young age so it’s very important to put this practice in place.

As soon as you spot these symptoms they must be acted on as soon as possible, they can’t just outgrow this or get over it on their own.

The good news is that you can take action and help your dog out with some routines to put in place or look for a professional dog trainer.

A good training routine to put in place is counter conditioning, this works by introducing something your Frenchie loves with something that is bad and causes anxiety. For example when you go to work or are leaving the house then to help the anxiety give your dog a treat or a dog, then hopefully after that your dog will get used to this routine and know what is going to happen.

Reason why your French Bulldog is not calm or relaxed 

We have already touched base on separation anxiety so we won’t go into that one, but from my experience Frenchies are relaxed, calm, and sociable dogs.

If yours isn’t and is running around being hyper, jumping up on visitors, and being destructive then this could be a sign that there could be more to it and an underlying problem.

Here are a few points why you might have a hyper dog.

  • Exercise- So if your Frenchie is home alone while you’re at work and is showing signs of hyperactivity then this could be down to not having the sufficient exercise. The hyperactivity could be a sign of pent up energy and a release, so the action I would take would most definitely be to try going for a walk as soon as you get home to try and tire your Frenchie out or maybe go for two walks a day and some more playtime.
  • Mental stimulation- A bored dog can lead to being hyper, it’s the same principle again if there left alone all day they will have all this energy and excitement when they see you, This could also mean there not having enough playtime and mental stimulation, you can try combating this with introducing a good amount of time each day with your dog playing tug of war or throwing a ball down the yard, Another good toy to introduce when leaving for work could be the toys that you fill with food and they have to work out how to release the treat this will help keep them occupied and stimulated.
  • Fear- Sometimes hyperactivity like pacing and barking may be a sign that your dog is scared and they can sense with the super smell that there’s another dog down the road or hear somebody that shouldn’t be around. This is a great trait and they might just be trying to tell you something.
  • Age- Dogs are just like humans with immaturity and age, As you know with young children there full of beans and love to play, this is the same with pups. So it could be that your dog is still on the young side making them act a bit hyper, just be patient and they might calm down with age like we all do.
  • Food-yeah takes into consideration what food there having this can have an impact and could possibly cause hyperactivity, it’s very tempting to buy the big bag of dog food but before you do have a look at the ingredients as there could be added sugars that may bring on hyperactivity.
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Training My French Bulldog To Calm Down

So if you’ve tried putting in routines with extra exercise, more playtime, changing your dog’s diet, and putting some more quality time into your dog’s day, and this hasn’t worked then consider looking into training classes for your Frenchie.

Also seek advice from a vet because they can give you advice and possibly do health tests to rule out the possibility of a health problem resulting in hyperactivity.

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Conclusion  

So when will my French Bulldog calm down, As we’ve gone through this article there are many factors which can contribute to a hyper French bulldog and to pinpoint the exact time and process of when they will calm is a hard thing to do, but usually all being well it comes down to age, and if they are hyper and a little bit older not to worry as there are steps and action you can take to help the situation.

Last update on 2024-04-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Dan James

Dan James is the founder and editor of FrenchBulldogio, a canine enthusiast who writes about what he's learned on the way of being a French Bulldog owner and sharing his advice, tips, and research.

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