People often ask me, "Sophie, is my Frenchie depressed? He basically sleeps all day." And I have to explain: No, your dog is not depressed. He is an elite athlete of relaxation. He is operating at peak efficiency.
If you just got your first Frenchie, the sleep schedule can be shocking. You expect a dog to want to go for walks, play fetch, and run around. A Frenchie wants to do those things for exactly 15 minutes, and then they want to sleep for 4 hours to recover.
The Battery Life of a Frenchie
Think of your Frenchie like an old iPhone. The battery drains extremely fast. An adult French Bulldog will sleep anywhere from 18 to 20 hours a day. Yes, you read that right. That leaves only 4 hours for eating, pooping, playing, and judging you.
This is actually a throwback to their ancestors. Dogs are crepuscular, meaning they are biologically programmed to be awake at dawn and dusk. The rest of the day? Nap time. Frenchies have taken this evolutionary trait and perfected it.
Decoding the Sleeping Positions
A sleeping Frenchie is a work of art. They don’t just "lie down." They commit to gravity.
The Frog Dog (Sploot)
This is the classic. Back legs kicked straight out behind them, belly pressed flat against the cool floor. This position serves two purposes: First, it cools down their tummy (Frenchies overheat easily). Second, it allows for a quick launch if they hear a cheese wrapper opening in the kitchen.
The Dead Bug
This is my personal favorite. Lying flat on their back, four paws in the air, neck twisted at a 90-degree angle, tongue lolling out onto the carpet. To the untrained eye, this looks like a medical emergency. To a Frenchie owner, it means they feel completely safe and relaxed. It allows their chest to expand fully, helping them breathe easier while they dream.
The Chin Rest
Frenchie heads are heavy. Like, really heavy. Their neck muscles work hard all day to hold up that melon. That’s why you’ll often find them sleeping with their chin propped up on something—the arm of the sofa, a pillow, a table leg, or your ankle. It gives their neck a break.
The Donut
Curled into a tight ball, nose tucked under the tail. This conserves body heat. You’ll see this more in the winter or when the AC is too cold. This is also the position that makes them look most like a burnt potato.
The Symphony of Snoring
We cannot talk about sleep without talking about the noise. French Bulldogs snore. Loudly. It sounds like a chainsaw fighting a lawnmower inside a tin can. Because of their flat faces (stenotic nares and elongated soft palates), their airway vibrates when they relax.
If the snoring suddenly changes pitch or they seem to stop breathing for seconds at a time, talk to your vet about Sleep Apnea (yes, dogs get it too). But usually, the rhythmic sawing of logs is just the soundtrack of your life now. I recommend white noise machines or very good earplugs for yourself.
Do They Dream?
Absolutely. You will see their paws twitching, their jowls fluttering, and you might hear little "yips" and whines. Scientists believe dogs dream about their daily activities. So your Frenchie is probably dreaming about chasing a ball, eating a steak, or finally catching the mailman.
So, the next time you see your potato passed out at 2 PM on a Tuesday, don’t judge. Join them. They know the secret to a happy life: Nap hard, play hard, snore loud.
Stay weird,
- Sophie 🐾
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