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Sometimes french bulldogs can do weird things. On that list of weird things is definitely seeing them army crawl.
Is it normal for french bulldogs to army crawl? Or is something wrong?
Why Do French Bulldogs Army Crawl:
French bulldogs army crawl because they’re a playful breed that loves attention. In the past when they’ve army crawled, they likely received attention which made them want to do it more. Other reasons they may army crawl are because of a skin irritation, temperature regulation, or feeling anxious.
In this post you’ll discover:
- 4 reasons why french bulldogs army crawl
- Whether you should discourage your frenchie from army crawling
- How to train a french bulldog to army crawl
- And much more
Let’s jump right in.
Table of Contents
Top 4 Reasons Why French Bulldogs Army Crawl
1) They Find It Fun
Your frenchie doesn’t have a whole lot they can amuse themselves with.
If they don’t have a buddy to play with, their ability to entertain themselves is quite small.
While toys can hold their attention for a little while when playing solo (and when there’s food involved) it won’t hold it forever.
Which means your pup may do some rather strange things as a way to entertain themselves.
Some dogs will dig, some will grab a toy and throw it for themselves to chase, and some may even army crawl.
While this may not seem like a super thrilling activity, boredom is boredom.
And I’m sure you’ve done some odd things to curb boredom at one point in your life.
Whether it was aimlessly walking around the house, checking the fridge for the 17 time in hopes something new shows up, or twiddling with your fingers and thumbs.
Being bored stinks, and your frenchie may find army crawling fun in between naps and playtime.
2) Skin Irritation
There are quite a few types of skin irritations that could cause your frenchie to army crawl.
Here’s a list of things to keep an eye out for:
- Rash – Rashes are notorious for being itchy and overall irritating. If you see red patches of skin on your french bulldogs belly, they may have a skin rash that’s bothering them. A possible cause for a rash may be from bathing & shampooing them too often or using a bad quality shampoo. And the best way to soothe the irritation they’ve found is to army crawl.
- Fleas, ticks or mites – Fleas, ticks and mites are all known for being extremely bothersome for a dog’s skin. And if your pup has any of these pests living on their stomach, the best way for them to scratch certain places appears to be an army crawl. If you take a close look you should be able to see if they have any fleas or ticks trapped in their fur. But when it comes to mites, they’re invisible to the naked eye so you’d want to look out for dry skin as well as hair loss.
- Scratches/Bites – If you like to take your frenchie through the woods on your walks or hikes and they explore all nature has to offer, they might have a scratch or been bitten. If this is the case for your pup, many scratches or bites will go away with time. *If you live in an area where there’s a possibility of your dog getting bitten by something poisonous, and they’re really bothered, it’s a good idea to take them to the vet.*
- Allergies – Allergies are more common than you’d think in dogs. A recent study found that just over 30% of dogs treated at a vet clinic had some form of food allergy causing a skin irritation. And french bulldogs are even more prone to food sensitivities so it might be worth checking in with your vet to see if they’re having an allergic reaction.
Related Reading: 8 Reasons Why French Bulldogs Itch So Much + Helpful Tips
3) Cooling Themselves Down
When a french bulldog army crawls, many will leave their legs stretched out behind them.
*Sidenote: when they aren’t moving and just lying there with their legs poking out behind them, that’s called splooting.*
If it’s a hot summer’s day and your pup is having troubles cooling down, which is a common problem for frenchies, they may army crawl to cool themselves down.
If you have cool hard wood or tile floors in your home, they might feel really good on your pup’s belly.
Which makes them scoot their legs out behind them and army crawl around your floor.
Once a certain spot gets warmed up by them, they’ll crawl their way over to a new, cooler spot.
French bulldogs don’t have the same ability to cool themselves down that other breeds do (because they’re a flat-faced breed) which means they need other ways to help them cool down.
And your smart pup may have found a way to regulate their temperature by dragging their belly along your cool hardwood or tiled floors.
**On the flip side, they may also attempt to warm themselves up in the winter by rubbing their belly on the carpet. Frenchies aren’t equipped with the best tools to regulate their temperature so they can sometimes be found doing odd things to help themselves feel better.
4) To Get Attention
Your frenchie might be smarter than you give them credit for.
When they do something and then get a reward for doing it, they become increasingly aware of what behavior to do in the future to get more rewards.
And the only rewards that your pup really cares about is food and your attention.
Which means if ever since you’ve seen your frenchie army crawl for the first time, you gave them lots of praise, love or attention, they learned that doing this brings you to them.
So now whenever they want attention and they’re going through the things they’ve learned seem to get your attention, they try army crawling.
And if each time they army crawl, you tell them how cute they are, give them a kiss, or pick them up and lovingly embrace them…
That’s plenty enough reason for them to keep doing it!
Related Reading: 10 Best Toys To Entertain Your Dog | Boredom Buster Toys
Less Likely: Psychological
Not likely to be a super common reason for your french bulldog to be army crawling, but definitely a possibility, is psychological troubles.
When dogs are feeling sad, stressed or anxious, they behave in unusual ways.
They often might do certain compulsive behaviors because at first it felt good but has since become a way of coping.
So if you think your french bulldog might be army crawling a little too much, and is demonstrating other peculiar behavior, they might be having some psychological troubles.
Should I Let My French Bulldog Army Crawl?
There’s absolutely no harm in letting your french bulldog army crawl.
If they don’t have any clear skin irritation on their stomach, they’re more than likely just being a fun-loving part of your family.
Entertaining you and amusing themselves.
The only time where it might be of concern is if they’re doing it frequently throughout the day and on a daily basis.
Not only could this be a sign of something going on but it’s also not great for their hips to be in this position for too long.
How To Teach a French Bulldog To Army Crawl
If you want to be able to train your french bulldog to army crawl on command, here’s a few simple steps to follow to help train them.
Step 1: Get your frenchie to lie down.
Step 2: Kneel next to them with a treat just out of their reach.
Step 3: Once they start to inch forward to try and get the treat, say the word “crawl” (or whichever command word you want them to follow)
Step 4: Gently place your hand on their back to keep them in their down position.
Step 5: Slowly move the treat a little further away from their mouth as they get closer to it.
Step 6: Repeat steps 1-5 a couple times per day for however long it takes until they’ve learned how to do it by simply hearing your command word.
Every dog is different so how many repetitions it takes your frenchie will be unique to them.
However, Stephen Coren did a study in 1994 ranking various dog breeds by intelligence.
And french bulldogs ranked 58 out of 131.
Which put them in a category of, on average, needing anywhere between 40-80 repetitions to learn a new trick or behavior.
Other posts you might find interesting:
12 Best Beds For French Bulldogs: Beds That Last
Why Do French Bulldogs Snort & Grunt? The Truth + 4 Tips
11 Reasons French Bulldogs Get Diarrhea + Tips To Help
When Do French Bulldogs Calm Down? Age By Age + 9 Reasons
Sources:
Canine Food Allergy