9 Reasons Why French Bulldogs Are So Lazy + Tips To Help

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Are you finding your french bulldog is behaving rather lazy lately? Or has your frenchie been quite lazy for as long as you’ve had them?

You might start to wonder if it’s normal for french bulldogs to be lazy. Or whether there’s something wrong with your pup.

Why Are French Bulldogs Lazy:

More often than not, french bulldogs become lazy when they don’t get much exercise on a daily basis. If they don’t get enough physical activity, their default becomes laziness. Other reasons why french bulldogs are lazy are because of a poor diet, underlying health issues, or they’re getting older.

In this post you’ll discover:

9 reasons why french bulldogs are lazy
When your frenchies laziness is something to worry about
4 tips to help combat your french bulldogs laziness (a combination of tip #1 & 2 should help 90% of frenchies)
And much, much more

Let’s jump right in!

Table of Contents

Are French Bulldogs Lazy In General?

What is often misunderstood for laziness in french bulldogs is usually caused by their breathing troubles.

Because french bulldogs are brachycephalic breeds (which means they have a shorter muzzle), it makes breathing more difficult for them.

So when it comes to being physically active, it takes them longer to catch their breath and cool themselves down.

Which makes them appear more lazy than other breeds.

But in actuality they just have breathing troubles which means they need to go at a slower pace.

Daily physical activity and keeping them in shape is still super important for french bulldogs in order to maintain their overall health and wellbeing.

9 Reasons Why French Bulldogs Can Be Lazy

1) Not Enough Physical Or Mental Stimulation

If your frenchie isn’t getting much, or any, physical or mental stimulation, odds are they’re going to be lazy.

When a dog gets frequent exercise and gets to enjoy lots of different activities their body gets in better shape and uses energy more efficiently.

Which means they’ll have more energy in general and won’t behave lazily.

But when your pup gets very little exercise on a daily or weekly basis, laziness becomes their baseline.

There’s no need for their body to become efficient at using their energy because very rarely do they need to get up and be moving for extended periods of time.

Unfortunately, what usually follows is weight gain and further lazy behavior.

Which is even more dangerous for a french bulldog because of their genetic breathing troubles.

2) Sensitive Stomach

French bulldogs are known for having more sensitive stomachs than other breeds which means they can have a harder time digesting their food.

And if their body doesn’t get, or isn’t able to properly absorb, their food’s nutrients they won’t have the energy to move around which results in them being lazy.

This can happen because their daily kibble is a low quality grain-based food that lacks many important nutrients.

Or it can be because their body is allergic to one of the ingredients in their food which makes them unable to absorb the food’s nutrients.

In both cases their energy levels are affected because their body isn’t getting the nutrients it needs.

Which of course makes them appear lazier than they should be.

If you think your pup might have a food sensitivity or stomach issues it’s best to have them looked at by a vet.

3) Overheated

French bulldogs have a more difficult time cooling themselves down which can make them appear lazy.

Whether it’s a warm summer day, they just had some good exercise, or both, your frenchie will need to take more time to recover and regulate their temperature than other dogs.

This is because they’re a flat face breed which makes breathing more challenging for them as well as using their nose and mouth to help them cool down.

Non-brachycephalic breeds cool themselves down more easily when they pant as moisture evaporates on their tongue and nose.

But french bulldog’s breathing troubles make it more difficult for them to do this as their breathing is less efficient.

So because they’re not able to catch their breath and cool themselves off as quickly, your frenchie may appear lazy.

But they’re simply just taking the time they need to gather themselves after being too warm or out of breath.

4) Matching Your Energy Levels

If you’ve been feeling run down lately and more tired than usual, your frenchie could be matching your energy level and demonstrating lazy behavior.

Or if you’re a more laid-back, chill type of person, your pup may have learned to adapt to your lifestyle.

Similar to how when a close friend of yours says a certain phrase, you might start saying it yourself.

When people and animals spend extended periods of time with one another, they pick up and share certain behaviors.

So your frenchie might have picked up on your chill vibe and is enjoying resting time.

5) Getting Older

When a french bulldog starts to get into their senior years you will eventually start to see them slow down and become more lazy.

Full days of fun, adventurous activities are not super interesting to them anymore.

Instead they might prefer a simple walk in the morning and then a lot more cuddle time throughout the day.

A study done in 2019 found that younger dogs were much more excitable and active but when they reached the age of 6-8, this is generally when they started to slow down.

So if you notice your pup starting to become a little more lazy as they hit their ‘middle aged’ years and even senior years, it’s perfectly normal to see them slow down.

However, this doesn’t mean they should stop exercising altogether. It’s still important to help them stay in good physical shape to ensure they stay healthy for as long as possible.

Related Reading: Top 12 Best Dog Beds For French Bulldogs

6) They’re Feeling Blue

If your frenchie is feeling sad or even depressed, this can cause them to sleep more than usual which could be misunderstood as laziness.

The most common reason for a dog to be feeling depressed is if a family member has recently passed.

Canine or human.

It’s been proven that dogs also go through a mourning period after experiencing a loss.

And some of the more common behaviors your pup might do if they’re feeling depressed is eat less and sleep more.

A study done in 2016 found that when a dog is mourning the loss of a canine companion they’ll eat 35% less, 31% more slowly, and sleep 34% more.

Which means your frenchie might be acting more lazy than usual because they’re having a hard time coping with the unfortunate loss of a loved one.

7) They Need More Sleep Than You

Your frenchie simply needs more sleep than you do.

If you only need 8 hours of sleep to feel well rested, you might look at your pup who’s sleeping again after they got a full 8 hours and think, what a lazy pup!

But, dog’s need roughly 12 hours of sleep per day in order to feel well rested.

Also, their sleep schedules are much different.

Humans are up all day then sleep all night.

Dogs will sleep at night but also nap throughout the day or whenever they’re bored.

Studies have also found that dogs only get roughly 10% REM sleep while they’re asleep.

Whereas people get anywhere between 20-25% REM sleep during their slumber.

Which simply means your frenchie needs more sleeping hours to get the benefits they need from REM sleep.

So what you might think is your pup being lazy might simply be what they need on a daily basis!

8) Infection

If a french bulldog has an infection, their body will be using more energy to help fight off the infection which can make them more lazy.

Whether it’s a yeast infection (which is more common in french bulldogs) or a bacterial infection, if they have a skin irritation that’s turned into an infection, it can affect their energy levels.

Their body is in defense mode and giving most of its energy to fight off and overcome the infection so they can become a healthy doggo again.

9) Underlying Health Issue

Sometimes a frenchie might have an underlying health issue that you’re not aware of which is causing them to be more lazy than usual.

Some possible illnesses that could be causing your pup to feel lethargic are:

Liver disease
Hypothyroidism
Heart problems
A side effect from medication they’re taking
Poisoning from something they ate

For the same reasons your pup might slow down if they have an infection, they will also slow down if they have an underlying health issue.

Their body is using most of its energy to fight off the illness they’re battling.

If you think there’s a chance your frenchie might have an underlying health issue it’s important to take them to the vet.

4 Tips To Help Your French Bulldog Be Less Lazy

1) First & Foremost: More Exercise

Exercise is one of the two most important things when it comes to increasing energy levels.

If you’re finding your frenchie is starting to become more lazy lately, it’s a good idea to start increasing their physical activity.

(if they’re healthy of course and don’t have any underlying health issues)

Beyond helping them get in better physical shape which should help with their laziness, it helps with their overall mood as well.

Exercise reduces cortisol levels in their body and releases dopamine which helps their overall wellbeing.

And you experience these same benefits when you exercise with your pup.

It’s a win-win!

2) Improve Their Diet

If your pup is often eating poor quality food, whether that’s through table scraps or low nutrient dog food, improving their diet can significantly help their energy levels.

Your frenchie has a more sensitive stomach than most other breeds which means more food will negatively affect them and make them feel tired/lazy.

Do your best to get them high quality dog food.

One that’s main ingredient is an animal protein and says ‘no preservatives’ as well as ‘highly digestible’ on the bag.

If you’re already feeding them good quality dog food, they may have an allergy to one of the ingredients.

Which is something to chat about with your vet to help you find out what their food allergy is to remove it from their diet.

3) Help Them Cope

When a frenchies laziness is coming from overheating or extreme sadness, do your best to help them cope.

Whether it’s finding them some shade and getting them a nice cool drink of water.

Or it’s taking them for a car ride, long walk, or to play with a furry friend to help take their mind off their troubles.

Sometimes they need a little help from mom/dad to help them with the unfavorable situation they’re currently in which is making them behave lazily.

4) Take Them To The Vet

If your frenchie is acting more lazy than usual it’s best to have a vet take a look at them.

Whenever your pup’s behavior changes rather abruptly there’s usually something going on under the surface.

A check in with the vet can help you find the issue to start helping them feel better or you can find out nothing’s wrong and some more tips to help bring their energy levels up.

[Nothing brings peace of mind quite like speaking with a vet – click here to chat with a vet online now]

Other posts you might find interesting:

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11 Reasons Why French Bulldogs Are So Hyper + 4 Tips