8 Reasons French Bulldogs Are So Vocal & Talkative + Tips

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You had an idea that french bulldogs were expressive dogs when you first brought yours home. But, you likely had no idea how vocal and talkative your frenchie would become.

Is it normal for french bulldogs to be so vocal? Or is this unique to your pup?

Why Are French Bulldogs So Vocal:

As a breed, french bulldogs are more vocal than others. They’re more expressive and communicative while also having breathing troubles which adds to the different noises they make. Other reasons french bulldogs are so vocal is because they want attention, you’ve rewarded it, and anxiety.

In this post you’ll discover:

8 real reasons why french bulldogs are so vocal & talkative
When their vocal behavior is something to worry about
3 tips to help reduce how vocal your frenchie is (Tip #2 is by far the most effective!)
And much, much more

Let’s jump right in.

Table of Contents

Top 8 Reasons Why French Bulldogs Are So Vocal & Talkative

1) Trying To Get Your Attention

If your frenchie could say words you might hear this very often, “Mom! Mom! Mom!”.

Just like any kid would do when they want your attention.

But since your pup isn’t able to use actual words, they’ll make whatever sounds they can in an attempt to get your attention.

As a breed, french bulldogs are more vocal in general.

Sometimes it’s just that they want your attention, other times it’s because they need something from you.

Which means you can hear them huffing, whining, snorting, whimpering, etc. for many different reasons and it’s up to you to understand what they’re trying to communicate.

Whether it’s because they want you to pet them and give them some lovin’.

Or it’s because they need to go outside before they have an accident.

Or even that they’re jealous you’re giving another person or dog your attention and they’re getting jealous.

Frenchies will often be vocal when they’re trying to get your attention.

2) You’ve Rewarded Their Talkative Behavior

When a frenchie becomes super vocal and talkative it’s usually because this behavior has been rewarded in the past.

While french bulldogs are typically more vocal by nature, they can become even more talkative if it’s positively reinforced.

What does this mean?

If since your frenchie was a young pup every time they were vocal you gave them some form of positive feedback, you may have unknowingly trained them to be more vocal.

If every whine was followed up with a pet or kiss on the head.

Or if every snort was followed by a chuckle and belly rub.

Or if every cry/scream got them picked up and held.

If each time they behaved talkative they were immediately given the highest reward to them (your attention) they’ll want to keep doing it.

And likely want to do it often.

3) Separation Anxiety

When a frenchie is extremely vocal anytime you aren’t near them, it means they may have separation anxiety.

If for as long as you’ve had your pup, they’ve howled, barked, and cried without ever being able to settle when you’re gone, they may have had a traumatic experience as a pup.

Whether it was physical abuse or they were abandoned.

Something happened to them while they were young that’s made them emotionally dependent on you which makes them extremely vocal in your absence.

However, ASPCA has found that high levels of anxiety can be brought on from recent events as well.

Which means if your french bulldog is being more vocal than usual a recent change in their life could be affecting them.

Things like:

A change in where they live. If you recently moved to a different home, or a completely new town/city, this can create separation anxiety in your pup.
A change in their schedule. If your work schedule has recently changed that means your pups schedule has also changed. They were once getting a lot more of your time and that’s now changed which can create separation anxiety.
A change of family or guardian. When a dog is adopted from a shelter or given to a new family, this can create all kinds of negative emotions that make them more vocal.
A change in members of their home. If a family member has recently passed, canine or human, this can take a big toll on your pup.

If any of these more dramatic life changes have happened to your frenchie recently, this could be behind their increased talkativeness.

4) They’re Excited

If your frenchie is super excited they may not be able to contain their excitement which makes them become vocal.

It could be you just said the word walk, brought out their leash, you’re finally home from work or you have their favorite treat in your hand and they can smell it.

If your pup is feeling super excited they may not know how to control it so they let loose and make all kinds of noises.

It’s similar to when people cry from happiness.

They aren’t able to contain their joy which makes them start crying.

5) Protective/Territorial

A protective french bulldog will be more vocal than a less territorial pup.

Whether they’re wanting to protect you, your home, or ‘their’ resources.

When a frenchie is overly protective they’ll make their feelings known through barks, snarls or growls.

This type of vocal behavior isn’t ideal because it can soon lead to aggressive behavior which could get themselves or someone else hurt.

If you notice your pup being vocal for protective reasons it’s a good idea to train them out of this behavior sooner rather than later.

6) Boredom Overload

If your frenchie hasn’t received any mental or physical stimulation in a little while, they may let you know they’re bored with a big sigh, whine or huff/bark.

My childhood dog was always so funny when it came to letting us know she was bored.

If we stopped playing and sat on the couch to watch TV she would settle herself on the other side of the couch or on the floor.

And let out a big, long, drawn out sigh to let us know she wasn’t happy about the change in activity (or at least that’s how we took it).

Which would always be followed up with a pet on the head and a kiss while saying, “Aww life is hard I know”.

Given that frenchies are more vocal as a breed, it’s totally normal to see them let you know when they’re bored by being vocal.

7) They’re a Drama King/Queen

Some french bulldogs are simply four legged babies.

Whether it’s giving their face a wipe down, trimming their nails, giving them a bath, or taking them for a checkup with the vet.

They have a tendency to be drama kings/queens and scream, whine, or cry about the littlest things.

99.9% of the time there’s absolutely nothing wrong.

They’re just being vocal because they’re overly dramatic.

8) Instinct

It’s instinctual for dogs to replicate the sounds they hear.

That’s why you see videos of dogs howling when they hear sirens.

When wolves howl in the wild, other wolves will howl to let the howling wolf know they heard it and are ready for action.

Which means if where you live has a noisy environment, you may notice your frenchie being extra vocal.

Also, if your family is generally loud, whether they’re simply loud talkers, having big laughs and enjoying each other’s company, your pup may replicate this behavior.

To them it looks like accepted/welcomed behavior and they want to join in.

3 Tips To Help Your French Bulldog Be Less Vocal

1) Teach Them The ‘Quiet’ Command

If you’re finding your frenchie to be more vocal than you’d like on a daily basis, try teaching them a quiet command.

When you take the time to actually train them and reward them for behaving quietly, when you say ‘quiet’ in the future, they’ll actually listen.

As opposed to telling them to stop or be quiet even though they’ve never been trained on what that word means.

Once they have learned the quiet command you should have better control over how vocal your frenchie is.

2) Don’t Reward Their Noisy Behavior

It’s much easier said than done, but do your best not to reward their noisy behavior.

It can be cute, funny, silly, and absolutely endearing, but if you don’t want your french bulldog to be so vocal, you’ll have to stop rewarding the behavior.

Which means no kisses, loving pats/belly rubs, or going to them and picking them up when they’re vocal.

When you give them attention after they’ve been vocal, you’re only reinforcing the behavior.

So one of the better ways to reduce it from happening too much in the future is to ignore it and not reward their talkativeness.

3) Take Them To The Vet

If you feel your frenchies is coming from something more than simply wanting more attention or being dramatic, it’s worth checking in with a vet.

Sometimes their overly vocal behavior can come from a hidden physical injury or an underlying health issue.

Which would need to be looked at and treated in order for it to get better to reduce their overly talkative behavior.

Bonus: Let Them Have Their Fun!

Many french bulldogs are simply vocal dogs.

Just like some people are extroverted and louder, while others are introverted and quiet.

If they don’t have any health issues, there’s no reason to not let them have their fun.

Your pup is just being their authentic self! Let them have their fun and simply chuckle at their weirdo behavior.

Other posts you might find interesting:

12 Best Beds For French Bulldogs: Beds That Last

Top 12 Reasons Why French Bulldogs Lick & Chew Their Paws

Are French Bulldogs Protective? The Truth + Reasons & Tips

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

Sources:

French Bulldog

Separation Anxiety

Possessive and Territorial Aggression in Dogs

Communication in Dogs