How I take care of my Frenchie
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How I take care of my Frenchie
Not a checklist, not a "10 tips" post — just the actual routine that's shaped itself around my Frenchie over time, and the small things I've picked up along the way.
People ask me all the time what a "normal day" looks like with a Frenchie, expecting something complicated. Honestly, it's less about doing more and more about paying attention to the right things — most of it comes down to a handful of habits I didn't know I needed until I had one.
Coffee first, then his breakfast
He's up before I am, standing by the bed with that unmistakable "I know it's time" look. Breakfast comes before anything else in the house — measured, not eyeballed, since it's way too easy to overfeed a dog this food-motivated. Then a short walk around the block before it gets warm, because mornings are really the only time of day he'll actually want to move fast.
The nap he insists on
By midday he's usually flat out on the cool tile floor, and I've learned to just let him have it. Frenchies overheat fast and tire out faster than people expect, so I stopped scheduling anything active for the middle of the day entirely. Water bowl gets refreshed, the fan goes on if it's warm, and that's really it — the best thing I can do for him some hours is nothing at all.
Wrinkles, ears, and a proper walk
Once it cools down, that's our real walk — the one he actually gets excited for. After, I run a quick check over the facial wrinkles with a damp cloth, since that's the one spot that gets overlooked and causes problems if it does. Ears get a look every few days too, more out of habit at this point than because there's usually anything to find.
Habits I didn't start with
Heat is the real enemy
Not aggression, not other dogs — heat. Everything about our schedule bends around avoiding the hottest part of the day.
Portion control matters more than I thought
He'll act hungry at any hour of the day regardless of how recently he's eaten — I stopped trusting the begging and started trusting the scoop.
Grooming is really just noticing
It's less about a strict routine and more about catching small changes early — a wrinkle, an ear, a limp — before they become bigger.
Rest is productive too
I used to think a "good day" meant lots of activity. Now I know a good day for him is just as often a quiet one.
None of this is a formula — it's just what fit, built slowly out of paying attention. Every Frenchie is a little different, and honestly, that's the part I like most about figuring it out.
— written with a Frenchie asleep on my feet