French Bulldog Puppy Story | Pumpkin’s Journey & Personality

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new shade isabella french bulldog with blue eyes

Every family has that one pet who thinks the world revolves around them. For us, it’s Pumpkin. She’s a French Bulldog who somehow manages to be spoiled, hilarious, and absolutely adorable all at once. She’s the kind of dog that makes you stop mid conversation just to laugh at what she’s doing. She steals hair scrunchies, attention, and your heart without even trying.

Now, to be clear, Pumpkin isn’t the first Frenchie we owned. While together, my boyfriend had bought and sold a few boy french bulldogs before her, but they were never intended to stay. They were basically investments and stepping stones in our long search for the french bulldog. Right away, we knew Pumpkin was different. From the moment we found her, we knew she was meant to be ours. A “forever dog,” not just a passing part of the journey. She was the first female french bulldog we had.

mirroring image of a french bulldog in a orange colored dog bed. she is a puppy named pumpkin

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This is Pumpkin’s story. From how she came into our lives, to her playful personality, to her rare litter of all female puppies. Along the way, I’ll share the behind the scenes details of French Bulldog ownership, breeding, and why Pumpkin will always hold such a special place in our hearts.

New shade isabella french bulldog laying down on a pink cheeta print bed with her paws in front of her face as a rest.

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Finding Pumpkin

My boyfriend spent months, constantly looking for the right French Bulldog. He wasn’t searching casually. At the same time, he was determined to learn everything he could about the breed. Anyone who knows Frenchies knows how many different colors, shades, and genetic lines there are, and finding one with both the right look and the right bloodline takes patience.

Through social media, he came across a breeder in California who had an absolutely stunning litter of new shade Isabella Frenchies. The puppies had that soft, silvery lilac coloring that stands out. Both the mom and dad of the litter were not just beautiful. They were textbook examples of what you’d want in a French Bulldog: healthy structure, strong genetics, and rare coloring.

adorable french bulldog puppies sleeping on a brown blanket.

adorable french bulldog puppies that are only 8 weeks old

cute french bulldog puppies, all different coats but similar colors. they are 8 weeks old and Pumpkin is in the middle with her blue eyes

After a lot of back and forth, my boyfriend made the decision. He sent $5,000 online, and an additional $300 for a flight nanny to bring her safely to us. On October 9, 2022, our girl arrived!

Pumpkin the french bulldog at 3 months old. She is outside on grass with the sun shining on her.

She was tiny, wide eyed, and curious. Since she came to us right in the fall season, and she looked absolutely adorable in an orange dog bed, so it only felt right to name her Pumpkin. In the spirit of Halloween, the name just stuck. We registered her with the AKC, making it official. Pumpkin was ours.

pumpkin the french bulldog sleeping on a pink comfy hoodie at 3-4 months old

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Adjusting to Life With Pumpkin

Bringing home Pumpkin wasn’t all cuddles and kisses at first. In fact, it was an adjustment. French Bulldogs can have big personalities, and Pumpkin was no exception.

On her very first day, when my boyfriend leaned in to give her a kiss, she tried to bite his cheek! She wasn’t being aggressive, more like just unsure, hesitant, and adjusting to her new world. With me, she was cautious too, keeping her distance at first. But slowly, with patience, she warmed up to us.

Within a few hours, she started to show her softer side. She followed us around the house, cuddled on the couch, and learned quickly that “mommy” and “daddy” were her new family. Today, she listens to me better than almost any dog I’ve owned. She is super smart and obedient.

Pumpkin a french bulldog in a summer dress that has diagonal lines in fun easter/summer colors.

Pumpkin in a cute summer dress. This lasted about 15 seconds before she took it off. Still, she looks so cute!

Pumpkin’s Personality

Pumpkin is a blend of sass, sweetness, and smarts. She’s incredibly intelligent. She knows what several phrases, words and body language means. Unlike some Frenchies who can be stubborn, Pumpkin is a great listener. I can tell her to “stay” and she will stay until I tell her to “come here”. Even if I go into another room, she stays until she’s told to come. She also knows she isn’t allowed in the laundry room (for safety reasons like spiders, or loose screws), and she makes sure to never get caught in the laundry room! I love this girl so much.

French bulldog Pumpkin sleeping on a pink bed in the kitchen surrounded by dog toys. It looks messy. There is a baby gate keeping her in the kitchen.

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Before we gave Pumpkin her own room, she use to sleep in the kitchen at night. We would put a baby gate up to keep her from wandering the house at night. We just didn’t want her some how eating something she shouldn’t.

As she’s grown, her play habits have shifted. She doesn’t play with toys as much as she used to, but she loves her bones. Give her a meaty bone, and she’s in heaven. She’s affectionate too, always showering her daughters Sugar and Honey with kisses on their faces and ears.

Around the house, Pumpkin carries herself with this calm confidence, almost like she knows she’s special. She’s not wild or overly demanding, but she’s always there, quietly reminding us she’s part of the family. When she sees Honey or Sugar getting extra love, she makes sure I know that she is next in line.

Pumpkin’s Journey to Motherhood

In February 2024, we made the decision to breed Pumpkin. Breeding French Bulldogs isn’t simple. It requires careful timing, planning, and veterinary help. We carefully tracked her heat cycle, watching for the exact window when insemination would be most successful.

Because French Bulldogs often can’t breed naturally due to their body structure, we went the route of surgical artificial insemination. At the vet, Pumpkin was sedated, a small incision was made, and the semen was deposited directly where it needed to go for the best chance at pregnancy.

The stud we chose was no ordinary dog. His name is Gold Link, a rare new shade Isabella male with exceptional genetics. Using his semen meant investing not just money but the future of Pumpkin’s line. French Bulldog breeding is expensive because of the specialized care, surgeries, and genetics involved, but the outcome can be incredible.

Watch this video of Pumpkin meeting Gold Link for the first time!

Pumpkin’s pregnancy went smoothly overall. Like many expecting moms, she had some food aversions. Some days she’d refuse her usual food, so we adjusted her diet to keep her healthy and strong:

Fresh rice and chicken.
Frozen beef patties made for dogs.
Lots of crunchy dog snacks.
Plenty of carrots (her favorite).
Cooked Sweet Potato cut up
Chopped Apples
Strawberries

In March, we had an ultrasound that showed what looked like at least 4 puppies. We were beyond excited. Watch the video here:

The Big Day: April 2, 2024

On April 2, it was time. Pumpkin went in for her scheduled C-section (All French Bulldogs should get a C-sections due to their anatomy). It was nerve wrecking, but our vet was experienced and prepared. Knowing how much experience he had made us a lot more comfortable that things would go as planned (and they did).

My boyfriend and I dropped pregnant Pumpkin off at the vet then went near by to get something to eat. About two hours later, we got a call that she had 4 healthy girls. An all female litter is rare, but Pumpkin did it. We couldn’t believe it, 4 little cuties, each unique in their own way:

Two looked just like Pumpkin with her same coloring.
Two were exotic new shade Isabella pieds with full colored faces (a striking and highly desirable look).

french bulldogs that are only 1 hour old. They look sort of wet and you can see their umbilical cords.

On the way home, my boyfriend drove and I sat in the back seat with all the girls. I sat in the middle seat, and Pumpkin sat on my left. Her eyes were still very dilated from surgery. She was coming to me for comfort. At the same time, we had 4 newly born puppies to the right of me. They were in a laundry basket with a warm heating pad underneath some blankets. For the first time, we all heard the puppies cute cries. Pumpkin was curious about the puppies cries but probably wasn’t feeling the best right after surgery herself.

newborn french bulldogs drinking milk from their mom. their eyes are still closed because they are only a couple days old.

Thankfully, Pumpkin recovered beautifully, and her mothering instincts kicked in right away.

The Puppies Story

At first, we didn’t give the puppies traditional names. Instead, I came up with the idea that we would call them Number 1, 2, 3, and 4.

#1: The “prettiest,” so she naturally earned the title. I only said she was the prettiest because her color is the lightest.
#2: The second prettiest. We ended up keeping her, and she became Honey.
#3: Has 3 big spots on her back, hence the name “Number 3”
#4: Has 4 big spots on her back. We also kept her, and she became Sugar.

french bulldog puppies playing with eachother. One has the other pinned down.

Then, a surprise came… Three days later we welcomed puppy Number 5.

french bulldog puppies drinking milk of their mom. new shade isabella color

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The Bonus Puppy #5

A few days after Pumpkin gave birth, the stud owner reached out to my boyfriend. One of his Frenchie Moms had complications with her own litter. She only had two puppies, and one didn’t make it. Nursing just one puppy can be risky for the mother’s health, so he asked if Pumpkin could help.

We thought long and hard. It was already a lot of work caring for four newborns. But in the end, compassion won. We took the tiny little girl in. She was smaller than Pumpkin’s pups even though she was older than them. Pumpkin welcomed her like one of her own. She didn’t even notice we added an extra puppy.

So now, we had 5 puppies in the whelping box. It only felt right to call her #5.

Five sleeping french bulldog puppies in a whelping box, in their whelping room. Similar to an incubator.

After we are done feeding the puppies, they get a little “milk drunk” and very sleepy! This is them right after eating and pooping. All ready for a good nap. We cut up blankets and rolled them up into little pillows. This was perfect.

Where the Puppies Went

It was a lot of hard work taking care of Pumpkin and her puppies. When the puppies are first born, they need to eat every 2-3 hours. We set them up to drink milk from pumpkin, all while making sure they don’t drink too fast and choke. After eating, we have to stimulate their butts to help them go poop. By the time we were done with a feeding, we had to do another one in about an hour. Eventually we got a system, and with a notebook, we started logging every time the puppies ate and pooped. They grew fast, healthy, and happy. We shared their progress on social media, and people fell in love with them.

Eventually, they went on to their forever homes:

#1 stayed in our state, going to a thriving business owner.
#2 (Honey) stayed with us.
#3 was sold to a Woman with 20+ Frenchies in Arkansas. A lot of them were just born to be fair.
#4 (Sugar) stayed with us.
#5 the bonus puppy, was eventually sold by her owner to a family in Australia.

New Shade Isabella Pied French bulldog puppies looking up at a gummy bear toy. They have blue eyes and look excited to play. Two are standing up on the gate.

Sugar is on the left, and her sister that went to Arkansas is on the right! They look practically identical with their coat, but you can tell their squishy faces apart.

We originally only wanted to keep one puppy and sell the other 3 but there was a problem. Puppy Number 4 (Sugar), was such a sweet girl I couldn’t imagine saying goodbye to her. We already chose to keep Number 2, but I didn’t want to say goodbye to Number 4. Thankfully, it was very easy to convince my boyfriend that we should keep two puppies instead of one. I am glad we did because Honey and Sugar have each other to play with.

Three French Bulldogs each wearing a full harness, and sitting by the front door. They are ready to go for a walk. The dog in the middle has a big tongue hanging out.

Life Today With Pumpkin

Today, Pumpkin is still very much the queen of our home. She may not be the wild child puppy we brought home in 2022, but she’s even more special now.

She plays with her daughters, though not as wildly as she once did. She prefers bones to toys these days, happily gnawing away while the younger girls run around. She’s affectionate, always showering Sugar and Honey with kisses, and she remains my “mommy’s girl.”

French bulldogs in their own bedroom, with dog beds. Looking up at me. One has a big smile, and the other two still look happy.

Pumpkin carries herself with maturity, but she’s still full of love. Watching her with her daughters is one of my favorite things. It’s a reminder of the the little family we’ve built through her.

French bulldogs wearing red and pink valentines sweaters, playing with heart shaped pillows on the couch.

Lessons From Pumpkin’s Story

Pumpkin’s story is about more than just a French Bulldog. It’s about everything she’s taught us:

Patience: From her hesitant first days to the long breeding process, patience has been key.
Responsibility: French Bulldogs are not low maintenance pets. From specialized diets to surgical births, they require serious commitment.
Compassion: Taking in the bonus puppy was a challenge, but it taught us the importance of helping when we can.
Family: Pumpkin has given us not only joy but also daughters who carry on her legacy.

For anyone considering a French Bulldog, Pumpkin’s story shows both the challenges and the incredible rewards. They’re not just trendy dogs. They’re special souls that become woven into your life in ways you couldn’t predict.

Long Story Short

From the day she arrived in October 2022 to now, Pumpkin has been more than just a pet. She’s been a teacher, a mother, and a constant source of joy. Her journey from a shy puppy to a proud mom of four (plus a bonus pup) has been full of memories we’ll never forget.

Pumpkin may not have been our first French Bulldog, but she was the first we knew was ours, our true keeper. She’s our precious girl, and her story is one we’ll cherish forever.

If you’ve ever thought about getting a French Bulldog or already have one of your own, you know how much personality and love they bring into your life. Pumpkin’s story is just one example, but to us, it’s everything.