Hi, I looked after a Russian bred Frenchie for collegues of my husband. I had the little tyke for three months and I would have to assume he came from a good Russian breeder because he was a robust healthy little monster. Frenchies are supposed to be people friendly but are a lot of dog in a little body and ready to take on another dog in the blink of an eye. Mikki was very aggressive with my Berners and amazingly agile, he could leap across a baby gate with enough power to shame most jumping dogs. I had to keep him in one of my big Vari-Kennels and take him out several times a day on his own and play with him. I taught him fetch but had to trade balls in order to get the first one back, no way could you get it from him otherwise. A well-known Canadian Frenchie breeder told me that his personality was typical for the breed. Great with people, scrappy with dogs. When they are fighting they are really focussed and humans will risk getting bitten. It was interesting living with Mikki but I wouldn't want one full-time.
Mikki was purchased from a Russian breeder directly and not through a pet market or store. Not a breed for the uneducated! Rose T. -----Original Message----- From: Sharon Montville [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: March 16, 2003 7:02 PM To: Berner-L Subject: Fw: Imported Dogs From: "Jannel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Fri Mar 14, 2003 9:34 pm Subject: Imported Dogs This was in The New York City Magazine on 3-10-2003. We are not the only breed having problems with imports. News >From Russia With Trouble Frenchies may be Steve Martin’s new best friends—but when these “It” dogs hail from Moscow, watch out! By Ethan Brown What Men in Black did for pugs and 101 Dalmatians did for the black-and-whites of the dog world, Steve Martin and Queen Latifah are about to do for French bulldogs, via the just-opened Bringing Down the House. But anyone who saw Martin mugging with a Frenchie on “Page 6” last week and is inspired to rush out and buy one should know that many of the current “It” dogs sold in pet stores and on the Internet come from Russia. And that can mean trouble. I should know: My seemingly healthy, one-year-old Russian French bulldog suddenly collapsed and died while playing with our pug not long ago. I later found out that I’m not alone: A growing number of New Yorkers who, like us, purchased a Frenchie shipped from Russia are experiencing dramatic health problems. The dogs are sold for up to $3,000, but that doesn’t compare with the money owners are shelling out for veterinary bills. “I spent $1,500 for surgery for a throat infection,” says Audra Allen of her Russian Frenchie, Wilbur. “And now I’m saving up for a $5,000 hip-replacement surgery.” Allen, who runs a doggy day-care service, bought Wilbur from a broker who put an ad in the Daily News. Russian Frenchies from disreputable dealers “are a major problem,” says Charlotte Creeley, founder of the French Bulldog Rescue Network, who knows of two other deaths and countless maladies. “A good deal of the dogs from Russia have no veterinary records. They’re often taken from their mother at four to five weeks, well before the eight to twelve weeks required for small dogs. This can lead to enormous health problems.” Creeley adds that some Russian dogs exhibit unusually aggressive behavior. “People expect a docile Frenchie, and they end up with a dog that’s more like a bull terrier.” That was certainly the case with our dog, whose run-ins with our pug reached the kind of violent denouements one would expect from a pit-bull fight. While there are U.S. laws regarding the health of imported animals, Creeley suspects that some Russian Frenchies are smuggled in. “The reputable Russian breeders,” she says, “are as eager to stop this as we are.” ---------------------------------------------------- Teton BMD Jannel Ohio ======================== Saw this and noticed that it was ok to cross-post; see the next message on this topic. Sharon Montville - Firstrax - Colorado __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Web Hosting - establish your business online http://webhosting.yahoo.com
