CONTENTS
WELCOME TO POPEYE’S BIO
The biography of Popeye, our French bulldog. We wanted to write an article about him mainly to remember his joy, his good mood and above all his affection. He’s an integral part of our lives, yes, he’s our very own baby whom we love more than anything and who’s growing up with us.
THE FIRST TIME AT HOME WITH GRACE
Let’s start at the beginning: Popeye’s arrival in our home. I’d always wanted a French bulldog, because I really like this breed and it reminds me of myself: loves sleeping, eating, playing, cuddles and farting. I’ve always loved dogs and I hesitated between a French and an English bulldog.
After a lot of thinking and research, I decided to go for a French bulldog, which was the best choice for me.
FINDING A BREEDER
Everyone will have their own opinion on adopting from a shelter or a breeder. I’m no one to judge and I think everyone is free to choose what suits them best, that’s my philosophy. So we looked for a breeder that, for me, absolutely had to be 100% clean and respectful.
Without a second thought, the Ocres de Provence kennel was the obvious choice for me, because it’s very well known, with excellent reviews and magnificent bulldogs. So it was when we got back from Mexico that we looked into adoption, after a lot of thinking and above all the desire to have a French bulldog.
And then, to choose, we fell in love again with a video of the bulldogs, since the kennel is quite active on social media. We noticed a white baby bulldog with brown spots, a bit apart from the others, calm, gentle, with very big ears. And we told ourselves, without having seen him, that he was the one we wanted.
PICKING UP POPEYE
It was a long-awaited day, December 5, 2021, when Popeye became one of us. As soon as we saw him, it was love at first sight! We already knew it was him and that we were going to make him happy, very happy. His ears were so big compared to his little body, and he was quite shy at first. You should know that a French bulldog, or any other breed, is not something to take lightly: for me, it’s like a human, and he’ll be treated on the same level.
We picked him up as a family, and his name was already decided: I knew it was going to be Popeye! And looking back, it really suits him.
THE FIRST MEETING
He was just 3 months old when we picked him up. That’s the right age for a dog: he needs to have stayed long enough with his mother to be properly weaned, in good conditions. That was also a reason for choosing this kennel. The foundation of a well-balanced dog is giving the puppy the time it needs to be raised by its mother, and at some breeders, that’s not the case at all…
Off we went home on December 5, 2021, a date that will stay etched in my mind, where he would discover his new home and above all his new friend Grace, a 7-year-old Jack Russell. He wandered around the house, sniffed Grace and very quickly settled in, lying down in his basket and Grace’s. We’re lucky, he gets used to things quickly, but at first, when he doesn’t know a place, he’s quite fearful. You have to reassure him.
HIS FIRST NIGHT AT HOME
What I wanted, especially with a bulldog that snores a lot (it’s not a myth), was for him to sleep in the living room and not in the bedroom. The first night, I had to get up 2 or 3 times to make him understand that his bed was in the living room and that he had to stay there. So yes, it takes a bit of adjusting, but he did it like a champ and quickly settled in (too quickly, even) .
POPEYE’S TEENAGE YEARS UP TO 1 YEAR OLD
His body grew fast and he became muscular (all muscle). He’s a dog who loves tennis balls and plastic bottles. His ultimate pleasure? Destroying plastic bottle caps. His body became more and more in proportion with those 2-meter ears, even if they’re still big ears.
The first walks went pretty well, but he quickly started to become very difficult on walks. He runs everywhere, jumps everywhere, pulls all the time until he can’t breathe, even now and then. If you have any tips on this, I’m all ears, because nothing works.
He became more and more house-trained, even if he and cleanliness don’t really go together. He still has trouble letting us know he wants to go out. He just shows us, nothing more. It’s up to us to guess, he won’t scratch at the door.
THE FIRST TIMES ALONE
Now we come to a sensitive subject, which is no longer the case today. How can I put it: leaving him alone meant finding the house turned upside down. He chewed the chairs, lay on the sofa and played with Grace until the lamps fell over. Because yes, Popeye isn’t aware of his body or of the fact that he could die. For him, he’s the Hulk, when he’s not at all.
After a lot of effort and classes with a dog trainer, which I’ll come back to later, it was impossible to leave him loose, he caused carnage (that’s no longer the case today and it’s much better)!
POPEYE AND HIS MISCHIEF
To tell you the truth, Popeye and his endless mischief, we love him for it! He has a soft spot for wood now and then. He’s a French bulldog who loves getting up to mischief, just like his owners . He’s so gentle that he lets you do anything, never a growl, never any irritation, except with other dogs (we’re not really sure why…). As you can see, he’s quite a little character!
THE FIRST BATH
So yes, we take care of his skin and his folds, because with these breeds, if you’re not careful, the folds can get horrible. Popeye is like a woman, he needs his daily skincare routine. Good thing, he and Adeline at least understand each other.
Off to his first shower, obviously scared and not wanting to go at all. He’s still super gentle, though, because he doesn’t move and lets you do it. For me, this breed is super gentle and needs lots and lots of attention and love, that’s the basics. The bath goes well, but afterwards, you get water everywhere when he comes out of the shower.
HIS FIRST SUMMER
So yes, Popeye is a southern dog . He loves the sun, the heat (well, not too much, just enough) and rolling around on the terrace and in the grass. Once again, he’s not aware of the danger of the sun on his skin.
We wanted to try a dog pool, but well, that pool was a failure: Popeye doesn’t really like water, except puddles, which he throws himself into. So we quickly forgot that idea and preferred to keep rolling around on the grass and the terrace.
THE START OF HIS ADULT LIFE 
THE ARRIVAL OF THE CRATE FOR TIME ALONE
We had to buy a crate. I didn’t want a dog crate, I wanted to make a little bed for Popeye where he’d feel good. We had gone for a square baby playpen, wide enough for him to move around but not get out. Of course, he could jump over it (it was 70 cm, though). Sure enough, after a few minutes, we found him outside the crate making a mess again 
.
To fix that, we of course got a net on top to stop him from jumping . He tried to get through a few times, with many failures, but a few successes too . Let me remind you that Popeye is a big nutcase
HELP FROM A DOG TRAINER
With the difficult walks, the crazy chewer and, now and then, peeing everywhere (probably because of Grace), we thought why not get a dog trainer. At first, we called someone we found on Google Maps, and the day she came, Popeye peed on Grace. Anyway, an incredible scene, I’ll remember it all my life.
We didn’t really click with her, which is why we went with a second dog trainer, who was very different and managed to bring improvements. Well, not on everything, because walks are still a disaster, but on other points. The key takeaway is to train your dog earlier, because once he’s 1 year old, it gets very hard.
NEW YEAR’S DAY WITH THE FAMILY
It was our first New Year’s Day as a family spent with him, because last year we weren’t at home. We got to enjoy his company, put on his gorgeous colorful sweater that suits him perfectly, and create precious memories together! Family is very much there.
POPEYE AND OTHER DOGS
As for him, how can I put it, he only behaves well with Grace. All the other dogs, he thinks he can eat them up, even though he’s 1.20 m tall. In the end, he’s a mean dog with other dogs, but so adorable with humans. He’s never growled at anyone in his life and loves people. Anyway, I don’t think all French bulldogs are like that, but he’s a bit too antisocial.
POPEYE AND THE SHOWER
He’s starting to get used to showers, but for him, it’s still real torture to go. As you can see, he always goes reluctantly. That said, he’s still very gentle and lets you do it, even if he doesn’t like it. We try to wash him from time to time, because it doesn’t hurt him and it cleans his coat. After a few weeks or months, he ends up with a pretty strong smell, which isn’t very pleasant!
HIS JOIE DE VIVRE
As he grows up, Popeye is still very cuddly, full of energy, wanting to play, go for walks and above all enjoy the garden and his balls. Toys are very important to him; he’s just like a child: in a few minutes, the room is full of toys! Of course, at home he’s surrounded by his sidekicks, statues of all sizes, which he’s sometimes scared of. With his hipster side and his bandana, he’s a loyal dog who brings nothing but positivity into our lives.
A CHANGE OF LIFE
MOVING HOUSE
In 2023, we bought a house, which means moving. Honestly, he did great and once again settled in very quickly. He still has a crate where we’re trying little by little to give him more and more freedom without him destroying the house.
JUST LIKE A KID
With our new house and our respective jobs, we didn’t want to leave Popeye alone. That’s why, during the week, he spends 3 days at my mom’s and 2 days at Adeline’s grandparents’. That way, he’s never alone and never bored, especially when Grace is there to play with.
In the end, Popeye is like a child to us: instead of taking him to school, we take him to our family so he’s never alone and can share special moments.
