Photography--not as easy as you think!

So, you think you'd like to take a nice photo of your daughter and a foster frenchie who has come by for the weekend to get some experience with kids and other frogs. He's a great guy, name of Tobee, and you think his lovely blond coat will look great with your own little girl's cornsilk hair.

And you are right, it's a good photo. Easy as pie, easy as falling off a log, no problemo, any fool could do it. Right?


HA!

Let us examine the other photos you took before you got to good.

First of all, where did that paw come from? Tobee is supposed to be a healthy, happy Frenchie, not some mutant beast with a leg sticking out of his neck. Also, your little model daughter has got that mischief in her eye that is not what you want. You want sweet and darling and the Platonic ideal of sugar and spice. You are getting something more like everyday hoyden and normal child. Dang it! Try again.


Just as you snap the photo, your healthy young Frenchie and adorable child model unexpectedly get the silly giggles and there goes your hope for a posed and pretty photograph to send to your friends and family. Oh, well. Your triptych may not be what you wanted, but it might be even better. It's true and it's honest.

For most of us, those are the shots we love best when we are looking at our photos many years after they've been taken. Posed and pretty is nice, but catching the silly mid-giggle is much better, believes

The Frog Princess

Adoption Fees Waived in Saint Bernard Parish, LA

Extremely overcrowded conditions have inspired the Saint Bernard Parish Animal Shelter to offer its dogs and cats to the public without any adoption fee, through Monday. Here's more information on the shelter: http://wwl.com/Free-pet-adoptions-through-Monday-in-St--Bernard-P/3158674 and the location and on the adoption drive.

October is Adopt a Shelter Dog month. If you are in the area and have been considering expanding your family, check out the Saint Bernard Parish shelter's critters.

The Frog Princess

Andre

Andre is one of the Canada dogs we brought in following their owner's decision to get out of French bulldog breeding. His foster dad has been great about sending pictures and updates, but this is the first note he sent about Andre.

This is Andre when we picked him up. He looks so worried, poor boy!



"The bad:
I suspect esophogus or soft pallate problems as he has a tough time breathing when excited. When calm he is fine.
He has what I suspect may be a fairly major back issue as he walks better than Haricot but worse than Brook, so somewhere in between.
He stinks, oh I already said that!
He had a untreated hematoma in his left ear and it is flopped
His ears are both infected and very close to being closed. They are in very bad shape. I gave them a good wipe just on the outside nd couldn't believe what was in
the wash cloth. We'll work on them tomorrow when he settles a bit.



Not at all housebroken and peed in his crate a few times coming home, maybe marking?
His feet are a mess and nails need done.
He must be 35 lbs., thus the name Andre as in Andre the Giant of WWF fame, he was French too!
Did I say he stinks?

The Good
He loves people and my dogs.
I've had great success on leash with him and he comes right along but some things do freak him out!


These two photos are of Andre after a week in his new foster home, learning how to walk on grass and getting comfortable in the company of other dogs. Doesn't he look happy? Gosh, he's handsome.

He is just a giant love bug.
He has tried every toy he has seen!
He's going to smell better tomorrow if it kills me!"

We'll wager he's smelling like lavender and sandalwood, a lovely scent on manly frogs like Andre!

The spot on his cheek makes him seem so dashing--like a fencing scar on a 19th century Heidelberg student!*

A sucker for the naughty ones, is

The Frog Princess

Today's fun fact to know and tell: According to Wikipedia, the term for a fencing scar is "Schmiss" ("smite")>

Princess Periwinkle Makes a Conquest

FBRN was delighted to take in three dogs from a breeder getting out of Frenchies in Canada. Princess Periwinkle is one of them, and this first photo was taken on the night she was picked up. Poor girl was very frightened.

But here are the happy reports we received this week from her foster mom: "So Princess Periwinkle has arrived! She is the funniest Frenchie I have ever seen! Her breathing is atrocious and she needs a bath and her ears cleaned and her nails cut! and to be spayed! LOL! Other than that she is perfect! She did a little happy dance after she peepee'd in the back yard! GOOD GIRL!





I am going to try and get her into the vet tomorrow. If all is well maybe we can get her nares done when she is spayed? Her breathing terrifies me!"

"Our little Peri is settling in nicely. I am getting used to her breathing and don't get up in the nite to make sure she is ok!! Out vet visit went ok; she was terrified, but had her first booster, and nails clipped, ears cleaned, etc.




She is getting the potty training and really just wants to please. She is great with other dogs and me but is really afraid of strangers. That will pass as she gets more confident! Her little wiggle and big smile is going to win the hearts of many!"


"Well she has chosen her new boyfriend and a good choice it is! STANIMAL!!! She is following him everywhere! so cute!"

We are so happy to see that Princess Peri is learning her way around her new apartments. And the consort she has chosen? Oh, my! Yes, the girl does have good taste, agrees

The Frog Princess

Who is THIS?

Guess who? Who is this beautiful red-haired vixen? She's very elegant and grown-up, isn't she? You'd hardly recognize her from her earliest photos.













This week, Roma is making her public debut at the French bulldog specialty in Kansas, where she's making friends and breaking hearts!







Here she is helping to make a sale at the FBRN table. Who do you think could resist that incentive?

Certainly not
The Frog Princess

Pancho!

Hold on to your hats, people. We are about to roll out some capital c Cute!

This is Pancho.



He's a five month-old puppy surrendered because his owner was told that he had cherry eye and would always have eye problems. So far, we've seen no evidence of cherry eye, but it is clear to the meanest intelligence that this boy is going to have ongoing problems with frenzied frenchie fans!




Oh, yes, he is. Do you see how he scatters the toys all around and then climbs up and gives you The Look? The Who Me #4, that's what we call that one. In an earlier post, you saw Beignet deliver The Who Me #7, but Pancho is here showing off the classic #4.

Did you know that all French Bulldog puppies are provided with a pamphlet and DVD with both written and visual instructions on how to get out of a jam using the power of cuteness? Well, it's true. It's just one of the reasons why resistance is futile.

Note the head tilt, the perky tailio, the slightly pursed lips and the direct gaze? That's the #4, all right. Perfect execution!

In this final photo, you see Pancho receiving coaching and advice from his foster Auntie, Mildred. We like to see a young pup so clearly expressing respect and attention to his elders and betters. Auntie Mildred is a past-master at manipulating her people into providing her with pretty much any daggone thing she can dream up.

By the time young Pancho is ready for his forever family, he'll have absorbed a whole lot of those secrets, but we are pretty sure Mildred has forgotten more about getting her way and making her people think it was their own idea than the adorable Pancho will ever know.

That's the way it is with us Frenchie girls, smirks

The Frog Princess

Renne on the Road!

From time to time it is necessary to move one of our foster frogs from one region to another.


Maybe we are out of homes in one area, or maybe the foster dog needs something that only a home in a faraway place can offer. Last week, young Renne, a pretty little thing in our care, had to move from North to South in kind of a hurry. We put out a call for transportation, and what do you know, but one of our most active foster families was on vacation and planning to travel in the area and then down southward to a spot where they could meet Renne's foster family.

We think this is the first time one of our fosters has ever been transported in a Harley Davidson sidecar! Enjoy the photos and the captions from Renne's temporary foster mom:
Just starting out! Man, what a ride!





Here we are, sightseeing.

















The bikers loved me!













It was really funny when Mommy fell down the hill and ripped her pants -- she was lucky she only scraped her knee!











I had a blast! they even let me play in the water under the bridge..

Frenchie kisses,

Renne

We asked whether Renne got to wear her own goggles and a helmet, but her foster mom said that when the dogs ride in the sidecar, they always like to curl up and go to sleep. The cover gets snapped on completely or a part is left open so mom can check in on them. Renne LOVED riding in the sidecar! She is a really-truly biker chick!

Here's a photo of Renne after she arrived in her final foster home.


She looks so happy! Maybe she's thinking there'll be another road trip coming up. She's a hog dog, all right, concludes

The Frog Princess

Gumbeaux, Waterbaby

Looks like that silly Gumbeaux has been in the okra again! Look at this nutbar! He will not suffer a hose to live!



"Well, I found out today that Beaux loves the hose. I was cleaning out the baby pool and he kept barking at the water. I started spraying the ground and he went crazy. He absolutely loves playing in the water even if he doesn't like his baths. Here are some pictures we took of him."



He's a courageous young bullfrog, going after that hose even when the water has got to be shooting directly into his little brain! marvels

The Frog Princess

Beignet is a Baaaaad Dog!

No, she's not! She's just a typical young frog! Here's a note from her doting foster mom about a day in the life:



"Do puppies go through the “terrible twos”? Or maybe she’s just become too comfortable? ACK! She’s a trip.



She is in time-out more than my 3yo daughter! Hahaha Jumping on the table, biting the ankles of the blind Bulldog, sneaking UNDER the baby gate to get to the “kitty roca”, chewing up the sandbox toys, opening the fireplace screen to play in the ashes! And here I thought my house was baby-proofed! She must think her name is “Beignet-NO!” or “Beignet-DROP IT!” or “Beignet-DOWN!” hahaha



She keeps me on my toes and is a little hand shy and sensitive so I try not to yell at her too much. Redirection seems to work pretty well. No potty accidents this week. I’ll share a pic of her with her buddy Reece and another one with the soot all over her!"

Sooty or sleepy, she's cute as a BUG! observes
The Frog Princess

Prince Harry

See if you can wrap your brain around this: You have to move. Maybe your mortgage gets foreclosed on, maybe you have to duck out from under a loanshark, possibly you don't want your local law enforcement to know you have skipped out from under your bail, but you have to leave your home. You pack up your things, you load up the car, you buckle the kids in and you lock the door. You drive away. You leave the disposables you aren't going to need or don't have room for in the house for somebody else to clean up and dispose of: old clothes, food in the pantry, the dog.



Yep. The dog. Meet Prince Harry, a dog who was driven away from. Fortunately, he was found before he starved to death or died of dehydration.

Just when we are convinced we've heard the worst humanity has to offer, we learn of a new low for humankind to sink to. Isn't it good to know there are folks out there striving to be first at something, even if it's the race to win the Sleazy Human award? Move over, Michael Vick. If we ruled the world, you'd be sharing a cell with Prince Harry's former people.

Prince Harry's foster mom sent this to us shortly after Prince Harry arrived:

Here is my very first little foster Frenchie, Prince Harry. He is indeed a Prince of Frenchies. I am in love with this little guy. He is only about 1 yr old and the perfect little dog. Found as a stray... he had been abandoned in his house by his previous owners. He was neutered and micro chipped, but they just did not want him. Horrible. But his future is bright because he will find a great new home. My whole family loves this little guy and he gets along with the other big and small dogs in my home. That is such a blessing. So happy to have him right now even if it is only for a short time. It will be hard to let this one go. He is so precious. I can see why folks are nuts about this little breed."

He is a precious boy. And he was left to rot by people who were unworthy of him.

We have a bookmark with a rather ugly sentiment on it. The remark is attributed to Mme de Stael, but there are many days we think most rescue volunteers could heartily agree with these words: "The more I see of [humanity], the more I like dogs."

Who calls 'em like she sees 'em?

The Frog Princess

Merlot at Home

Merlot's new family sent an update to the volunteer who did their home visit. Though this family had applied before and not been selected, they kept at it and when the
perfect match came along, they were johnny-on-the-spot! Here's what Merlot's new life is like:

"Lolo is adapting sooo well to city life! She gets along great with every dog we see. She hasn't shown any signs of aggression yet, and her foster mom never once saw that behavior either (she has 6 Frenchies!), so who knows. She is so perfect, so we just figure it was her previous owner's loss and our gain! We love her more than anything and can't imagine why anyone would ever want to get rid of her.

LoLo loves the cool weather! She wants to run and play now that it's not hot. She's so cute! I really think she is so happy with us. She gets non-stop love and attention at all times! She curls up between [us] every evening when we're hanging out watching tv. She sleeps right in between us every night, too. She has started playing with stuffed animals (which I guess she never really did before). She thinks she's a retriever! We throw a stuffed animal from the living room into the back bedroom on the bed and she literally flies across the apartment and fetches the stuffie and races back to give it to us. She's hilarious! She always keeps us so entertained! Our lives must have been so dull and boring before her!"

Yup. Folks who live without Frenchies live in a black and white world. Sure, black and white has its charms, but just like when Dorothy opens the door to Oz, you really see what you've been missing when the Frenchie shows up and the Technicolor comes on! We're delighted to know that Merlot has fallen into her own wonderful dreamworld.

There's no place like home! agrees
The Frog Princess

Why Is This Frog Smiling?

Today the blog has had its 300,000th hit! The blog has been around a little more than 2 years and Smeagol wanted to stop by in his beautiful Puppia harness to say "Thanks for all the visits!"

We also wish to thank the many supporters and volunteers of FBRN for your comments and encouragement. It's always fun to see how far and wide the blog reaches, and we really enjoy getting comments and hearing from readers.

We couldn't do it without our wonderful foster families, transporters and adopters who send us photos and write in with stories of our dogs. And we wouldn't do it without our ridiculous and beloved French bulldogs, who are the reason we all come together.

With appreciation to everyone who has found their way here, accidentally or on purpose, from

The Frog Princess

Ollie Ollie Oxen Free!

Would you look at this poor guy's skin? Doesn't it look hot and painful? Itchy! It's a bad case of demodex, and he's being treated for it, but gee whiz! owchie mamma! His name is Ollie and here is the note we received when he came to us last week:

"Ask you and you shall receive...info about Ollie. We picked him up yesterday afternoon. He was an owner surrender. He is about 11 months old and is full of Frenchie puppiness. My husband has taken to calling him the "mangy beast." He does have Demo mange, but does have some hair. He is a stinky little frog, but he's just so darn cute. He loves the other dogs, and the fact that they are about 40lbs. bigger than him, he could care less. He just gets on the couch to make up for their height advantage. He eats like a champ. As for the cats, he can't quite figure them out. It's a cross between being scared of them and thinking that they should play with him (they are his size, so how dare they not play : ) ). He is potty trained and goes to the door when he needs to go out. We are working on the crate training. He knows what it is, and actually slept most of the night, but he just hasn't learned to love it yet.


Other than his mange he does not seem to have any other health problems. I'll find out more when he goes to the vet later on this week. That's pretty much all we know about Ollie right now, he's still settling in."

Would you believe a cutie pie like this guy has received exactly zero sponsorships at the time of this writing? Nary a lonely one! You know times are hard when a boy as cute and needy as this has no one in his corner.

Well, no one but the volunteers of FBRN and
The Frog Princess

PS Did you know October is "Adopt a Dog" month? When you consider adopting your next dog, why not check out your local shelter first? Your ideal dog might be waiting for you in a shelter in your own home town!

Iris

We got a wonderful note updating us on Iris, one of the TX 12 mom dogs. She's undergoing heartworm treatment, which requires that the dog remain kenneled or very quiet. Here's the note:
"Just wanted to send out a quick update on Iris. She is doing GREAT! She is in the midst of her HW treatment and has been a real trooper. She is a pretty calm dog so we let her hang around the house instead of being in her kennel 24/7. She sleeps mostly and takes walks around the yard. She is truly a great dog. She will make her forever family SO happy!

On another note, any of you who might have seen her or remember her pictures may remember that her coat was very sparse and sort of funky. As you can see in these pics her coat is looking BEAUTIFUL! In addition she has gained some weight and isn't that awkward bobble-head dog that she used to be!

Check her out... she is hot stuff!"

She's just like the girl from Ipanema: "And when she passes, each frog she passes, goes 'aaaaaaaah'"

She looks strong and brave! A bit like a younger, more brindle

Frog Princess

Goku!

Goku is one of our newest additions to the foster roster. At 33 pounds, she's a family-size frenchie, but we are sad to say she's really a one-person girl. For the last two years, her dad has been trying to make peace between Goku and his girlfriend and her tween daughter, but to no avail. Goku was surrendered in hopes she could find happiness with a new family.

Alas! Though Goku has bonded well with her foster mom, the husband and kids are personae non gratae in Goku's universe! She growls and makes ugly faces at other members of the family, including her foster sibling. We'll be doing our best to make a change in Goku while she's in foster care.
On a happy note, she loves to go for walks and she is good as can be with her foster mom. She's loving and attentive and wants to please.
Keep your eye on her, and keep a good thought that she'll be able to overcome her jealous streak!

The Frog Princess

Tyson Models Shopping Mall Swag!

Tyson, the handsome and toothy frogboy from North Carolina, here appears as FBRN spokesmodel, showing off some of the fabu new items from the FBRN Shopping Mall.


First, take a look at this warm and cozy Fido Fleece jacket Tyson has on! It's one of a wide variety of colors and patterns available and you will doubtless find one to set off your brindle, cream, pied, or fawn frog to his or her best advantage! We love that the coats open up the back for quick and no-fuss dressing. For more variety, styles and colors, we offer Canine Casual coats, as well.





This fall, we are offering lots of new colors of the very popular and stylish Puppia soft harnesses. Many of our FBRN volunteers prefer these for frenchies because, first of all, they are sooo good looking, but also the harness offers protection to frog throats that may already be narrow or constricted. They are particularly suited to car trips, so any quick stops may jerk the harness, instead of a neck collar.

We love these funny little wool toys! Made of New Zealand wool, the toys are fashioned by hand by Nepalese women. A portion of each sale is used to fund a local orphanage. The company is called Cheerful Pet. We have lots of different kinds of these toys. One of our volunteers has had one of the toys resist annihilation for over a year--a very good record considering the "death to stuffies!" philosophy held by many of our frenchie friends!

Frenchies are deeply invested in the Green movement! Tyson supports buying Green and organic, too, as you can see in this photo where he poses with a Fido bunny! These are made of organic materials and they are very soft and smooshy. Best of all, they are free of oddball toxins you'd never dream could end up in your dog's toys.

Cool weather is here and colder weather is right around the corner. Christmas is coming, too! If you know you are going to need some things for your favorite frog, why not take advantage of our free shipping within the US and pile up some swag?

Your frenchie will be happy, FBRN will be happy, and you'll be happy! croaks
The Frog Princess