French Bulldog

First imports

The breeding of the Frenchy had, at its root, almost entirely dogs imported directly from France.
The breed enjoyed an unprecedented success in the USA, having been disovered by the Americans at a time in which the Frenchy was unrecognised in its own country and in other countries was almost totally ignored, with few fans.
As it was unfashionable, this small French dog was of no commercial value. Had it not been for the enthusiasm of foreigners, who bought and showed an interest in them, the initial morphology would soon have been altered. However, whilst true that we owe the conservation and development of the breed to the Americans, the French breeders kept intact their idea of the breed, not allowing themselves to be influenced by outside pressures, so preserving the typical Frenchy type.
Mr George Phelps was one of the first Frenchy fans in the USA. During his first visit to France ( 1886-89) he was impressed by tales he heard about the breed, and when he returned in 1896 he decided to take back with him a number of dogs from which he could breed.
Disembarking in England he was to meet Mr. G. Krehl, a doglover who had been the first to import Frenchies to England in1893 ( later he was to show at the Kennel Club dogs called: Saint-Crispin, Lisette, Rayon d´or, Riquelle and Jean la Folle). Mr. E. Farman, another English doglover, called them "amusing little creatures recently imported from France". Mr. Krehl judged the Frenchy annually in Paris and gave to Mr. Phelps a letter of introduction to M.Boutroux, secretary of the Central Canine Society for the Imrovement of Dog Breeds. He also approached Dr Newburg, an English vet working at the Paris Show, who would help him in his search for good examples of the Frenchy. Armed with this information Mr. Phelps left England.
Fifteen years later he was to write in the "American Stockkeeper" the results of his search.
"M Boutroux, when asked about the origins of the French Bulldog, shrugged his shoulders, it was not possible to obtain serious and reliable imformation other than in the homes of the chimneysweeps and streetcleaners, Parisian Society had no interest in the breed , which was why it was only to be found amongst the "dregs" of the city. He changed his mind on this score, and is now(1910) Secretary of the French Bulldog Club in France, where Prince de Wagram is Honorary President, and James Gordon Bennet acting President."
It was then that, in the company of Dr. Newburg, Mr Phelps trawled the lowlife streets of Paris, choosing from amongst the dogs he saw Ninette and Monsieur Rabot. They had erect ears, were small, compact and brindle and probably weighed less than 20lbs.
He paid $50 the pair (255Fr. at that time).