The breeds · side by side
for an apartment
French Bulldog or Boston Terrier.
Two flat-faced city dogs. Heat tolerance and the documented breathing burden are the lines that matter most, and they are the lines most buyers never see. Read them before the coat color.
Every value below shows its source and how sure we are. Breed sets the odds; the parents set the dog. Nothing here is a prediction about one dog.
What the question turns on
Heat tolerance
1 of 5 · Brachycephalic: the standard calls for an extremely short nose with heavy wrinkles over it. In UK primary care in 2016 the breed had one of the highest incidences of heat-related illness (0.18%, 95% CI 0.12-0.25, against 0.04% for all dogs) and was among nine breeds with significantly higher odds than Labrador Retrievers; brachycephalic dogs overall had 2.10 times the odds (95% CI 1.68-2.64) of mesocephalic dogs
2 of 5 · Coat: AKC, UKC and FCI 140 all describe a short, smooth, bright coat of fine texture. RKC (flat-faced dog health section, shown on the Boston Terrier page): dogs with a very flat face and short muzzle have a higher risk of breathing difficulties, heavy panting and noisy breathing. Boston Terrier Club of America: offered BOAS/RFGS breathing grading at its 2024 National (54 dogs: 42.6% grade 0, 35.2% grade 1, 20.3% grade 2, 1.8% grade 3; grades 0 and 1 clinically unaffected). Wikipedia (editorial): brachycephaly can cause hyperthermia because the dog cannot cool itself well by panting.
Exercise need
Up to 1 hour per day
Up to 1 hour per day (RKC band)
Median lifespan
9.8 years (9.4 to 10.1)
11.8 years (11 to 12.2)
Most common disorders
UK French Bulldogs under primary care in 2013 (n = 2,228; 72.4% with at least one disorder; median age 1.3 yr): otitis externa 14.0% (95% CI 12.6-15.5), diarrhoea 7.5%, conjunctivitis 3.2%, nails overlong 3.1%, skin fold dermatitis 3.0%; by group, cutaneous 17.9%, enteropathy 16.7%, aural 16.3%, upper respiratory tract 12.7%, ophthalmological 10.5%
Wikipedia (editorial) names brachycephalic airway syndrome (stridor, noisy breathing, hyperthermia, anaesthetic risk), skin fold dermatitis, hereditary cataracts, patella problems that can cause a roached back, atopic dermatitis and demodicosis, and says over 80% of litters in a UK Kennel Club survey were delivered by caesarean section and that Boston bitches were 12.9 times more likely to have dystocia. RKC: breathing grading (BOAS) and a hereditary cataract DNA test (HC-HSF4) are listed in its health schemes. AKC CHIC list (parent club): patella, ophthalmologist and BAER hearing tests.
Weight
27.4 lb (24.3 to 30.9)
6 to 25 lb
The rest, read the same way
Height at the shoulder
12 in (11 to 13)
9 to 15 in
Coat
Brilliant, short and smooth; skin soft and loose, especially at the head and shoulders, forming wrinkles; coats other than short and smooth disqualify. White, cream, fawn or combinations, with brindle, piebald, black mask, black shading and white markings; solid black, black and tan, blue, liver, merle and the rest disqualify
AKC: short, smooth, bright and fine in texture; brindle, seal or black with white markings (brindle preferred only if all else is equal); required markings are a white muzzle band, a white blaze between the eyes and a white forechest; solid colors and unlisted colors disqualify. UKC: short, smooth, bright, fine; same colors, with gray or liver and albinism disqualifying. FCI 140: short, smooth, bright, fine; same colors and markings. RKC: short coat.
Shedding
Sheds (RKC 'Sheds: yes'); short smooth coat
RKC: sheds (yes). AKC breed page: shedding level 2 of 5.
Life expectancy at birth
4.5 years (4.1 to 5.0)
Not recorded for this breed yet.
What it costs
Embrace (Q2 2025): an average cost PER CLAIM of approximately $490, not a lifetime total. The release says French Bulldogs continue to generate some of the highest average claim costs at Embrace, had the most allergy claims of any breed that quarter, and cites a single BOAS claim of $30,327
Not recorded for this breed yet.
Exercise need
Up to 1 hour per day
RKC: up to 1 hour per day; a flat or apartment suits, with a small to medium garden. Boston Terrier Club of America: very active dogs that love to play and will not do as outdoor dogs. AKC breed page: energy level 4 of 5, mental stimulation needs 3.
Energy
3 of 5
Boston Terrier Club of America: very active dogs that love to play; they were bred to be companions, need a lot of time and attention, and will languish without human contact. Without basic training they may jump and nip in play. AKC breed page trait scores: energy level 4 of 5, playfulness 5, trainability 4, affectionate with family 5. Wikipedia (editorial): eager to please and easy to train, quiet and suited to apartments.
Grooming load
2 of 5 · Once a week (RKC grooming band); coat length short; sheds
2 of 5 · Once a week (RKC grooming band); coat length short; sheds
Grooming
Once a week
RKC: once a week, short coat. AKC breed page: coat grooming frequency 2 of 5, drooling level 1 of 5.
Why they get given up
The national breed rescue says its dogs come from owners who can no longer care for them for any reason, from shelters and humane societies, from breeders retiring dogs, from puppy mills, as strays, and from authorities in abuse or neglect cases; it notes many surrendered dogs have not done well with children
Boston Terrier Club of America: some Bostons have been given up for adoption or dropped at the pound because untrained dogs jump on people and give little nips in play, and because the breed needs a lot of time and attention and cannot live outside.
Role
Companion: the standard describes well behaved, adaptable and comfortable companions with an affectionate nature and even disposition, generally active, alert and playful but not unduly boisterous. Descended from the toy Bulldogs that Nottingham lace workers took to northern France in the 1850s (UK registry history)
A companion. FCI 140 utilization: companion. UKC: an American breed, a down-sized version of the bull-and-terrier types; early names included Round-headed Bull and Terriers and Bullet Heads. RKC: named for Boston, the smallest of the bull breeds, descended from Hooper's Judge (a Bulldog and English White Terrier cross born in Liverpool); the first club was founded in the 1890s. Boston Terrier Club of America: bred in the US from the English Bulldog and the white English Terrier and bred to be companions, 'the American Gentleman'; AKC recognition in 1893. Wikipedia (editorial): bred down from fighting dogs of the bull and terrier types.
Hip dysplasia
33.1% · 33.1% dysplastic of 5,175 OFA hip evaluations on record (all data through Oct 2026); 64.9% normal (3.1% excellent, 38.3% good, 23.4% fair); mild 22.3%, moderate 8.5%, severe 2.3%; breed rank 25 of the breeds listed; dogs born 2021-2023: 32.6% dysplastic of 1,364
12.5% · 12.5% dysplastic of 599 OFA hip evaluations on record (current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026); 86.0% normal; mild 9.3%, moderate 2.7%, severe 0.5%; breed rank 106. Wikipedia (editorial) cites a North American hospital-records study of almost 10,000 Boston Terriers with 0.36% hip dysplasia against 3.52% overall.
Elbow dysplasia
7.5% · 7.5% abnormal of 2,136 OFA elbow evaluations on record (grade 1 6.3%, grade 2 1.1%, grade 3 0.1%); breed rank 60
4.6% · 4.6% abnormal of 108 OFA elbow evaluations on record (current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026); 95.4% normal; grade 1 2.8%, grade 2 1.9%, grade 3 0.0%; breed rank 88
What to ask a breeder for
Clearances
- Patella evaluation, hip evaluation, cardiac exam and ophthalmologist evaluation (AKC/CHIC listing of the parent club's recommended tests) · US
- Recommended (not CHIC-required): thyroid, juvenile hereditary cataract DNA test (reported as HSF4-1), tracheal hypoplasia, elbow dysplasia, Respiratory Function Grading Scheme, cystinuria type 3 · US
- Cardiac evaluation: basic (auscultation) or advanced (echocardiogram), registered with OFA (CHIC requirement) · US
- Patellar luxation veterinary evaluation, registered with OFA (CHIC requirement) · US
- Eye examination by a DACVO, registered with OFA; annual recertification recommended (CHIC requirement) · US
- Hip dysplasia evaluation (CHIC requirement) · US
- Hip scoring (best practice) · UK
- Eye testing (best practice) · UK
- Elbow scoring (best practice) · UK
- DNA (best practice): hereditary cataracts (HC-HSF4-2) · UK
- Breathing test for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) under the Respiratory Function Grading Scheme (good practice) · UK
- BAER hearing test · US
- Ophthalmologist evaluation · US
- Patella evaluation · US
- Breathing (BOAS) respiratory function grading · UK
- Hereditary cataracts (HC-HSF4) DNA test · UK
- Eye testing · UK
The health clearances each breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.
The selector
Which one, for your life?
A few minutes of honest answers: the birds, the ground, the water, the house, the week. The selector ranks both of these against what you said, explains every rank, and shows exactly where the one you came in wanting lands.
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