What You Receive With Every Puppy
When you reserve a French Bulldog puppy through our network in Texas, Oklahoma, or New Mexico, you're not just receiving a companion—you're receiving documentation, health records, and guarantees that protect your family and your investment. Here's exactly what arrives with every puppy, what each document means, and the questions you should ask before you commit.
Veterinary Health Certificate
Every puppy leaving a breeder's care must be examined by a licensed veterinarian within 10 days of travel. This isn't optional—it's required by interstate health regulations and enforced by the USDA.
Your puppy's health certificate should include:
- The veterinarian's license number and clinic contact information
- A thorough physical examination confirming the puppy is free from contagious disease
- Verification of age, weight, and microchip number
- The DVM's signature and state-issued stamp
We require this certificate from every breeder in our network, whether they're listed as New, Trusted, Verified, Health Certified, Elite, or Hall of Fame tier. If a breeder tells you a health certificate isn't necessary because they're "local" or because "the puppy is healthy," walk away. Licensed veterinary oversight is non-negotiable.
Comprehensive Puppy Exam Summary
Beyond the travel certificate, you should receive a detailed exam summary that documents:
- Heart auscultation results (murmurs, arrhythmias)
- Respiratory assessment (especially critical in brachycephalic breeds)
- Nares evaluation (open vs stenotic)
- Soft palate assessment where possible
- Patella examination (signs of luxation)
- Umbilical hernia check
- Bite alignment and palate closure
- Skin and coat condition
This summary often comes from an earlier wellness visit, typically around 6-8 weeks of age. It provides baseline health data your own veterinarian will reference during your puppy's first exam.
Vaccination Records
French Bulldog puppies should receive their first combination vaccine (DHPP or DA2PP) between 6-8 weeks of age, with boosters every 3-4 weeks until 16 weeks. Your puppy should arrive with documentation showing:
- Vaccine manufacturer and product name
- Date administered
- Administering veterinarian or clinic
- Next booster due date
Puppies leaving between 8-12 weeks typically have one or two rounds complete. No reputable breeder sends a puppy home before 8 weeks, and most in our network wait until 9-10 weeks to ensure proper socialization with littermates.
Ask specifically: "Which vaccines has this puppy received, and when is the next round due?" Your own vet will build on this schedule, not restart it.
Deworming Protocol
Intestinal parasites are common in young puppies, even in pristine kennels. Responsible breeders deworm at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks using products like pyrantel pamoate or fenbendazole.
Your paperwork should list:
- Deworming medication used
- Dates administered
- Dosage by weight
If deworming records are absent or vague ("we dewormed sometime in June"), that's a red flag. Parasite control is basic husbandry, and documentation should be straightforward.
Microchipping
Every puppy in our network is microchipped before leaving the breeder, typically during a veterinary visit between 6-8 weeks. You'll receive the 15-digit microchip number and instructions for registering it in your name.
Verify the chip is registered to the breeder initially—this protects you if the puppy is lost during travel or transition. Transfer registration to your name within 48 hours of receiving your puppy. Most registries (AKC Reunite, HomeAgain, PetLink) charge a small fee, but it's the single most effective way to ensure your dog's return if lost.
DNA Color Panel
For French Bulldogs carrying rare colors—lilac, blue, merle, Isabella—breeders often provide DNA color panel results from labs like Animal Genetics, UC Davis VGL, or Embark. These panels confirm genotype (at/at, d/d, co/co) and validate the advertised color.
This matters because color affects price significantly, and without genetic proof, you're relying solely on the breeder's word. Health Certified, Elite, and Hall of Fame breeders in our network routinely test and provide results. If you're paying a premium for color, request panel results before committing.
Parent Health Testing
This is where breeder tiers diverge most clearly. Minimum health testing for French Bulldog parents should include:
- OFA or PennHIP hip evaluation
- OFA cardiac exam (congenital heart disease screening)
- OFA patella evaluation (luxating patella screening)
- CERF or OFA eye exam (juvenile cataracts, cherry eye predisposition)
Advanced breeders—particularly those in our Health Certified, Elite, and Hall of Fame tiers—also pursue BOAS (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome) functional grading and expanded genetic disease panels screening for degenerative myelopathy, hyperuricosuria, and CMR1 (canine multifocal retinopathy).
Parent test results should be available for review before you reserve. If a breeder says "our dogs are health tested" but can't produce OFA numbers or lab reports, assume testing hasn't occurred.
Written Health Guarantee
Every breeder in our network provides a written health guarantee covering congenital and hereditary conditions for a minimum of one year. Stronger guarantees extend to two years and cover hip dysplasia, cardiac defects, and patella luxation grade 3 or higher.
Read the guarantee carefully. It should specify what conditions are covered, the claim process, whether remedy is refund or replacement, and what your obligations are (typically a vet exam within 72 hours and annual follow-ups).
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These documents form the foundation of responsible breeding and transparent transactions. When everything is in order, you move forward with confidence. When pieces are missing, you ask questions—or you walk away.