Where Frenchie lovers reign

When Linus was very young, say around two months old, I took him downtown to Triangle Park during a community event that attracted a large crowd. A grown man, intrigued by Linus' bat ears, asked to pet Linus. He squatted down low, with a look of apprehensive confusion, to greet my puppy. He stood with the same look of confusion, slightly altered by the obvious delight my puppy impresses upon those he meets. As the man walked away, I almost winced when heard him call back to me: "That sure is a funny looking Chi-waa waa."

In New York, purebred dogs are such a common occurence that people rarely mistake the increasingly popular French bulldog for another breed when one waddles down a busy street. I know what you're thinking, some of that big city snot has rubbed off on me this weekend. But most of the French bulldog owners I encountered were very down-to-earth people who were tickled to share the commonalities of French bulldog ownership: the weird noises, the constant attitude, the fearlessness of dogs twice their size. NYC Frenchie owners have the same high standards that I do for their bulldog, which include health, happiness, social interaction and human affection. These sort of dog owners really do see their dog as a member of the family, which is why they stress over details involving their dog's nutrition, daycare and grooming. In this overwhelming, fast-paced, diverse city, this is something I can undoubtedly relate to.

(Left) Little Baguette, a New York Frenchie, plays in Central Park. Her parents let us in on the Jumping Bulldog and the booming French bulldog community in Astoria, Queens, NYC.

(Right) Baguette shows off her personality playing with some sizeable German Shepherds.

So when I discovered a community full of these people, located in Queens, I jumped at the chance to know more. In fact, the pet store that unites this community is called the Jumping Bulldog, named after the owner's own Frenchie. Although my schedule did not allow a trek from Brooklyn to this Frenchie Utopia in Queens (we had determined over an hour train ride on Sunday), I looked up a New York Times article on the Jumping Bulldog that describes this community, which includes an estimated 32 French bulldogs. These New Yorkers turned to the French bulldog for the same reasons as I had, which included their adaptability to apartment living, their resistance to making noise and their sweet smushed faces.

To me, The Jumping Bulldog community of Astoria is like my version of Never Never Land. Perhaps the puppy version of Tinkerbell could come sprinkle me and Linus with pixie dust and we could fly away to Astoria, where Frenchie lovers reign. I become envious and dreamy when I think about living in a community where seeing a French bulldog and a friendly owner on the sidewalk is just as common as seeing any other breed. But what's more inspiring about this group is the sense of unity that bulldog owners derive from the interactions they have at the Jumping Bulldog. It's the kind of unity and closeness that gives dog owners, who deal with the same struggles, questions and concerns, a supportive environment that can't be developed at a Petsmart. I can imagine this community sparks human friendships and creates a comfort in a daunting city where individuality and self-reliance is key. I extend a warm thanks to all local community-oriented pet shops that seek to unify all breeds of dogs. Perhaps one day I'll be able to visit this dream land where nobody would every mistake my bulldog for a "Chi-waaa waaa."