Anyone who has had the honor of meeting a French Bulldog, even for the briefest of time will appreciate that they are a breed of dog that loves to play. Whether it’s just running after a ball outside or running after your toes inside, despite the fact that they don’t need much exercise they sure do like to run around a lot!
So, how do you mix things up a bit? After a while, stuff just gets repetitive, right? Every so often you’re going to need to get them something new, both to keep things fresh for you and to give your little Frenchie a new challenge. Therefore, I set myself a little project.
I looked back over the years at all the toys I’ve used and other owners have too and I’ve compiled what I think is the best list of toys for a French Bulldog of all time.
The best French Bulldog toys are:
- Small Doggy Tennis Balls
- Dog Chew Toys
- Antler Dog Chews
- Interactive Woodland Burrow
- Interactive Ball Launcher
- Manual Ball Launcher
- Dog Food Snuffle Mat
Why is it so great? That’s a great question and the answer is simple. These are toys that come recommended by other owners and are classified as ‘awesome’ in my somewhat complex quantum-dogtoy-review-index.
I won’t bore you with the advanced mathematics that was involved to whittle down the millions of products available to the list that you see below. Just behold its glory.
Best Toys for French Bulldogs
1) Small Doggy Tennis Balls

We’ll start off with something simple. These small balls are perfect for your French Bulldog. There are some good reasons why this, rather simple product, has appeared on this list. What I like is this:
- Made from food-grade materials.
- Safe, so you don’t have to worry about her swallowing bits from it.
- Cheap – for what you’re getting, this product is as cheap as chips!
If you’d like to pick up some of these today, just here’s a link to see them on Amazon and you’ll be able to see why they get all such good reviews.
2) Dog Chew Toys
The French Bulldog, like many dog breeds actually, does not like being left alone for long periods of time. Actually, your Frenchie doesn’t like being left alone at all, so try and avoid it if you can! However, it’s not always as easy as that and sometimes your little naughty Bully will need to look after itself for an hour or two.
Now, unfortunately, what can happen is that they can suffer from separation anxiety after only a short amount of time. This then leads directly to destructive behavior. You’ll come back to everything having been chewed basically. Your sofa, your shoes, your remote control – in fact, anything that is in reach. So, the idea is to leave around other things that they can chew instead.
These dog chews were designed for the smaller dog so it will suit the French Bulldog very well. They are toxic-free (of course), should last a long time and can actually help your Frenchie’s teeth and also be used if they are prone to being a bit ‘bitey’.
The idea is to always have one of
3) Antler Dog Chews
Yes, yes – I know these are more dog chews (arguably, not toys – well, actually not arguably at all. They are not toys but I wanted to include them here because they are so awesome).
I hadn’t come across antler chews until recently and oh my word what a revelation! Your French Bulldog will love these and may go a little crazy after they first try them. Again, as per the above recommendation, these are great if you’re trying to train your Bully to stop biting as they’d much rather have a nibble on one of these than on your rather tasteless hand, I can assure you.
They come in all sizes but the ones I’m linking to here are ‘small’ of course as the large ones would be similar to your French Bulldog trying to suck on a tree.
If you haven’t tried Antler dog chews out before then you’re missing a lot – once you’ve tried them (well, once your Frenchie has tried them, not you!) you’ll be going back for more. The best source for these is over at Amazon, check them out here.
4) Interactive Woodland Burrow
I loved this toy for a few reasons but primarily because it will make your French Bulldog just think a little bit. Not only do you get the burrow but you get the three chipmunks (that squeak) also. Now, typically this kind of toy can be better for a larger dog but for me, this was an exception.
Yes, the burrow is about 14 inches in length but those little chipmunks are only around 3 inches so she’ll easily be able to grab those and run off with them. You’ll probably find them hidden away under the sofa in a couple of year’s time 🙂
The main burrow is quite large but your Frenchie actually has quite a large mouth (as you may have noticed) so won’t have any problem with that. Here’s a link to the current price on Amazon (opens in a new window) – there’s a very good reason that these are so very popular!
5) Interactive Ball Launcher
You really need to check this out. I have to admit I’m a bit of a geek, so when anything slightly-nerdy is an option I have to try it out (much to my wife’s despair). This automatic ball launcher for dogs is no exception. Firstly, the tennis balls are smaller than the normal tennis ball size so your French Bulldog will have no trouble in picking them up.
Next, you have the ability to change the distance it fires the ball from 10, 20 or up to 30 feet away – what this means (and why it works so well with the Frenchie) is that it can be used indoors also!
What happens is this, your dog will drop the ball into the top of the device and it shoots it out of the front. So, not only is it a physical activity but a mental one also. This product was developed by a small family start-up and I like that, let’s show them a bit of love.
Of course, it hardly needs saying but as it’s throwing these balls out of it you don’t want small children to get in the way and also you should ensure that your Frenchie doesn’t look down the throwing bit when it’s about to fire. So, it will need to be supervised but your dog will soon get the hang of it. You can see more about this on Amazon at this link.
6) Manual Ball Launcher
If you want a little more control over where your balls go (!) then maybe you’ll be more interested in this Nerf Launcher. You can use it with mini-balls so it’s great for your French Bulldog and will shoot that ball over 50 feet. The price is so cheap you’ll wonder how anyone can make any profit from it and it’s been around for some time and received some pretty good feedback from its users.
These things are great if you’ve got a problem with your throwing arm as it really makes things easier or you just want to make things a bit more fun outside (you need to be enjoying yourself as well as your dog!). Here’s a link to see this great ball launcher on Amazon (opens in a new window).
7) Dog Food Snuffle Mat
French Bulldogs are well known for gobbling their food down way too fast. This can cause problems with digestion and some rather unpleasant after-effects! The idea behind this mat is that it slows the eating process down. Obviously no good with wet food but for other stuff, like snacks, it works a treat and also gives your Bully a bit of exercise in the process.
Another reason why I liked this product is it is a good way to relieve boredom and reduce anxiety levels. As French Bulldog owners, we all know that they can suffer from separation anxiety if left on their own for a considerable amount of time.
This isn’t a solution for that (the solution is for you to never leave their sight!) but it may well help. It’s been well-designed also, with a non-slip base and little games within the mat that will make your Frenchie think as well as little pockets where you can hide treats for them to find. It’s really good fun watching them play with this. If you’d like to look further, then do check them out on Amazon here.
So, these are the toys I recommend at the moment and I will add to these as I come across new ones that I like. If you can recommend any then I’ve love to hear from you! Could you post a message in the comment below with your suggestion and I’ll happily include it!
In the meantime, check out my complete guide to French Bulldogs for everything you need to know about this fantastic breed!