This Christmas will be spent just like the last – me, my boyfriend and my French bulldog, cooped up together in our London flat. Ever since buying him in October 2020 as a lockdown puppy, Grant (the Frenchie in question) has become a key part of our family. Due to once again being separated from my family in Scotland thanks to Covid, he will be providing some much-needed festive cheer.

I have even contemplated buying him a special Fortnum & Mason dog stocking (£21.95) before dismissing that on the grounds of being a bit too ridiculous. And yet such is the strength of the bond that we French bulldog owners feel to our pets. 

It is why reports warning owners about potential health problems suffered by the species will, in all likelihood, have little effect in diminishing demand for these wonderful creatures.

The latest news, published this week by researchers from the Royal Veterinary College, found Frenchies are at a significantly higher risk of 20 of the most common disorders suffered by dogs. The researchers, who analysed the health records of 24,631 canines — including 2,781 French bulldogs – recommended people should stop buying flat-faced breeds altogether.

But what detractors of the Frenchie miss out is what incredible dogs they are. Grant, for example, is beautifully sweet, relaxed, and certainly not in any pain. 

And he has been vital for my mental health. Having lived through many months of lockdown with Grant raising my spirits, I am not surprised at the findings of a new report in Singapore that revealed 89 per cent of people say their pets have had a positive impact on their mental health during the pandemic.

I have to admit that I wasn’t initially enthused about the idea of a French bulldog. My family have always had country dogs such as Labradors but something like that just isn’t practical where we live – a two-bed basement flat in Hackney. 

Here I work as a legal PR and my boyfriend as a composer so we haven’t got the time for long two-hour walks each day. Plus, because we are in rented accommodation we needed a pet that wouldn’t annoy the neighbours by barking. 

Admittedly I would have much preferred a larger dog or perhaps a rescue, but living in a flat in London you don’t own you need to have a breed where you can be assured there will not be any behavioural problems.

I always thought Frenchies were a bit of an Instagram influencer dog, but the more I looked into it the more they seemed a better fit for us. Grant is definitely not the only Frenchie in the area. There are loads because they are such good city dogs. You don’t need a massive flat or garden to look after them. 

And Grant is so relaxed. On the Tube, he jumps on the escalator totally untroubled by all the din around him. It is very sweet to see.

Once I had persuaded my partner – who definitely wasn’t as keen as I was – that we should get a dog, we started looking online. I found a breeder in Cardiff who sounded lovely. Beforehand she video-called us and sent us pretty much daily updates for about a month of how Grant was doing.

Grant cost £2,000 and we knew, of course, that French bulldogs are an unhealthy breed. We will have to insure him for the rest of his life just in case something happens to him – it’s about £30 a month. 

If dogs are in pain I absolutely don’t think they should be bred, but I have never seen Grant physically suffering at all. 

He was very nervous when he arrived and particularly reluctant to go outside. He would cower in fear from his lead and is still pretty hesitant now.

The maximum he likes to walk is about 30 minutes each day but we always get him out for at least 45 to keep him active. He is very lazy.

Frenchies are really good with other dogs and we have never had any problems with that – Grant is a complete baby and so friendly. However he isn’t much of a fan of being out in the countryside; he is a real Hackney boy.

To be honest, he is a bit snort-y when he sleeps (in his basket in the hall) but otherwise totally fine. He also snores a bit if he falls asleep on you when you are watching a film on the sofa. 

Lockdown did affect our mental health, as it has most people. The uncertainty and not being able to get on with daily life weighed heavily as well as coping with working every day with each other in the same flat. It is good to see different people and, like everyone, we struggled. 

So Grant has been a vital outlet for both of us and has massively improved my mental health in particular. He is always happy to see me and is so loving. 

To have a Frenchie jumping all over you whenever you come home is extremely sweet. And even if there are some days where I really don’t feel like it, knowing I have to take him out for a walk gets me out of the house as well.

As we head into another winter of discontent, I know I will need Grant more than ever.

As told to Joe Shute