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Famous French bulldogs: real dogs that shaped the breed's history

See the real story – guest starring your dog.

Take a seat with your dog and meet a few French bulldogs who shaped this breed's history. One dog named Bouboule appears in paintings by Toulouse-Lautrec, and another, Gamin de Pycombe, went down with the Titanic.

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The story in 7 parts

A short version first. The full story, with every detail, is further down.

Part 1

What these famous dogs have in common

The French bulldogs who became well known share a few traits.

Part 2

A lace worker's dog and the breed's early story

The French bulldog's ancestors came from England, not France.

Part 3

French bulldogs among artists and writers

Once in France, the dogs spread through French society, from ordinary Parisians to the wealthy.

Part 4

French bulldogs in early film and photography

Surviving pictures show French bulldogs with a range of people, including one from 1908 with Anna Sacher and another from around 1911 with a champion dog named Stanmore Argus.

Part 5

A French bulldog aboard the Titanic

A banker named Robert Williams Daniel brought his champion French bulldog, Gamin de Pycombe, aboard as a first-class passenger.

Part 6

Modern famous French bulldogs

French bulldogs have also been companions to well known people.

Part 7

What made these dogs stand out

Looking back over this history, a few threads connect these dogs.

Read the full story

Part 1

What these famous dogs have in common

The French bulldogs who became well known share a few traits. They are compact, muscular dogs with a smooth coat and the breed's trademark bat ears. Your own dog may show some of the same traits, even if it never makes headlines.

Part 2

A lace worker's dog and the breed's early story

The French bulldog's ancestors came from England, not France. In Nottingham, lace workers kept a smaller version of the bulldog as a lap companion, sometimes called the toy bulldog. When machines took over lace-making during the Industrial Revolution, many of these workers lost their jobs and moved across the Channel to Normandy, bringing their small bulldogs with them. The dogs became popular in France, where breeders sent over bulldogs they considered too small or with ears that stood up instead of folding. By 1860 there were few of these toy bulldogs left in England, because so many had gone to France. This is why the breed's early ancestors were bred in England, even though it later took the name French bulldog.

Part 3

French bulldogs among artists and writers

Once in France, the dogs spread through French society, from ordinary Parisians to the wealthy. Records show they were kept by the sex workers of Montmartre, who were sometimes photographed with their dogs on postcards of the period. The dogs were fashionable enough that the artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec painted one named Bouboule, who belonged to Madame Palmyre, the owner of a Montmartre cafe called La Souris. Edgar Degas is also thought to have included a French bulldog in one of his paintings.

Part 4

French bulldogs in early film and photography

Surviving pictures show French bulldogs with a range of people, including one from 1908 with Anna Sacher and another from around 1911 with a champion dog named Stanmore Argus. A photograph from between 1910 and 1914 shows Colette with four French bulldogs, and one from 1917 shows Grand Duchesses Tatiana with the breed.

Part 5

A French bulldog aboard the Titanic

A banker named Robert Williams Daniel brought his champion French bulldog, Gamin de Pycombe, aboard as a first-class passenger. Daniel had recently bought the dog in England for £150, a large sum at the time. Daniel survived the sinking, but Gamin did not. A passenger named Edith Russell later said she heard the dog whimpering in Daniel's cabin after the ship struck the iceberg, and that she went in to calm him before returning to the upper deck herself. Some details, such as exactly who let Gamin out of the cabin, come from other passengers' later accounts.

Part 6

Modern famous French bulldogs

French bulldogs have also been companions to well known people. Owners have included David Beckham with a dog named Scarlet, Reese Witherspoon with Pepper, Madonna with Gypsy Rosa, Hugh Jackman with Dali, and the late Carrie Fisher with her dog Gary. The breed's popularity has grown well beyond famous owners: it overtook the Labrador Retriever as the most popular dog breed registered with the American Kennel Club in 2023, after Labradors had held that spot for 31 years, and it remained the most popular breed in 2024.

Part 7

What made these dogs stand out

Looking back over this history, a few threads connect these dogs. Each one was noticed because of where it was and who it was with, whether that was a Montmartre cafe, a sinking ship, or a celebrity's arm. If you share your life with a French bulldog, your dog carries a bit of that same history, bred first as a lace worker's lap companion in Nottingham.

Things you might not know

  • The French bulldog's ancestors came from England, not France.
  • Edgar Degas is also thought to have included a French bulldog in one of his paintings.
  • Daniel survived the sinking, but Gamin did not.

Year by year

  1. 1908One from 1908 with Anna Sacher and another from around 1911 with a champion dog named Stanmore Argus.
  2. 1910A photograph from between 1910 and 1914 shows Colette with four French bulldogs, and one from 1917 shows Grand Duchesses Tatiana with the breed.
  3. 1911One from 1908 with Anna Sacher and another from around 1911 with a champion dog named Stanmore Argus.
  4. 1917A photograph from between 1910 and 1914 shows Colette with four French bulldogs, and one from 1917 shows Grand Duchesses Tatiana with the breed.
  5. 2023It overtook the Labrador Retriever as the most popular dog breed registered with the American Kennel Club in 2023, after Labradors had held that spot for 31 years, and it remained the most popular breed in 2024.
  6. 2024It overtook the Labrador Retriever as the most popular dog breed registered with the American Kennel Club in 2023, after Labradors had held that spot for 31 years, and it remained the most popular breed in 2024.

Questions people ask

Who is the most famous French bulldog in history?

Bouboule was painted by Toulouse-Lautrec in the Paris cafe world of the 1890s, and Gamin de Pycombe was the champion French bulldog who died when the Titanic sank in 1912.

Did a French bulldog die on the Titanic?

Yes, a champion French bulldog named Gamin de Pycombe, owned by banker Robert Williams Daniel, died when the Titanic sank in 1912, even though Daniel himself survived.

Why were French bulldogs popular with artists in Paris?

By the late 19th century, French bulldogs had become fashionable among Parisian society ladies and streetwalkers alike, as well as artists, writers, and fashion designers. The painter Toulouse-Lautrec featured one such dog, Bouboule, in his work.

Are French bulldogs a common celebrity dog today?

Yes, owners in recent decades have included David Beckham, Reese Witherspoon, Madonna, Hugh Jackman, and the late Carrie Fisher. The breed has also become the most popular dog registered with the American Kennel Club, overtaking the Labrador Retriever in 2023.

When did French bulldogs first become fashionable?

The breed became fashionable in Paris after lace workers from Nottingham brought small bulldogs to Normandy. By the 1890s, the dogs were popular enough in the United States to be shown at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

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Sources

  1. French Bulldog History: A Complicated Past From Brothels to Royals. American Kennel Club.
  2. Robert Williams Daniel - Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org.
  3. French Bulldogs & The Titanic: How History Could Have Been Different. French Bulldog Owner, May 7, 2019.
  4. The Real Dogs of the RMS Titanic. Featured E - Magazine, Nov 26, 2014.
  5. The Titanic and a French Bulldog named Gamin de Pycombe. Serena's Chronicles, Sep 18, 2026.
  6. Frenchies and the Titanic | frenchbulldog. frenchbulldog.
  7. French Bulldog - Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org.
  8. History of the French Bulldog Breed - French Bull Dog Club of America. French Bull Dog Club of America.
  9. 6 Fun Facts You Probably Didn. Embrace Pet Insurance, Mar 24, 2021.
  10. French Bulldog Breed Information - French Bull Dog Club of America. French Bull Dog Club of America.

Written by TimeWalkies EditorialLast updated How we research