Inspiring Conversations with Amy Bollman of Sapphire Blue Frenchies

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Bollman.

Hi Amy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve been obsessed with dogs for as long as I can remember. I was so obsessed, in fact, that when I was younger, I remember skimming through the classified ads checking out all the puppies for sale. I paid close attention to what breeds were being offered then would look them up and study their characteristics. It was fascinating to me.

Over the years, my family and I have had several different breeds including several rescues. One day (a long time ago), I found myself near a pet store and wandered in with only the intention of checking out the puppies and possibly loving on a couple, but then I saw the most beautiful Boxer puppy. Oh my goodness!!! I instantly fell in love and just knew she was coming home with me. And so she did! This was long before I knew of anything wrong with Pet stores and where those puppies actually come from. Even though I know now, I still have no regrets. I loved her and she was beautiful. So beautiful that I decided that I wanted to breed her. So I learned as much as I could about breeding and went on to breed Boxers for several years.

Life changes and moving across a couple of states forced me to put a halt on breeding, but I always knew I wanted to get back into it. When the time came to add a new furry family member, I knew I wanted to look for one that I could start a new breeding program with, but the home I lived in at that time had a very small yard and if you know anything about Boxer puppies, you will know that they are HIGH energy. So that just wouldn’t work. So I did some research on smaller breeds similar to Boxers and their goofy personalities. Well, it didn’t take me long to fall head over heels in love with the French Bulldog breed. Squishy faced with a BIG personality in a compact little body. PERFECT!

And so I began searching for a puppy… It didn’t take me long to realize I was drawn to pied Frenchies and especially the blue fawn pied ones. When I found a breeder in Tennessee that had some, I was stoked! She had one female that she planned to keep but she offered her to me and I don’t know that I even took a breath before I told her “SOLD! I will take her!” And that is how I got my first Frenchie, Phoebe.

Breeding Frenchies has not been easy. Getting started seemed like all the cards were stacked against me. I had so much to learn!

Luckily for me, I ended up with the best mentors I could have ever found! And it all kind of happened by accident. I fell in love with a male Frenchie on Instagram (Phoebe’s future baby daddy, Samurai) and reached out to his owners to ask if he would be available for a stud when Phoebe was ready and they said yes. So I started asking questions…. A LOT OF THEM! Bless their hearts! Ha! And they were so sweet and understanding and literally answered every question I threw at them. That was several years ago…. And they still answer my questions! And for that I will never be able to say thank you enough! So THANK YOU, Andrea and Mario Posani of Blue Buddha Frenchies!

And that leads me to where I am today. I am a French Bulldog breeder of almost 5 years located just outside of Nashville in Hendersonville, TN. All of my dogs are health tested to ensure we have the healthiest puppies possible and I strive to have the best of the best quality dogs. My dogs and puppies are raised in our home and come pre-spoiled. Since we expect them to stay that way, I do screen potential puppy buyers. These are my babies after all… Once you get a puppy from Sapphire Blue Frenchies, you have not only gained a furry family member but you have joined our SBF family. I am here for you and your puppy from that point on. I also have a Facebook group specifically for my SBF family so they can get to know each other, share updates, and ask questions. I don’t ever want anyone to feel like once I sell them a puppy, they will never hear from me again. So they’re stuck with me. LOL!

So, that is my story…. I love what I do and wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. If you are ever interested in adding a Frenchie to your family, please check us out!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oh the challenges…. Everything with breeding Frenchies is a challenge! Progesterone testing, Artificial Inseminations, C-sections…. And that’s just the normal challenges. It doesn’t include split heat cycles, absorbed litters, females not getting pregnant even when you do everything perfectly, premature births, etc…. I could go on and on….

But you know what? It’s still all worth it! To see these fur babies living their best lives all over the US with people who have become family….It’s just so amazing!

As you know, we’re big fans of Sapphire Blue Frenchies. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am a French Bulldog Breeder located in the Nashville area. I specialize in mostly exotic colored and patterned Frenchies (i.e. blue, lilac, merle, and soon fluffy). I feel like I stand out from the rest because I aim for the healthiest and best quality. I do not cut corners. I literally move into my puppy bedroom when the babies are born and stay until they are around 4 weeks old so I can keep a close eye on them and make sure I’m right there if anything goes wrong. They are my babies and I love every single one of them even long after they leave me.

If at any time a family decides they cannot keep one of my puppies (even as an adult dog), I will take them back. This is so I can know exactly where all of my puppies are, that they are all in amazing homes, and they will never ever end up in an animal shelter.

Another thing that I should mention is that I’m also a Professional Photographer so I do my best to provide lots of quality photos of puppies to their new families as they grow. Kind of like a baby book for their growing puppy.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
The biggest support for me is following my social media and referring me to anyone looking to purchase a Frenchie puppy.

Pricing:

• Puppies start at $4500

Contact Info:

• Email: sapphirebluefrenchies@gmail.com
• Website: www.sapphirebluefrenchies.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/sapphirebluefrenchies
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/sapphirebluefrenchies

Image Credits
Amy Bollman of Daydreamer Photography.