A FAMILY run business has taken advantage of the country’s most popular dog breed by creating a range of supplements for them.

Haxby-based www.myfrenchbulldog.co.uk is the brainchild of husband and wife Michael and Faith Mateer, who own four of the bat-eared pooches, and decided to go into business when they grew frustrated at the lack of quality products available.

They canvassed other owners on Facebook by consulting them on the products they need, and quickly built up a following of 20,000 fans who advised them.

Mr Mateer, 30 and Mrs Mateer, 26, contacted suppliers and produced recipes based on their followers’ recommendations to come up with a range of products, including supplements to help the dog’s anxiety and digestion, help them maintain a healthy coat, and to help the four-legged friends produce enzymes.

Mr Mateer also runs www.godecorate.co.uk and took on the challenge of setting up the online shop to help other owners.

He said:: “I’ve always had German Shepherds and when I got married and had children we came across the French Bulldog before they became really popular.

“We got really fed-up with lots of rubbish products that were problematic for them.

“French Bulldogs have a very sensitive digestive system and we used our knowledge and social media to ask people what worked and didn’t work, and based on that feedback we put recipes together.”

The French Bulldog is set to overtake the Labrador Retriever as the UK’s most popular dog breed by the end of 2018 – the first time the Labrador will have been knocked off the top spot in 27 years.

The Mateers believe the pet’s success with the likes of the Beckhams, Lady Gaga, Leonardo DiCaprio, Reese Witherspoon and Hugh Jackman has led to a rise in the number of owners, which has played into their hands by increasing the dog’s popularity.

Mr Mateer added: “It hasn’t surprised me how well we have done.

“It’s surprising how fast it’s taken off but it’s come out of how popular the breed is.

“They are lovely around the family and many celebrities have got them, which has pushed their social media presence.

“I run a few businesses myself and have always been entrepreneurial but my wife is on the ground and networking at the same time we are expecting our third baby.”