PORTRAIT OF A KING: Meet King Louis Pierre Croissant Phillippe

“Louis is so honored!” Lizzy Fulbright says of her year-old French bulldog, King Louis Pierre Croissant Philippe. Named after the French king Louis, pronounced “Loo-Wee,” the handsome puppy is the winner of encore’s 2018 pet cover contest.

BOW TO THE KING: King Louis and his colorful disposition. Courtesy photo. — **BOW TO THE KING:** King Louis and his colorful disposition. Courtesy photo.

All proceeds from entries (totaling $300 from 24 pets and more than 70 photos) will go to benefit paws4people, which trains assistant dogs to help people with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities (read all about them here). King Louis collected the most votes from our panel of 20 judges at our home at Coworx in The Cargo District, and has won gift certificates to College Road Animal Hospital, Aunt Kerry’s Pet Stop and Myrtle Grove Animal Hospital.

encore caught up with his royal highness and debut cover model to get a leg up behind his crown and what makes his tail wag.

encore (e): Tell us about how you found your human.

Louis Pierre Croissant Philippe (LPCP): My mom wanted a French bulldog like me for many years, and she found me through the Charlotte French Bulldog Facebook page after being an envious member for years. She saw a post that I was for sale and it was love at first sight.

e: Favorite way to spend a day?

LPCP: Go for a run with Mom around the Wrightsville Beach Loop and get lots of attention from the hoomans. Sleep on my sunny back deck for the rest of the day and maybe take my hoomans for a boat ride.

e: Favorite toy, treat, activity?

LPCP: Favorite toy/chews are my elk antlers! They are great for teething and safe for dogs. My favorite treat is pumpkin puree. Favorite activity is cuddling with my hoomans, and my favorite spot is on my hooman’s lap.

e: We see your human—err, hooman dresses you up sometimes. Do you have a favorite outfit?

LPCP: My mom likes to dress me up in all kinds of outfits. Honestly, I’d rather be naked.

e: Are you bilingual: French and English?

LPCP: I speak many different languages! Due to my short snout, it’s more difficult for me to get air, so I am constantly snorting and grunting like a pig. My short snout also causes me to snore. Very. Loudly. I don’t bark much, but I make little whiny baby noises when I have to potty or when I want to be picked up. I speak lots of English, but I only like to listen when there are treats involved.

e: What’s your best attribute?

LPCP: My silky soft fur: one touch and you won’t be able to keep your hands off of me.

e: Where is your tickle spot? Do you like being tickled?

LPCP: I love to be tickled and scratched all over, but my favorite is underneath my chin.

e: You have your own Instagram, @LouisFrenchieBulldog. How many followers do you have? What are your fave poses?

LPCP: My mom started my Instagram when she got me at 8 weeks old on June 15, 2017. I have been King Louis of Wilmington ever since. I have 3,700 followers and my page is growing daily. I love to pose with pretty backgrounds—flowers or the ocean, especially on my pawrent’s boat.

e: It says you’re “grumpy, jumpy and a li’l bit humpy.” Tell us more…

LPCP: So I have what Mom calls a “resting grumpy face” because I naturally have a resting face like a grumpy old man, with all my face wrinkles. Most people don’t know this, but I cannot naturally smile with my tongue out. I actually do that when I am breathing really hard after running around! I am “jumpy” because I love to jump on everything! I jump up at hoomans to lick their faces. I jump all over furniture, and I try to jump up on beds but haven’t quite mastered that one yet. I think “humpy” speaks for itself—I am the king after all!

e: Are you an Elvis or a Beatles doggie? Which song do you love most?

LPCP: Elvis for sure. Us kings have to stick together. “Can’t Help Falling in Love” is my favorite to serenade the ladies with.

e: If you could catch one critter, what would it be?

LPCP: An elephant! I’ve only ever seen them on TV, but for some reason I can’t stop watching when I see one. My pawrents say they’re a lot bigger than me, but I don’t believe them. I would definitely want to catch an elephant critter.

e: Favorite book? Song? Movie?

LPCP: Favorite book: “Bacon: A Love Story.” Favorite song: “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran, because I think it was written about my potato-shaped bod. Favorite movie: “Horton Hears a Who” because … elephants.

e: Do you have a girlfriend?

LPCP: I go on lots of play dates, but I don’t have just one girlfriend. In the famous words of Drake, “I only love my bed and my momma, I’m sorry.”

e: Do you have siblings?

LPCP: I have one brother named King Bodhi. He lives in Myrtle Beach, SC, with his pawrents.

e: What about your best friend?

LPCP: It would be too hard for me to choose just one best friend! I have so many special friends. I am a member of the Wilmington French bulldog group, as well as the Charlotte group, and I love all my Frenchie friends. I have many friends all over Wilmington and thousands more on social media that I haven’t even met in real life yet! The friends I have made on Instagram are amazing. I hope to one day meet all of them.

e: What are your lifetime goals?

LPCP: My lifetime dream would be to use my Instagram and social media as a way to raise money for charities through partnerships and sponsorships. For now, though, my goal is just to make people smile!