French bulldog? Pug?
You should be able to find reputable breeders on the AKC website. If the breeder does not currently have any litters, they should be able to recommend other legitimate breeders. If your friends live in a cold climate, I would strongly suggest that they wait until spring to get a puppy. It is a miserable experience (for the owner and the puppy) to potty train a small dog when it is cold and snowy outside.
https://www.apps.akc.org/apps/classified/search/landing_breed.cfm
At risk of sounding like a know- it- all - since I really don't know anything about those breeds - I'm pretty sure they are notorious for health problems. I do know that the AKC brand is meaningless as to the integrity of the breeder or quality of the dog. I suggest your friends talk to a local vet: they see the dogs all the time, and could probably recommend a breeder. I feel strongly about this after knowing of a famous local golden retriever breeder whose dogs were full of cancer at an early age.
We've had three pugs and they're excellent dogs in almost every respect. Great with kids, great temperament, plus they don't need a lot of exercise. They can have breathing issues and eye problems, but are generally long-lived and easy to care for. I have a 15-year-old pug who is still going strong and a 10-year-pug that looks and acts like a puppy. One was a rescue; the other was bought in a pet shop. Like Spike, I know several people who bought dogs from breeders and the dogs succumbed to cancer or other serious ailments, so there's no guarantee when going that route. We adopted our 10-year-old from Pug Planet, a pug rescue agency in NJ, and she hasn't been sick once in 8 years. One caveat: pugs shed a lot.
I have a pug mix and love him to bits. Getting a mutt can help avoid some of the breed specific issues. For example my guy has a bit of a longer snout than a full pug so lacks the breathing issues that plague the breed. If they are committed to a purebred, there are some excellent breed rescues in the area.
Yes to health problems. A family member has 2 Frenchies: the one who was from a highly recommended breeder has glaucoma and a terrible personality. The one they found in the newspaper is wonderful 
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They are notorious for health problems. As was my Akita. Lots of pure breeds are that's why after our Akita passed, I vowed no more pure breds. We have a Pit mix and a Bulldog mix, both rescues. The Bully needed surgery and I discovered that not many vets will operate on Bullies or Pug's due to breathing issues and short snouts. I found a great doc via the shelter as my own vet doesn't operate on these breeds. Out all of our years of dog ownership, it was interesting to find this out.
I guess I've been lucky with my pugs. Only one of them has had surgery and that was after he ate part of his blanket. I do remember that the vet was sweating bullets.
I think it has more to do with administering anesthesia than the actual surgery.
Brigit said:
I guess I've been lucky with my pugs. Only one of them has had surgery and that was after he ate part of his blanket. I do remember that the vet was sweating bullets.
We had a pug until recently that made it past the age of 15. She never had any serious medical problems. The short snout led her to overheat a but more quickly in humid weather, but I can be the same so it was a good match! And yeah, one of her eyes may have popped out once, but it popped right back in.
Pugs were bred for companionship, so all they want to do is to be you. She was one of the best friends I've had and I'm sure we'll get another when the time is right. As far as I'm concerned they are the perfect breed.
kibbegirl said:
I think it has more to do with administering anesthesia than the actual surgery.
Brigit said:
I guess I've been lucky with my pugs. Only one of them has had surgery and that was after he ate part of his blanket. I do remember that the vet was sweating bullets.
Yes, the anesthesia was the worry, especially since the surgery took so long.
This is a funny / sad comedy video about pure bred dogs like the French Bulldog and Pug. We just adopted a terrier mix from St. Huberts. Really really sweet guy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCv10_WvGxo
A good friend of mine really wants one of these dogs for her family. They've done tons of research but since this is their first dog, they don't know of legit breeders. Suggestions?