French Bulldog Colors Explained (With PRICE Chart)

French Bulldogs are a beloved breed of dog known for their playful personalities, charming disposition, and distinctive physical features.

One of the most striking aspects of this breed is its unique range of coat colors, which includes shades such as cream, fawn, and brindle.

The wide variety of French Bulldog colors has fascinated dog lovers for decades. In fact, enthusiasts often spend hours researching the genetics and breeding patterns that produce each unique shade.

In this article, we will explore the fascinating world of French Bulldog colors, including the most popular hues, some of the genetic factors that influence coat color, and some of the most unusual and rare colors found in this delightful breed.

French Bulldog Colors Price Chart

Aside from the fact that Frenchies can come in a range of shapes and sizes, they can also vary quite a bit in price as well. In general, the rarer the color of a Frenchie, the more expensive it is.

AKC Standard Colors

The AKC approved the following colors when they first recognized the breed over a century ago. Breeders have since introduced more beautiful shades. Check them out below.

Brindle 

Brindle French Bulldogs have various tiger-like striped patterns that vary in shade and color. The stripes are usually one color with a light and dark variation.

Some stripes may be thick and loose or not as close together, while others might be thin and tight or close together. 

French Bulldogs can also have white patches on their brindle coat. The brindle patterning and coloring can be quite bold and easily recognizable, or it may be a bit more subtle. Another AKC-recognized standard color is brindle combined with white. 

Cream 

Cream-colored French Bulldogs are the result of matching two recessive genes, meaning that in most cases, both parents would have to be cream-colored for a cream-colored pup to be produced.

Interestingly, the cream color is a recessive dilution from the fawn coat. However, various genetic combinations can also result in cream-colored Frenchies, but these pups are not very commonly seen.

Fawn 

Fawn is a light tan color that is most commonly associated with the tan color of baby deer or fawns. Some people may refer to them as blonde or beige French Bulldogs. However, fawn is the AKC accepted term. 

Fawn Frenchies are some of the most commonly seen Frenchies. Frenchies can also have a coat with two or three colors like fawn and white, fawn, brindle, and white, and white and fawn.

Fawns may be entirely one color, or they may have a black mask that covers their muzzle and extends around their eyes. 

White 

While white French Bulldogs can exist due to albinism and leucism, both caused by genetic abnormalities, it is more common for a white French Bulldog to exist simply because they have a predominantly white coat. 

They often have other very light or diluted markings that, though different colors, still result in an overall white appearance. White can also be combined with various other colors like fawn and brindle. 

French Bulldog Coat Markings

Aside from coat colors, a Frenchie can also have “markings” like a black mask, piebald, ticked, etc.

Here are the French Bulldog markings officially recognized by the AKC.

Black Markings 

Black markings are simply areas or patches of fur that are dark in color. The distribution and appearance of such markings vary among dogs.

The black markings can also include the color of the skin, nose, lips, and paw pads, and not just the fur. 

White Markings

Like black markings, white markings are simply patches or areas of fur that are white in color. The location and size of the patches or areas can vary widely from dog to dog. 

Black Mask 

Much like it sounds, a black mask marking is a pattern of black fur that covers the muzzle and can extend to the eyes and forehead. It is also sometimes referred to as a melanistic mask. 

Piebald 

Piebald markings are defined as a distinct coat pattern or marking where irregular patches of white fur are mixed with another color.

The patches can be a variety of different sizes. For example, there could just be a couple of small spots, or it could be a large area of white fur that covers most of the dog’s body.

These markings are caused by a genetic mutation that affects the distribution of melanin, which is the pigment known for giving color to the skin and hair or fur. 

Brindle Markings 

Brindled markings are characterized by a blend of both dark and light color fur that creates a striped appearance. 

It is important to note that the AKC officially recognizes only these coat markings for French Bulldogs.

Nonetheless, there may be additional markings that are not acknowledged by the AKC but can still appear in the breed, as mentioned earlier.

Other French Bulldog Markings

French Bulldogs may display the following markings, but it’s worth noting that the AKC would disqualify a Frenchie with these markings from competing in AKC dog shows:

• Ticked: Small dots or flecks of color on a white or light-colored background.
• Spotted: Small, evenly distributed spots of color on a white or light-colored background.
• Tan Points: Tan or rust-colored markings on specific body areas, such as the eyebrows, cheeks, legs, and under the tail.

Unique or Rare French Bulldog Colors 

In addition to the AKC standard French Bulldog colors, there are also quite a few more unique and rare variations in French Bulldog colors.

While not accepted for showing, they often still make lovely dogs and, as such, are highly sought after. These rare colors are often seen as trendy and popular.

Unfortunately, however, some of these unique colors are known to be closely associated with various health issues in French Bulldogs.

Because of this, it is important to choose a reputable breeder who takes into consideration the risk associated with various colors and screens their dogs for genetic conditions when testing is available. 

Having a rare and unique-looking dog is a big responsibility. It is important to remember that behind the trendy or designer colors and patterns is still a dog who deserves a long, healthy, and happy life. 

Blue 

While not actually blue in color, blue French bulldogs are highly sought-after dogs. Instead of blue, these Frenchies are more accurately described as silver or gray.

The coat color that these dogs have is actually the result of their genes diluting black coloring. 

Chocolate

A highly sought-after but rare coloring is chocolate. This color is a recessive gene found on the B-locus. To be chocolate, a Frenchie must inherit two copies of the gene.

The most popular chocolate coats are dark chocolates, but lighter, almost milk chocolate colorings do exist. Chocolate Frenchies can also have brindle striping. 

Lilac 

The lilac coloring for French Bulldogs is a combination of both the D-locus, or the gene associated with blue French Bulldogs, and the B-locus, which is the gene associated with chocolate French Bulldogs.

Lilac French Bulldogs are not truly lilac in color but instead have more of a silver or gray appearance and often have light-colored eyes. They also are known for having light-colored, almost pinkish muzzles. 

Merle 

While the merle color is beautiful and striking, it is not something that occurs naturally for French Bulldogs.

Instead, breeders have crossbred their French Bulldogs with other breeds who do have the merle gene, likely Chihuahuas.

Though they are incredibly popular, controversy exists around this color for several good reasons.

Merle French Bulldogs are much more likely to experience deafness, blindness, and various types of skin problems. Reputable breeders do not breed the merle color into their line of French Bulldogs. 

Isabella 

Another highly sought-after but rare color, Isabella French Bulldogs are known for their beautiful pale silver or lilac-colored coats. They can be solid colored or have brindle or piebald markings or patterns.

The Isabella color is the result of a French Bulldog inheriting the dilute gene from both parents. With the dilute gene, however, there is a risk of additional health concerns. 

Tri-French Bulldog 

Tri-French Bulldogs are also sometimes called Tri-colored French Bulldogs. As the name suggests, these pups have three distinct colors in their coat.

The most common combination for Tri-French Bulldogs is black, white, and fawn. Some may have an even distribution of all three colors, while others might have more of one color than the others. 

Blue Fawn 

The blue fawn French Bulldog is another popular but rare color of French Bulldog. This color occurs because of a combination of two copies of a recessive dilution gene.

Typically, these dogs have a warm fawn-colored body but a blue-toned mask. Unfortunately, these dogs are prone to inheriting a condition called Color Dilution Alopecia, or CDA, which is known to cause itchy, flaky skin that can become infected.

Unfortunately, there is no test to see if this condition will be passed down to future generations. 

Black

French Bulldogs that are entirely black are incredibly rare, but some do exist. The black K-gene is a mutation of the CBD103 gene and can get passed onto offspring, which would, in turn, create a higher number of black French Bulldogs. 

Black and Tan

Black and tan French Bulldogs have a very striking appearance that almost makes them look like stocky little Dobermans!

These French Bulldogs will have a predominantly black coat with distinctive tan markings that are usually on their face, legs, and chest.

Some have a jet-black coloring, while others have a lighter, more charcoal-like hue. The tan color can either be almost cream or beige or a tan or more of a medium brown. 

Frenchie Colors Accepted by the AKC

Even though there are so many colors available, the American Kennel Club only recognizes nine standard colors.

Rare colors are still allowed to be registered under a standard color as long as they meet the French Bulldog Breed Standard and other requirements.

Your Frenchie must be in one of these official colors if you plan to compete in dog shows, as all rare colors are disqualified.

Why Doesn’t the AKC Accept All French Bulldog Colors?

The AKC only accepts certain colors for French Bulldogs because those colors were the most common at the time the breed standard was written and because they have been traditionally bred for those colors.

Other colors, such as rarer recessive traits, have only recently started to appear with regularity due to selective breeding.

The AKC does not currently see these colors as “normal” for the breed, although they may consider accepting them in the future.

Wrap-Up: French Bulldog Colors

Aside from their charming and playful personalities, one of the reasons for the French Bulldogs’ increasing popularity is the wide range of colors that they come in.

From fawn and brindle to more rare shades like blue, chocolate, and lilac, no two Frenchies ever really look the same! 

However, it is important to remember that these dogs are susceptible to a variety of health issues, and some of the more rare and unique colors and patterns can have harmful impacts on the health of these dogs.

With responsible breeding and proper care, these beautiful dogs can be amazing companions. 

FAQs About French Bulldog Colors