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French Bulldog Colors Explained (WITH PHOTOS)

A complete guide to the full range of French Bulldog colors. Look no further to find your favorite.

Once upon a time, French Bulldogs were only bred in dark colors but since the mid-1990s a vast range of colors has developed. You can now purchase French Bulldogs in a wide variety of colors including fawn, red, cream, and white.

French Bulldogs are one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States and Europe, for very good reasons.

The Frenchie has a wonderful temperament, which makes it a great companion dog that wants nothing more than to spend time with you. She is typically very good around children and other pets and doesn’t require too much exercise.

When Breed Standards were modified, to allow fawn French Bulldogs, this coat became extremely popular. The basic color of all French Bulldogs is now fawn (or a warm beige color). 

Though Frenchies are available in many different colors, not all are officially approved. Unfortunately, some colors are more prone to health problems because of the breeding practices that produce them.

Along with photos, rather than a color chart, we describe all the colors that the French Bulldog is available in and detail known health problems associated with specific colors.

A fawn French Bulldog puppy.

AKC French Bulldog Approved Colors

The American Kennel Club (AKC) approved French Bulldog colors are:

  • Brindle
  • Brindle & white
  • Cream
  • Fawn
  • Fawn & white
  • Fawn, Brindle & white
  • White
  • White & brindle
  • White & Fawn

AKC undesirable French Bulldog colors are:

  • Solid black
  • Black & tan
  • Black & white
  • White & black
  • Blue
  • Blue fawn
  • Liver
  • Merle

The UK Kennel Club Approved french Bulldog Colors

The UK Kennel Club approved French Bulldog colors are:

  • Brindle
  • Light Brindle
  • Dark Brindle
  • Brindle & White
  • Fawn
  • Fawn & White
  • Fawn Pied
  • Fawn With Black Mask
  • Pied

All other colors are deemed undesirable.

Brindle, Fawn, and Pied French Bulldog Colors Explained

It’s easy, of course, to visualize the simple colors of these dogs when we talk about Black, White, Cream etc. but the French Bulldog is available in a number of colors and you might not be familiar with some of the nomenclature.

Let’s take a look at a few of these names and describe what they mean.

Brindle – You’ll more likely see ‘Brindle’ French Bulldogs than any other color as it’s one of the most common. Brindle French Bulldogs have a dark-colored coat with lighter strands mixed in.

Fawn – This is usually a light, yellowish-tan color that can have several different shades. The coat is uniform and the head is typically a bit darker than the rest of the body.

Pied – A French Bulldog with a pied or piebald coat is mostly white with prominent patches usually in brindle or fawn. 

The Blue French Bulldog may be undesirable

A French Bulldog with a blue coat is really dilute black. To the eye, this color looks grey or gray. Some French Bulldog coat colors are linked with genetic health conditions. Blue is often avoided even though the bad health links are disputed by many.

Health problems recorded in this color such as alopecia have also been found in dogs of other colors.

Because some colors are deemed ‘undesirable’ they are also rare. This means a French Bulldog in one of these colors is often more expensive than the ‘desirable’ color range.

French Bulldog Colors

Fawn

Fawn is one of the accepted breed standard French Bulldog colors. A Fawn French Bulldog has a yellowish tan coat and the shade can vary from light fawn to red fawn.

Fawn is present in many other Frenchie coats.

A fawn French Bulldog typically has a black mask.

Fawn French Bulldog.

Black and White

As the name suggests, the black and white French Bulldog has black and white markings. This Frenchie coat can also be referred to as pied or piebald.

White is the predominant color and there are no white markings breaking up the black patches.

Beautiful as this pattern is, black and white French Bulldogs are not considered an official breed standard and are not eligible for shows.

Black and white French Bulldog.

Red Fawn

A Red Fawn French Bulldog has a light tan-colored coat that can range from very pale to a dark reddish tan. A French Bulldog of this color often has a dark mask and ears with some brindled areas.

Red Fawn French Bulldog.

Brindle

This is a French Bulldog with a predominant fawn-colored coat with dark brindle. The intensity can change but the nails, nose, eyelids, and lips should always be dark.

Brindle French Bulldog.

Brindle and White

Even with the Brindle and White Frenchie, the base color is still fawn – even though you may think that the coat seems mostly white. Black spots are deemed ‘undesirable’ although breeding with this type is still permitted.

Brindle and white French Bulldog.

Cream

The cream French Bulldog is similar to the white French Bulldog but with more of an eggshell color. Cream is dominant over the whole body with no other patches of color. You might also here this color referred to a platinum.

Cream French Bulldog.

Fawn and White

Fawn and white French Bulldog.

White

You may be surprised to learn that even the ‘pure’ white French Bulldog is actually considered to be ‘pied’. What you’re actually seeing are white spots (on a fawn coat) that are simply more pronounced.

White French Bulldog.

White and Brindle

White and Brindle French Bulldog.
Fawn Brindle and White French Bulldog.

White and Fawn

With the white and fawn French Bulldog, the white dominates the fawn and where you see the fawn color, it should be even.

White and fawn French Bulldog.

Cream and White

Cream and white French Bulldog.

Blue Fawn

Blue Fawn French Bulldog.

Blue Brindle

Blue Brindle French Bulldog.

Chocolate

Chocolate French Bulldog.

Blue and Chocolate

Blue and chocolate French Bulldog.

Merle

Merle French Bulldog.

Blue

The Blue French Bulldog is classed as ‘undesirable’. Well, you tell that to the hundreds of people who are still buying them.

Although this color has been linked to alopecia, the problem has also been seen in other colors.

There doesn’t seem to be any let-up in the quantity of blue Frenchies on the market and prices are still sky-high.

Blue French Bulldog
Blue French Bulldog with pups suckling.

Black

Black French Bulldog puppy.

Red

Red French Bulldog.

Why The AKC Doesn’t Accept All French Bulldog Colors

The AKC doesn’t accept certain French Bulldog colors because they are linked to health conditions. They are simply trying to keep the breed as healthy as possible. Being strict about French Bulldog colors is aimed at preventing genetic diseases.

The accepted colors are those that were the most common and healthiest when the breed standard was created.

Although early French Bulldogs carried the traits for non-standard colors, they were recessive under normal breeding standards. It wasn’t until breeders began to selectively breed for them that the rarer colors emerged.

Solid black and solid white French Bulldogs can suffer from congenital deafness. Liver or chocolate Frenchies can suffer from cataracts.

A good breeder will adhere to the standard colors so as not to jeopordise French Bulldog puppies’ health and cause unnecessary heartache to future owners.

The Rarest French Bulldog Color

The colors that are not the breed standard are the rarest French Bulldog colors.

Blue Merle is the rarest of the blue-coated Frenchies because as well as carrying two copies of the rare dilution gene they must also carry the merle gene which removes pigment from random patches of their blue coats.

A solid white French Bulldog is also a rare find as more often there is some brindling or a black mask on dogs with predominantly white coats.

The Most Expensive French Bulldog Color

French Bulldogs are one of the most expensive dogs to buy and own regaerdless of color. You can see more about this in my article dedicated to this subject.

A blue French Bulldog with blue eyes it is one of the most expensive you’ll find. And if it also has a merle coat it is likely to cost $5,000 plus.

Solid white Frenchies are relatively rare which tends to make these more expensive than one with a breed standard coat color.

The Most Popular French Bulldog Color

There are more brindled French Bulldogs born than any other colors, making this the most popular Frenchie you’ll see.

Brindle French Bulldogs are also amongst the cheapest to buy. This makes them extremely popular with purchasers but not so popular with breeders.

French Bulldog Colors: Conclusion

As with all dog breeds, the French Bulldog comes in standard and non-standard colors. Standard colors are more popular because responsible breeders tednd to stick to breeding these.

You will fiind the non-standard colors are rarer and more expensive and they come with an elevated risk of developing inhertited diseases.

If you truly love Frenchies, you should concentrate on sourcing a healthy dog from a trusted breeder above choosing one just for its coat color.

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