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A-Z-Animals
French Bulldog Colors: Full List from Most Common to Rarest
By Kathryn Dueck,
2024-08-11
French bulldogs – also called Frenchies – are adorable little dogs that come in a bewildering array of colors and patterns. Some of these are common while others are very rare – and therefore cost a lot more money. Unfortunately, certain French bulldog colors also come with attendant health issues. What’s more, the American Kennel Club (AKC) doesn’t recognize many of them. Starting with the most common, we’ll work our way down a list of French bulldog colors and patterns until we get to the rarest of them all!
Brindle is the standard French bulldog color with a distinctive “tiger stripe” pattern. These dogs feature a mixture of black, brown, tan, blue, and sometimes gold. Some puppies sport white chests or other white markings. Depending on the exact shade of the base coat, brindle Frenchies can be very dark, very light, or something in between.
Rarity: Standard
AKC: Recognized
Brindle and White
The brindle and white Frenchie have white markings.
The brindle and white Frenchie are similar to the brindle but with white markings. Although these white marks typically occur on their chests, they can show up anywhere on the coat. They also vary in size and shape.
Rarity: Common
AKC: The AKC recognizes both “brindle and white” and “white and brindle” as official French bulldog colors.
Black Brindle
Black brindle Frenchies are a variation of brindle Frenchies.
Cream Frenchies have very pale coats, usually off-white or ivory. The ears may feature lighter cream edges. The color occurs as a result of a recessive gene from the fawn variation.
Rarity: Common
AKC: Recognized
14. Fawn
Fawn Frenchies come in a couple of different variations.
The fawn variation is one of the more common French bulldog colors. The coat ranges from beige to light tan like a baby deer (fawn) to a golden or reddish tan. Below are a couple of similar variations.
Rarity: Common
AKC: Recognized
Fawn and White
Fawn and white Frenchies have white patches against a fawn base coat.
The pied color variation is more of a pattern: a white or light base coat with different colored markings. Although pied Frenchies are standard, some of the variations are uncommon.
Rarity: Fairly common
AKC: Recognized
Black Pied
The black pied Frenchie has a white coat with black markings.
Unlike the black pied, the black and white French bulldog has a black base coat with white markings. The markings vary greatly in size and quantity, often changing as the puppy approaches maturity.
Rarity: Fairly common
AKC: Not recognized
9. White
White Frenchies commonly suffer from health issues like skin problems.
People often mistake the white Frenchie for the cream or platinum varieties, but it remains its distinct variation. Genetically, the coloration may be the result of brindle, leucism, albinism, or merle genes. Health issues are common, including skin, eye, and ear problems. An all-white French bulldog is quite unusual, but the AKC recognizes it as a standard color.
Rarity: Unusual
AKC: Recognized
8. Tan
The tan French bulldog comes in a few different varieties.
Tan is one of those French bulldog colors that’s more of a pattern. These Frenchies have a solid base coat with tan or fawn markings. Below are a few tan Frenchie variations.
Rarity: Unusual
AKC: Not recognized
Black and Tan
Like the other tan varieties, the black and tan Frenchie is not recognized by the AKC.
The chocolate French bulldog sports a lovely rich chocolate coat that ranges from light to dark. It may also come with tan patterns, including a brindle pattern. The gene for this color is recessive, meaning both parents need to carry it to produce chocolate offspring. Because it’s a rare variation, you can expect to pay a pretty penny to bring home one of these dogs.
Rarity: Rare
AKC: Not recognized
6. Pure Black
The black French bulldog typically lacks markings except for the occasional white chest.
The platinum Frenchie appears similar to the albino but has a more lustrous, often silvery, coat. It’s popular among breeders because its puppies will retain the color of whichever dog it mates with.
Rarity: Rare
AKC: Not recognized
4. Merle
Merle Frenchies are gorgeous but rife with health issues.
The merle variation in French bulldogs is incredibly striking. These Frenchies feature a light base coat with dark dappling. One or both eyes may be blue. Despite the beauty of this coloration, merle French bulldogs suffer from a wide range of health issues. For this reason, it’s not advisable to either breed or buy merle Frenchies. In particular, a merle Frenchie should never be bred with another merle. Below are a few common merle varieties.
Rarity: Rare
AKC: Not recognized
Black Merle
Black merle Frenchies have light coats with black mottling.
The blue variation is one of the rarest French bulldog colors. It ranges from light grey to bluish-grey to nearly black. Some individuals also sport a white chest. The bluish tint is most visible in strong light. Unfortunately, this variation comes with a variety of health issues that are often exacerbated by improper breeding practices. Despite the rarity of this morph, it’s one of the most popular Frenchie colors.
Rarity: Rare
AKC: Not recognized
Blue Fawn
The blue fawn Frenchie mixes fawn with a bluish tint.
This incredible variation of the blue Frenchie combines a bluish tint with a light fawn shade. It also features a bluish mask instead of the more typical black mask.
Rarity: Rare
AKC: Not recognized
Blue Brindle
The blue brindle French bulldog is a variation of both the blue and brindle types. The base coat is blue with light fawn streaks.
Rarity: Rare
AKC: Not recognized
2. Lilac
The lilac Frenchie is among the rarest French bulldogs in the world.
Lilac Frenchies are similar to blue Frenchies but are even rarer. Their coats are ashy or silvery and appear lilac in certain lights. Some individuals sport white patches and a greyish-blue or reddish-pink nose. The eyes are usually yellow, light brown, or blue. Breeders produce this unique variation by pairing blue and chocolate Frenchies (at a minimum, the chocolate gene must be present). Be wary of breeders who reproduce this variation for profit at the expense of the puppies’ health.
Rarity: Rare
AKC: Not recognized
Lilac Fawn
The lilac fawn Frenchie is similar to the blue fawn Frenchie.
Lilac fawn Frenchies are similar to blue fawn Frenchies but are even rarer. Their fawn coats have a silvery rather than a blue sheen with an ashy mask. They also have light blue eyes with a reddish tint.
Rarity: Rare
AKC: Not recognized
Lilac Sable
One of the rarest French bulldog colors is lilac sable. These Frenchies are similar to the lilac fawn variety but with black fur growing all over their bodies. This tends to darken their coats.
Rarity: Rare
AKC: Not recognized
1. Isabella
The Isabella Frenchie is the rarest – and most expensive – French bulldog in the world.
The Isabella French bulldog is the rarest Frenchie in the world. This means it comes with a hefty price tag . Each Isabella Frenchie has two copies of the chocolate gene and two copies of the dilution gene. To label a Frenchie an Isabella, the breeder must conduct genetic testing to confirm that the dog carries the chocolate gene. It looks similar to the lilac Frenchie with a combination of blue and chocolate that results in a greyish liver base coat.
Rarity: Rarest
AKC: Not recognized
Honorable Mention: Fluffy
Though it isn’t a color in its own right, the fluffy Frenchie deserves an honorable mention. This extremely rare variation has longer and fluffier fur than that of the typical French bulldog. It occurs in conjunction with the colors black, chocolate, blue, or lilac and their combinations. The gene responsible for it is known as the Fibroblast growth factor.
Rarity: Rare
AKC: Not recognized
Summary of French Bulldog Colors: Full List from Most Common to Rarest
This list contains all variations of French bulldog colors from most common to rarest.
Variation Name
Description
Degree of Rarity
1
Brindle
A lighter shade of fawn
Standard
2
Brindle and White
Brindle with white markings
Common
3
Black Brindle
Black base coat with fawn streaks
Fairly common
4
Cream
Pale (typically off-white or ivory)
Common
5
Fawn
Light tan (including beige or golden/reddish tan)
Common
6
Fawn and White
Fawn with white patches
Common
7
Fawn Brindle
Fawn with brindle pattern
Common
8
Pied (Piebald)
White base coat with variable colored markings
Fairly common
9
Black Pied
White base coat with black markings
Fairly common
10
Red Pied
White base coat with red markings
Fairly common
11
Blue Pied
White base coat with blue markings
Rare
12
Red
Light brown coat with reddish tint
Fairly common
13
Red Fawn
Red with ashy sheen
Fairly common
14
Beige
A mixture of merle and tan patterns
Fairly common
15
Black and White
Black base coat with white markings
Fairly common
16
White
All-white coat
Unusual
17
Tan
Solid base coat with tan or fawn markings
Unusual
18
Black and Tan
Black base coat with tan markings
Unusual
19
Blue and Tan
Blue base coat with tan markings
Unusual
20
Chocolate and Tan
Chocolate base coat with tan markings
Unusual
21
Lilac and Tan
Lilac base coat with tan markings
Unusual
22
Merle and Tan
Mixture of merle and tan patterns
Unusual
23
Chocolate
Light or dark chocolate coat
Rare
24
Pure Black
Black coat either with no markings or with a white chest
Rare
25
Platinum
Similar to albino but with a lustrous coat
Rare
26
Merle
Light coat with colored mottling
Rare
27
Black Merle
Light coat with black mottling
Rare
28
Blue Merle
Light coat with blue mottling
Rare
29
Lilac Merle
Light coat with lilac mottling
Rare
30
Blue
Light grey to bluish grey to nearly black
Rare
31
Blue Fawn
Fawn base coat with blue sheen, often with a bluish mask
Rare
32
Blue Brindle
Blue base coat with light fawn streaks
Rare
33
Lilac
Ashy or silvery coat
Rare
34
Lilac Fawn
Fawn base coat with silvery sheen
Rare
35
Lilac Sable
Similar to lilac fawn with black fur
Rare
36
Isabella
Similar to a lilac fawn with black fur
Rarest
37
Fluffy
Long hair in conjunction with black, chocolate, blue, or lilac color variations
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