Did you know French Bulldogs come in numerous colors compared to other breeds?
There are over 25 colors of Frenchies you can choose from.
But are all these colors recognized officially by the AKC?
Well, read on to learn all you need to know about the standard and exotic French Bulldog colors and their prices.
French Bulldog Colors. The Standard
The standard colors are recognized by the African Kennel Club (AKC). There are nine standard colors for French Bulldogs, as follows:
Brindle
Brindle is among the most popular French Bulldog colors, which come in a tiger-like pattern. They have a base coat of fawn hairs through which bands of black hairs extend to create a coat ranging from the more common dark brindles, where the black hairs predominate, to the tiger brindles, where the fawn hairs predominate. The light version, marked by predominant fawn hairs, is rare.
Cream
Cream Frenchies come in an eggshell-like color that’s often described as a slightly duller shade of white. This cream color is due to a recessive gene, a dilute form of Fawn. While cream Frenchies are born with a pure cream coat all over their bodies, they develop black shades around the eyes, nose, and mouth as they age.
Fawn
Derived from the color of a baby deer, the Fawn is lightish-tan color. Fawn Frenchies come in different shades, ranging from very light, almost cream, to a deep fawn red. Some fawn-colored Frenchies have a black mask, a white chest, or patches of white on their coat.
Black
Frenchies with this color have a jet-black smooth coat. A Frenchie must be devoid of genetics for any markings to be considered purely black. Black Frenchies often have sapphire or dark-brown eyes. The black color results from the high concentration of the dark pigment melanin, which gives the coat a deep rich black hue. It’s rare to find a black Frenchie without any markings making them very expensive. Although it’s easy to confuse black Frenchies with brindles, they are not reverse brindles as they do not have any stripes.
Pied
This is not a color but rather a pattern. Pied French Bulldogs have predominantly white coats with large but few dark spots that can appear on any body part. This pattern creates patches around the eyes or ears, giving the Frenchies a unique appearance. The breed standard requires that the prevailing color be white. Pied Frenchies come in over 20 colors, including brindle, Fawn, and cream pied.
French Bulldog Colors. The Exotic
Blue
Rather than a purely blue color, blue Frenchies are more of a silver/grey color. These dogs have a dilute black coat color that gives them a blue or grayish appearance. This color is caused by a dilution gene that affects the coat’s black pigment resulting in a lighter color. The color of blue Frenchies can range from a light grey to a heavier shade of blue-grey.
Blue Frenchies are prone to color dilution alopecia (CDA), a hereditary skin condition that causes dryness, flaky & itchy, and hair loss or thinning.
Merle
Merle is a dominant dog gene that results in a stunning and exotic-looking pale fur pattern with several patches. The Merle gene only causes discoloration on a black-based coat and not a red one. While Merle Frenchies are beautiful and unique, they are prone to various health issues, including blindness, deafness, immunity problems, and color dilution alopecia, particularly those that carry two Merle genes.
Lilac
Lilac Frenchies are marked by a light grey coat with a noticeable lilac hue. This color results from the same dilution gene that causes a blue hue. Lilac Frenchies are among the rarest and most expensive dogs you’ll find. They have grey-blue or reddish-pink noses, blue, light-grey, or amber eyes, plus visible pale pink markings around the eyes and mouth. Lilac Frenchies are prone to health problems that are similar to those of blue Frenchies.
Isabella
Like Lilac Frenchies, these dogs have two copies of the chocolate gene and two copies of the dilution gene. The isabella color results from diluting the recessive color genes adding a stunning pale purplish color to the already chocolate or blue coat. With a greyish-blue, liver-colored coat, the Isabella French Bulldog color is regarded as the rarest of all colors. The eyes of Isabella Frenchies can range from a light brown to a blue color, while the nose can be light brown to pink. You should expect to pay more for this dog.
Chocolate
Chocolate Frenchies come in a rich, dark brown color that resembles that of chocolate. The chocolate hue can range in intensity from milder milk chocolate to a dark, nearly black tone. This chocolate color results from a recessive gene that affects the black pigment in the coat, causing it to turn brown. Like most other diluted dogs, chocolate dogs have lighter eyes that range from green, brown, and golden to bright yellow.
Blue Fawn
These Frenchies have a fawn base coat with a bluish tint. These dogs possess the fawn and black dilution genes, giving them their blue hue. The dogs have light-colored eyes like green or blue, which sets them apart from other fawns. Blue fawn Frenchies have signs of dilution on their mask, noses, ears, and paw pads.
Black and Tan
These Frenchies feature a black coat with a few tan markings, usually on the face, neck, ears, and chest. The exact shade also varies, with some dogs having a lighter shade that’s almost fawn and others a strong dark brown shade. Black and tan Frenchies have no health issues associated with them.
Blue and Tan
Blue and Tan Frenchies have a blue coat with tan markings on some body parts. Different coat colors and markings can mask and make the tan points invisible. A French Bulldog with a blue and tan coat covered in cream will look cream on the outside.
Merle and Tan
Merle being a pattern rather than a color, it can be combined with any French Bulldog hue except for cream and pied. Despite their cuteness, these dogs are still very rare and thus a bit costly.
List of all French Bulldog Colors
French Bulldogs come in various colors compared to other dog breeds. While there are over 25 possible coat colors for Frenchies, only nine are recognized by the American Kennel Club. This is a list of all French Bulldog Colors:
- Cream
- White
- Fawn
- Brindle
- Blue
- Fawn & white
- Brindle & white
- Fawn & Brindle
- Blue & Fawn
- Merle
- Lilac
- Chocolate
- Platinum
- Grey & white
- fluffy
AKC-Approved French Bulldog colors
- Brindle & white
- Fawn Brindle & White
- White & Fawn
- Fawn & White
- Fawn
- Cream
- White
- White & Brindle
- Brindle
French Bulldog Color Price Chart
Frenchies come not only in different sizes and shapes but at varied prices as well. These are the different prices for different colors:
| Color | Price | Recognized by AKC? |
| Brindle | $4000 | Yes |
| Brindle & White | $4000 | Yes |
| Fawn Brindle | $4500 | No |
| Cream | $5000 | Yes |
| Fawn | $5000 | Yes |
| Fawn & White | $5000 | Yes |
| Fawn Brindle & White | $5000 | Yes |
| White | $5000 | Yes |
| White & Brindle | $5000 | Yes |
| White & Fawn | $5000 | Yes |
| Black | $4500 | No |
| Blue | $6500 | No |
| Blue Fawn | $6500 | No |
| Chocolate | $6500 | No |
| Grey & White | $5000 | No |
| Merle | $6500 | No |
| Lilac | $6500 | No |
| Isabella | $6500+ | No |
| Fluffy | $11,000+ | No |
French Bulldog Coat Markings
Besides the different coat sizes, French Bulldogs can also have some markings. The following is the official French Bulldog Markings that the AKC accepts:
- Black mask: Frenchies with this have a black mask that encircles the face and conceals the eyes and muzzle. The remaining part of the coat can be of any color. A masked Frenchie has a black snout with the rest of the body in a different color.
- Black markings: These dogs have either small or large black patches on the coat, which can appear anywhere on the body.
- Piebald: Frenchies with Piebald markings have a mostly white coat with patches of other colors. These spots can be of any size and shape and appear on any part of a dog’s body.
- Brindle markings: This is made of a dark-stripped pattern on a lighter background color. The stripes can be of any size and shape and have different colors, including gray, brown, or black.
- White markings: Frenchies with this marking have huge or tiny white patches which can appear on any part of the coat.
While the above is the official markings that AKC recognizes, there are also other markings that Frenchies can have. These include
- Tan points: This marking consists of tan or rust-colored markings on particular body areas, like under the til, eyebrows, legs, and cheeks.
- Ticked: Frenchies with ticked markings have small dots or specks of color on a white or light-colored background.
- Spotted: Dogs with spotted markings have small, evenly distributed spots of color on a white or light-colored background.
Some colors have health issues.
Some colors are associated with health issues in Frenchies. Generally, Frenchies with very rare colors are more prone to particular health issues. Blue-colored Frenchies are prone to color dilution alopecia ( CDA). White Frenchies, on the other hand, have medical issues like blindness, deafness, and skin problems.
Some colors are rarer than others.
Frenchies also come in rare colors like lilac, Blue, Blue Merle, Chocolate, and Blue Fawn. Since they are uncommon, Frenchies with these unique colors are more expensive than regular ones.
What French Bulldog Colors Are Considered Rare or Exotic?
Although the American Kennel Club (AKC) does not recognize the following colors, they are considered rare or exotic. This makes Frenchies with the colors more costly than the rest.
- Blue
- Lilac
- Blue Fawn
- Blue Brindle
- Merle
- Platinum
- Isabella
- Platinum Merle
- Chocolate
- Chocolate Merle
- Blue Fawn Merle
- Blue Pied
What French Bulldog colors are officially recognized by the AKC?
Frenchies come in different colors and patterns. However, there are only nine colors that the American Kennel Club (AKC) recognizes for French Bulldogs. These standard colors are fawn, fawn & white, cream, brindle, white & brindle, white & Fawn, fawn brindle, white, and fawn brindle & white.
Final Thoughts
French Bulldogs are friendly, loving, and extremely cute. Besides their pleasant and outgoing nature, they are among the most preferred pets. Better still, Frenchies come in various colors and patterns, making choosing the aesthetically pleasing one possible.
However, remember that not all colors are the same. Some French Bulldog colors are more prone to some health issues. Different colors also come at different prices. Generally, the rarer the color, the higher the price you should expect to pay for the Frenchie.
Well, there you have it. All you need to know about the standard and exotic French Bulldog colors. Go ahead and make your choice.
