With so many Frenchie colors and patterns, it’s easy to get confused about what to choose.
You know of brindle, fawn, and cream Frenchies, but have you seen a pied Frenchie?
So, what exactly is a pied French Bulldog?
This guide will tell you all you need to know about these stunning dogs.
Come with us.
What Is a Pied French Bulldog?
A pied French Bulldog is a Frenchie with a predominantly white coat (at least 50%) and random large dark-colored patches on different body parts. The patches are mostly found on the back, ears, eyes, and neck.
What does pied mean in dogs?
Pied is a short form for piebald, a specific gene found in dogs that causes their outer coat to be completely white. However, this does not imply that a dog with the piebald gene is bald. The gene has nothing to do with the thickness and amount of a dog’s fur shedding.
The piebald gene is recessive, making it rare. Thus, both parents must carry the gene for a puppy to be pied.
What does pied mean in French Bulldogs?
The piebald gene in French Bulldogs works the same as in all other dog breeds. It causes a Frenchie to have an eggshell white coat color with dark-colored patches all over their bodies. For a French Bulldog to be considered a pied, its coat must be at least 50% white. Pied is not a color but rather a pattern.
Origin
The pied French Bulldog shares the same history as the regular French Bulldog. Despite what their name suggests, Frenchies are not from France. These dogs were initially bred in England and were descendants of the British Bulldogs used for bull-baiting and bloody sport.
However, these bulldogs were later left with no work following the banning of bull-baiting in the early 1800s. To save the dogs, breeders cross-bred them with Pugs and Terriers to create smaller versions of the bulldogs.
In the early 1900s, these minute dogs entered France when the lace workers from Nottingham crossed the channel and settled in Normandy during the industrial revolution. The lace workers used them as ratters and companion dogs. The French Bulldog was later brought to America from France, where their popularity quickly rose due to their small size, pleasant temperament, and cuddly personality.
Pied French Bulldog popularity
The popularity of Pied Frenchies has been on the rise, making it among the most sought-after Frenchie breed. Frenchie enthusiasts who enjoy seeing unusual color combinations in their favorite breed are mostly responsible for the Pied French Bulldog’s appeal. The demand for these dogs has also been influenced by their alleged rarity and breeders’ marketing.
Are pied French Bulldogs rare?
Pied Frenchies are available in various colors and combinations. While some, like brindle pied and fawn pied, are quite common, others, like merle pied, lilac pied, blue pied, and sable pied, are difficult to come by.
Is Pied a recognized pattern?
Yes, most major kennel clubs recognize piebald as a pattern for French Bulldogs. However, not all colors for pied French Bulldogs are universally recognized. For instance, the American Kennel Club only accepts pied Frenchies in cream, fawn, and brindle colors.
Can you breed two pied French Bulldogs?
Yes, it’s possible to breed two pied Frenchies successfully and produce healthy puppies, as there are no health issues linked to the pied coat.
7 Fun Facts About The Pied Frenchie
These are some facts about the pied French Bulldog that you should be aware of before getting one:
- They are good communicators: While pied Frenchies are not known to be loud barkers, they love to communicate and express themselves. These dogs use a combination of subtle noises like yips, howls, or gargles to spark a conversation.
- They are not good swimmers: Due to their body structure that’s marked by large heads, short necks and muzzles, and short legs, pied Frenchies, just like all other Frenchies, are unable to float in water for a long time. This makes them highly likely to drown in water.
- They make great companions: Like all other Frenchies, pied Frenchies are bred for companionship. These dogs are loving, affectionate, loyal, and even-tempered. They love to spend spending time with their owners. They are also highly social dogs.
- They snore a lot: French Bulldogs, pied Frenchies included, are brachycephalic dogs. This means they have flattened snouts with narrow airways, making them more prone to loud snoring than dogs with longer snouts.
- Fawn Frenchies can’t reproduce naturally: Just like regular Frenchies, pied Frenchies cannot give birth naturally due to their small hips. They can only reproduce via artificial insemination and cesarean section.
- They are prone to several health issues: Like all other Frenchies, pied Frenchies are susceptible to numerous hereditary health problems, including breathing difficulties and skin and eye issues.
- They are highly sensitive: French Bulldogs are generally a very sensitive breed that does not handle criticism well. Harsh punishment and yelling do not work well for these Frenchies.
Pied French Bulldogs – Coat Color Inheritance
The pied pattern is recessive for solid coats such as fawn, cream, or brindle. The pied pattern is a result of autosomal recessive heredity.
Autosomal inheritance means that the gene is located on one of the 38 pairs of chromosomes (sex chromosome excluded) in a dog. The piebald gene is recessive, meaning a dog must inherit both gene copies to display the pied coat pattern. A dog with only a single gene copy will not have a pied coat but will be a carrier.
Pied French Bulldogs Genetics
To get a pied French Bulldog, you’ll need to breed two pied Frenchies, or a pied Frenchie with a solid-colored Frenchie who is a carrier of the pied gene, or two solid-colored Frenchies who are both carriers of the pied gene.
Pied to Pied
Breeding a Pied Frenchie with another Pied Frenchie will give 100% pied offspring. This is the surest way to get a pied Frenchie.
Pied to a solid marked dog that carries pied
Breeding a pied Frenchie with a solid-marked dog that carries the pied gene is expected to produce 50% pied puppies and 50% solid-marked puppies that carry the recessive pied gene.
Pied to a solid marked dog that does not carry pied
Breeding a pied dog to a solid marked dog that does not carry the pied gene will result in none of the offspring being pied, but 100% of the offspring will carry the pied allele.
Solid marked pied carrier to solid marked pied carrier
The predicted outcome will be:
- 25% would be a solid-marked offspring that does not have the pied gene.
- 50% will be a solid offspring carrying the pied allele
- 25% would be a pied offspring
Pied marking patterns
Pied comes in a wide range of marking patterns. A heavily marked pied dog can be referred to as a blanket, Boston marked or mantled pied, while a dog that appears white can be referred to as an extreme pied dog.
Deafness and pieds
Pied dogs are prone to deafness due to their genetic makeup. The spiral-shaped inner ear cavity, the cochlea, is lined with cochlear hair cells. When healthy, these hair cells produce and magnify sound. Deafness occurs when the hair cells die soon after birth( usually between 2-4 weeks in dogs) in pigment-associated hereditary deafness.
High K+ and low Na+ concentrations are specifically required for the health of these hair cells and the underlying structure. Melanocytes, which are pigment cells, are in charge of preserving this level. When the cochlea lacks pigment cells, the stria degenerates, and the high K+ levels in the fluid surrounding the hair cells are not maintained.
As a result, the cochlear hair cells die, causing the dog to become deaf. While pied dogs may have some pigment on the ears, they are still prone to deafness.
How Many Breeds of Pied French Bulldogs Are There?
There are several breeds of the pied French Bulldogs. However, breeders continue mixing and matching all sorts of pied Frenchies together to produce rare and differently-colored pied Frenchies. While some colors are common, others are considered exotic and rare.
The standard colors for the pied French Bulldog, which the AKC accepts, include cream, brindle, fawn, and black. Rare breeds of the pied Frenchies come in shades of Lilac, tan, chocolate, merle, isabella, or blue.
Pied French Bulldog Colors
Source: lunita_and_luigiandthe.pied.frenchie.girls
The following are some pied French Bulldog colors:
Blue Pied French Bulldog
A blue-pied Frenchie has a white coat with unique bluish-gray patches. This blue hue results from a dilution gene that lightens the black pigment in a Frenchie’s coat. Additionally, blue pied Frenchies have blue eye rims, noses, and paw pads. They may also have blue eyes. The AKC does not accept Blue Pied Frenchies for showing or registration.
Fawn Pied French Bulldog
This Frenchie comes in a white base coat with yellowish-tan patches. The AKC accepts these pups as a standard color variation of the pied French Bulldog. They can therefore be registered and participate in AKC shows.
Blue Fawn Pied French Bulldog
A French Bulldog with a fawn-pied coat, blue nose, paw pads, eye rims, and lips. Besides being blue on parts that are supposed to be black, a blue fawn-pied Frenchie is similar to a regular fawn-pied Frenchie.
Blue and tan Pied French Bulldog
This pup has a blue pied coat with tan patches that usually appear on the muzzle, chest, eyebrows, and cheeks.
Blue and white Pied French Bulldog
These Frenchies have a white base color. You can refer to them as blue and white pied Frenchies or blue pied Frenchies.
Blue brindle Pied French Bulldog
A blue brindle-pied Frenchie has a white base coat with brindle patches. Brindle patches normally have a light base with black stripes, but the stripes are blue for a blue brindle-pied Frenchie.
Blue sable Pied French Bulldog
In sable, the fawn hair is uniformly interspersed with dark hair, giving the coat dark tips. A blue sable pied Frenchie is covered in a white coat with sable patches. However, the dark hairs in this dog are blue rather than black. The nose, eyes, and lips of a blue sable pied Frenchie are also blue.
Pied Merle French Bulldog
A pied merle Frenchie is covered in a white coat with blue and gray patches. This pattern is rare, making pied merle Frenchies hard to find.
Brindle Pied French Bulldog
This dog comes in a white coat with brindle patches. The brindle pattern has tiger-like stripes and the pied brindle Frenchie has fawn or brown patches with black vertical lines.
White and brindle Pied French Bulldog
This refers to a brindle-pied French Bulldog. It has a white base coat with brindle patches.
Lilac Pied French Bulldog
Lilac is diluted chocolate, just like blue is diluted black. A lilac pied Frenchie has a white coat with lilac patches. These dogs have the merle gene and can thus be also referred to as lilac pied merle Frenchies.
Lilac and tan Pied French Bulldog
This comes in a lilac and white coat with tan patches mainly around the ears, front legs, and muzzle.
Lilac fawn Pied French Bulldog.
A lilac fawn pied Frenchie comes in a white coat with lilac and fawn patches. Although these colors may appear similar, there is a noticeable shade variation you can’t miss if you are keen.
Irish Pied French Bulldog
Irish pied is a unique variation of the pied pattern. When a Frenchie has a white belly and a dark back, it is called an Irish pied Frenchie. These dogs may also have a white mask, neck, and feet.
Merle Pied French Bulldog
This Frenchie has a white base coat with irregular patches of a diluted darker hue which could be red or blue.
Red Pied French Bulldog
These dogs feature a white base coat with gorgeous reddish-brown spots.
Red Fawn Pied French Bulldog
The red fawn pied has a white base coat with fawn and reddish-brown patches.
Black Pied French Bulldog
This Frenchie has a white coat with black spots resembling a cow’s hide. These Frenchies are also called black-and-white Frenchies.
Black brindle Pied French Bulldog
The brindle pattern is a light base coat with dark vertical lines. A Frenchie with a white base coat and black vertical lines is called a black brindle-pied French Bulldog.
White Pied French Bulldog
While a pied pattern refers to spots of a different color on a white base coat, a pied Frenchie can be entirely white. Such a Frenchie has very little to no color other than white on its body.
Black and white Pied French Bulldog
This is also called a black pied Frenchie. This Frenchie features a white coat with black spots giving it a cow hide-like look.
Black and tan Pied French Bulldog
This French Bulldog has tan patches and a black and white coat.
Honey Pied French Bulldog
These Frenchies come in a white base coat with patches of shade that resemble honey, which is why they are lovingly called honey pied. These Frenchies are pretty similar to fawn-pied Frenchies.
Chocolate Pied French Bulldog
A chocolate-pied Frenchie has a white base coat with patches of brown. The brown hue results from a rare dilution gene that changes the black coat color to liver-brown. These pups also have brown eye rims, paw pads, noses, and lips.
Extreme Pied French Bulldog
A Frenchie is considered an extreme pied if at least 90% of its coat is white.
Cream Pied French Bulldog
A cream-pied Frenchie has a white base coat with light fawn or cream patches.
Fawn and white Pied French Bulldog
This Frenchie is similar to the regular fawn pied Frenchie but has more white on its coat.
White Blue Pied French Bulldog
This Frenchie has a white coat with small blue patches on its coat.
Ticked Pied French Bulldog
Ticking means dots or spots. A ticked-pied Frenchie has a white coat with dark-colored specks.
Blue Irish Pied French Bulldog
A blue Irish pied French Bulldog has a white base coat with blue patches on its back, head, and top of arms.
Brown Pied French Bulldog
Unlike chocolate-pied Frenchies, brown-pied Frenchies have black-colored noses, lips, and paw pads rather than liver-colored ones.
Lemon Pied French Bulldog
This Frenchie has a white coat with very light brown or golden patches on its body.
Sable Pied French Bulldog
It is a fawn coat with dark hair interspersed to give it a dark-tipped appearance. Sable pied Frenchies have a white coat with sable patches.
Silver Pied French Bulldog
This Frenchie has a white base coat with light gray patches.
Tri Pied French Bulldog
These Frenchies have three colors on their coats, two of which are tan and white.
How Are Pied French Bulldogs Different?
Besides their coat color, pied Frenchies are like regular Frenchies. Like all Frenchies, pied Frenchies are calm, loving, affectionate, and even-tempered. They make excellent family pets. Due to their compact size and low barking tendencies, the pied Frenchies are ideal for apartments and small living spaces. They are also friendly, non-aggressive, and playful, making them great companions for children.
In short, the only difference between a pied Frenchie and a regular one is just the coat color. They have the same temperament, exercise needs, grooming needs, and dietary requirements.
Pied French Bulldog Appearance
Pied French Bulldogs are not different from regular Frenchies. Besides the coat and coat color, pied Frenchies share similar physical attributes to the standard Frenchie. This dog has a muscular, compact body with a large square head and erect, bat-like ears.
In addition to their brachycephalic facial structure marked by a squished-in facial appearance, pied Frenchies also have short noses, loose jowls, a short, straight tail, powerful jaws, and a muscular neck. A cream Frenchie also has a straight back with a tucked-in appearance.
Pied French Bulldog Size
A pied French Bulldog is considered a small dog like the regular French Bulldog.
How big do Pied French Bulldogs get?
A fully grown pied French Bulldog stands 13 inches in height and weighs up to 28 pounds. A male pied Frenchie is slightly bigger than a female pied Frenchie.
How long do pied French Bulldogs live?
Like other Frenchies, pied Frenchies have an expected lifespan of 10-12 years. However, your Frenchie can live beyond this age with the right nutrition, care, and exercise.
Personality and Temperament
Pied Frenchies have a lovely temperament. These dogs are known for being loving, affectionate, loyal, and social. They have a calm and agreeable demeanor which makes them excellent family companions. They are playful, observant, and gentle, making great playmates for children.
Like all other Frenchies, pied Frenchies are highly adaptable dogs that can live anywhere and under any circumstances. These pups are best suited for apartments and small living spaces due to their small sizes, low maintenance requirements, and low barking tendencies.
Although sometimes stubborn, Pied Frenchies are intelligent dogs that can quickly grasp basic commands. These dogs respond best to positive reinforcement training techniques.
Do Pied French Bulldogs make good family dogs?
Yes, pied French Bulldogs make good family dogs. They are even-tempered and calm, making them perfect companion dogs that relate well with children and other pets. Pied Frenchies are affectionate, loving, charming, and highly loyal, making them a great fit for families. Additionally, pied Frenchies are not known to be aggressive.
Pied French Bulldog Training & Exercise Requirement
Like Frenchies, pied French Bulldogs are smart dogs, making them easy to train. However, these dogs also have a stubborn streak, making training challenging. They can quickly grasp instructions and commands using the right training techniques.
Frenchies generally respond best to positive reinforcement training techniques such as words of encouragement and reward-based training. You’ll also need to be patient and consistent in your training. Remember to keep the training sessions short and entertaining, as Frenchies easily get bored.
Pied Frenchies have moderate energy levels and thus don’t require many exercises to keep them active. Ideally, one hour of low-intensity daily exercises split into two sessions is sufficient to keep these dogs healthy and fit. Being brachycephalic dogs, long or hard exercise sessions can lead to over-exertion and breathing problems.
Pied French Bulldog Grooming and Cleaning
Pied Frenchies have a short, smooth coat that’s easy to groom. These pups don’t need much in terms of grooming. With weekly brushing and occasional baths when necessary, pied Frenchies are good to go. Regular brushing will help distribute oils throughout your dog’s coat, keeping it healthy and shiny.
While these Frenchies will not need frequent bathing, you must regularly clean their wrinkles and skin folds to prevent bacterial infections. Ensure you keep these areas completely dry, as moisture provides a breeding area for bacteria. You can use a damp towel or dog wipes between baths to keep your dog clean.
Read more on How To Bathe A French Bulldog Puppy + BATHING PRODUCTS and How To Clean Your French Bulldog Face and Folds.
Pied French Bulldog Food and Diet
Pied Frenchies require a fully balanced, high-quality diet for optimal health. The ideal food should be nutrient-dense and made using natural ingredients. It should be high in protein and fiber but low in carbs, fats, and salt.
Like the regular Frenchie, pied Frenchies are prone to weight gain and obesity. It’s thus important to feed the right amount of food based on the age and size of your dog. Ideally, Frenchies need about 2-3 cups of food portioned into two servings. You can give healthy snacks in between meals if you do it in moderation to avoid unhealthy weight gain.
Further reading
- 10 Best Dog Food for Frenchies with Allergies: What to Choose
- 10 Best Fresh Dog Food for French Bulldogs
- Best Fish Oil for Frenchies
- 10 Best Foods for French Bulldogs
- What can Frenchies eat and what can’t eat
Are Pied French Bulldogs hypoallergenic?
No, Pied Frenchies are not hypoallergenic. Although they have short coats, these dogs shed moderately and produce significant amounts of dander. This makes them an unideal choice for people with allergies.
Pied French Bulldog Health Issues
French Bulldogs are generally susceptible to several health issues, and pied Frenchies are not exempted. These are some health problems that Pied Frenchies are prone to:
Allergies:
Frenchies are generally more prone to allergies and sensitivities from food and environmental factors. This happens when a dog’s immune system negatively reacts to environmental substances triggering symptoms like itching, redness, skin irritation, and digestive issues.
Hip Dysplasia:
This is a condition in which the hip joint is malformed and does not function as it should. The condition results in pain, arthritis, and partial immobility.
Corneal Dystrophy:
This condition prevents the cells on the surface of a dog’s eyes from growing resulting in some eyesight loss.
Patellar Luxation:
Pied Frenchies are prone to patellar luxation, a condition involving kneecap dislocation. This condition causes pain, instability, immobility, and lameness. This condition limits mobility.
Cataracts:
This condition leads to the clouding of the eye’s lens in dogs interfering with proper vision. This cloudiness is caused by changes in the water balance in the lens or changes to the proteins within the lens. Although not painful, a dog may need surgery to correct this condition.
Heart Problems:
Like all other Frenchies, pied Frenchies are prone to heart conditions such as pulmonic stenosis, cardiomyopathy, and mitral valve disease.
Brachycephalic Syndrome:
This refers to a particular set of upper airway abnormalities such as elongated soft palate, stenotic nares, and laryngeal collapse, among others. This results in respiratory and breathing problems in Frenchies.
Tracheal Collapse:
Tracheal collapse is when the windpipe weakens and collapses during inhalation. Symptoms of this condition include breathing problems, coughing, fatigue, and stress.
Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease:
This is a condition in which a dog’s hip joint stops developing at the right position, causing lameness and pain in the hind legs.
Elbow Dysplasia:
This happens when elbow joints fail to develop properly during embryonic development, resulting in front-leg pain, lameness, and eventually arthritis.
How Much Does a Pied Frenchie Cost
While the cost of a pied Frenchie will depend on the location, breeder, and color, you can expect to pay between $2500- $6,500 to acquire a pied Frenchie puppy.
Pied French Bulldog Breeders
The following are some of the major Pied Frenchie breeders available:
| Breeder | Contacts |
| Bluehaven French Bulldogs( Northern Utah, USA) | Website: www.bluehavenfrenchbulldogs.com |
| Designer French Bulldogs (New Jersey) | Website: www.designerfrenchbulldogs.com |
| Wild Blue French Bulldogs (Dallas) | website:wildbluefrenchbulldogs.com |
| Woodland Frenchies (Texas) | Website: woodlandfrenchies.com |
| TomKings Kennel (UK) | Website:www.tomkingskennel.com |
| Ocean Crest French Bulldogs (Australia) | Email:oceancrestfrenchies@gmail.com |
| Lindor French Bulldog | Website: lindorfrenchbulldogs.com |
Pied French Bulldog Puppies
Finding a reputable and responsible breeder is essential when buying a pied Frenchie puppy. Any responsible breeder will not hesitate to share useful information regarding the breeding process and the puppy’s health. They will also be willing to provide proof of the good health of their puppies and their parents.
Red Pied French Bulldog puppies
The red-pied Frenchie puppies have the same price as fawn or brown-pied Frenchies.
Blue fawn Pied French Bulldog puppies
These have a silver-like appearance and are quite rare than other pied sub-breeds. They are also more expensive.
Blue Pied French Bulldog puppies
Blue-pied French Bulldog puppies and blue-fawn-pied Frenchies have the same cost of around $6,500.
Brindle Pied French Bulldog puppies
Brindle-pied puppies are common and cost around $4,000.
Honey Pied French Bulldog puppies
While honey pied Frenchies are similar in appearance to fawn Frenchies, their prices are slightly higher.
How do you get a pied French Bulldog?
The surest way to get a pied French Bulldog is by breeding two Frenchies that carry the pied gene together. You can also breed a pied Frenchie with a solid-colored dog carrying the pied gene or two solid-colored Frenchies both carrying the pied gene.
Are pied French Bulldogs desirable?
Yes, just like a regular Frenchie, a pied French is desirable because of its pleasant temperament, small size, and extremely affectionate nature. Their low exercise needs also make them attractive to many.
How much are pied French Bulldogs worth?
Pied French Bulldogs’ price depends on the breeder, location, and color combination. Generally, expect to spend between $2500-$6500 to acquire one.
Can you breed a pied Frenchie to a pied Frenchie?
Yes, you can successfully breed two pied Frenchies without any health problems. This is because there are health issues linked to the pied gene. Breeding these dogs will produce pied offspring.
What is pied in dog DNA?
Pied in a dog’s DNA means having a completely white outer coat with large dark-colored patches.
What makes a dog pied?
The pied pattern in a dog results from a recessive gene that causes its coat to become white. This gene is hereditary, meaning an offspring will inherit it from its parents.
What does a pied Frenchie look like?
A pied Frenchie has a predominantly white coat with large patches on different parts of its body but mostly on the back, ears, and neck. For a Frenchie to be pied, its coat must be at least 50% white.
Can you breed a merle to a pied?
It’s not recommended to breed two coat patterns associated with genetic health problems, such as pied and merles.
What is an extreme pied Frenchie?
An extreme pied Frenchie is a French Bulldog with at least 90% of its coat white. This dog is homozygous for the piebald gene (sp/sp) but appears far more white than other pieds.
Is the Pied French Bulldog Right for Me? Final Thoughts
The pied French Bulldog is a beautiful variant with white fur and stunning patches. This dog makes an amazing family pet as it’s affectionate, loving, loyal, and adorable. Their friendly and easy-going personality makes pied Frenchies a preferred choice for many.
However, just like any other breed, the pied Frenchie comes with its setbacks. It’s prone to various health problems, which may translate to huge costs in terms of vet care. It’s also quite pricey to acquire. But, with proper care, the right training, and some preventive measures, the benefits of this dog far outweigh the potential challenges.