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Frenchies & Their Colors
Did you know that only 8 French Bulldog colors and 5 coat markings are officially recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC)?
These 8 colors aren’t the only colors you’ll find Frenchies with, though!
There’s more than meets the eye…
Not all Frenchie colors are created equally! The genetics behind some colors are linked to different health issues… and other colors are just rarer & more expensive.
Some colors have health issues
Colors such as white and merle have much higher rates of deafness compared to other colors!
Possible health issues linked to coat colors include…
- Allergies
- Deafness
- Blindness
- Joint issues
- Eye anomalies
- Increased fetal mortality rates
- Health insights that matter
- Tells you exactly what breeds your dog is
- Results in 2–4 weeks discussed with vet or geneticist
Some colors are rarer than others
Frenchies come in a whole bunch of colors— and you bet that the “rarer” colors such as blue, merle, lilac, and chocolate are going to cost more than your average Frenchie.
The average Frenchie costs anywhere from $2,000–$3,000… these rare colors can cost 2-3x as much!
From standard colors such as fawn & brindle to rarer colors such as blue, merle, and Fluffy Frenchies and patterns such as the “black mask” and “piebald”, there’s one thing for sure: every Frenchie is unique.
Table of Contents
What colors do French Bulldogs come in?
Frenchies come in a whole bunch of colors… but only 8 of them are officially recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC).
French Bulldog Color Price Chart
Not only do Frenchies come in different shapes and sizes— but they also vary in price quite a bit.
The rarer the color, the more expensive it’ll be.
| Color | Price | Recognized by the AKC? |
|---|---|---|
| Brindle | $4,000 | Yes |
| Brindle & White | $4,000 | Yes |
| Cream | $5,000 | Yes |
| Fawn | $5,000 | Yes |
| Fawn & White | $5,000 | Yes |
| Fawn Brindle & White | $5,000 | Yes |
| White | $5,000 | Yes |
| White & Brindle | $5,000 | Yes |
| White & Fawn | $5,000 | Yes |
| Black | $4,500 | No |
| Blue | $6,500 | No |
| Blue Fawn | $6,500 | No |
| Chocolate | $6,500 | No |
| Fawn Brindle | $4,500 | No |
| Grey & White | $5,000 | No |
| Isabella | $6,500+ | No |
| Lilac | $6,500 | No |
| Merle | $6,500 | No |
| Fluffy | $11,000+ | No |
List of all French Bulldog Colors
All French Bulldog Colors: Cream; Fawn; White ; Fawn & White; Brindle; Brindle & White; Fawn Brindle; Fawn Brindle & White; Blue; Blue Fawn; Lilac; Chocolate; Grey & White; Merle; Platinum; and Fluffy.
AKC French Bulldog Colors (8 total): Cream; Fawn; White; Fawn & White; Brindle; Brindle & White; Fawn Brindle; and Fawn Brindle & White
Exotic & Rare French Bulldog Colors: Black; Blue; Blue Fawn; Lilac; Chocolate; Grey & White; Merle; Platinum; and Fluffy.
No, a “Blue Frenchie” is not actually blue— they’re more of a grey color.
Every French Bulldog Color Explained
Just want to know more about a specific Frenchie color? Click a link below to jump to a specific color.
1. Fawn Frenchies
Fawn is a lightish tan color that gets its name from the color of baby deer (fawns).
Fawn Frenchies vary in color
There are many different shades of fawn that range anywhere from a pale tan to deer-red.
AKC Recognized
Fawn is officially recognized as a French Bulldog color by the American Kennel Club (AKC).
What Fawn Frenchies look like
2. Fawn & White Frenchies
Everything above applies, but there are patches of white fur throughout their coat…
- The Fawn part of their coat varies in shade from pale-tan to deer-red
- They can have just a little bit of white in their coat or lots of it
AKC Recognized
Fawn & White is one of the colors officially recognized by the AKC.
What Fawn & White Frenchies look like
3. Cream Frenchies
Cream Frenchies are kinda like a mix between fawn & white.
They commonly have a ”black mask” pattern as you can see in the following picture…
A Black Mask is a coat pattern where the dog has black fur on their snout resembling a “mask”.
What Cream Frenchies look like
4. Brindle Frenchies
Brindle is such a cute color… it’s a mix of black, brown, tan, and/or gold. It’s also one of the more common colors.
It’s also called the ”tiger stripe” pattern because of its similarities to a tiger’s coat.
Don’t believe me? Take a look for yourself!
What Brindle Frenchies look like
5. Brindle & White Frenchies
Just like a brindle Frenchie but with some white fur!
Usually, the white patches are on their chests, however, they can be present anywhere on their coat… their head, back, paws, chest, tail, etc.
What Brindle & White Frenchies look like
6. Black Frenchies
Well, this one is pretty self-explanatory…
Or is it?
What Black Frenchies look like
Black Frenchies can come in a variety of different patterns– some look like they have a “tuxedo”, and others have white paws. Not all black Frenchies look the same!
7. White/Platinum Frenchies
While you might think white Frenchies are obvious, sometimes people get them mixed up with cream Frenchies because they’re so similar in colors.
Some people also call an all-white Frenchie a “Platinum Frenchie”.
Anyways, here’s a picture of a white Frenchie…
What White Frenchies look like
The Role of Color in Hearing
You may be wondering how the color of the coat could affect hearing.
A lack of pigment cells
The reason for this is that these genes are associated with a lack of pigment cells which give the appearance of their coats.
This affects the small hairs in the ear
There are small hairs in the inner ear that are called cilia, and when there is an extreme lack of pigment cells, the cilia may not develop properly, resulting in deafness.
Hearing tests can rule out deafness
If you are interested in a predominantly white French Bulldog or are just concerned about the possibility of your new puppy being deaf, be sure to ask your breeder about performing a BAER test.
8. Blue Frenchies
This one always confused me at first… blue Frenchies are not actually blue!
Instead, blue Frenchies are more of a light grey color like this:
What Blue Frenchies look like
When someone is talking about a “Grey Frenchie”, they probably are referring to a Blue Frenchie
Blue Frenchies are prone to Color Dilution Alopecia, which is a recessive genetic disorder that causes patches of hair to thin and/or hair loss.
While there is testing available for Color Dilution Alopecia, there is no cure.
9. Blue Fawn Frenchies
My Frenchie is a blue fawn… the mix of blue & fawn comes out to look like a lightish grey & fawn color.
A picture can explain better than I can… just look at my Blue Fawn Frenchie!
What Blue Fawn Frenchies look like
10. Merle Frenchies
Merle Frenchies are prone to some health issues.
They have a high incidence of health issues such as eye anomalies, deafness, blindness, and increased fetal mortality rates.
What Merle Frenchies look like
11. Chocolate Frenchies
This brown chocolate-like Frenchie is one of the cutest colors out there…
It’s not officially recognized by the AKC but that doesn’t make it any less cute!
What Chocolate Frenchies look like
As the name implies, Chocolate is a dark-brown coat color that is quite rare to see in Frenchies.
Never seen a Chocolate Frenchie? Well now’s your chance!
Isn’t he such a cutie?
French Bulldog Coat Markings
In addition to a variety of coat colors, there are also “markings” that your Frenchie can have such as a black mask, piebald, ticked, etc.
French Bulldog Markings officially recognized by the AKC are…
- Black mask
- Black markings
- White markings
- Brindle markings
- Piebald
Black Mask
A “masked” Frenchie is one that has a black snout, but the rest of their coat is another color.
This marking is super common & super cute… my Frenchie is “masked”, what about yours?
What to know about Black Masked Frenchies
- The Black Mask pattern can be present on any colored Frenchie
- A black mask is also known as a melanistic mask
- Sometimes the ears can be black as well
- Not always black— the color of a “Black Mask” can also be brown, dark gray, or light gray-brown
- It’s an official coat pattern recognized by the AKC
What Black Masked Frenchies look like
Ticked Frenchies
A ticked Frenchie is one that has very small spots of one color (usually white) mixed in with its coat’s main color. This coat pattern is not officially recognized by the AKC.
What Ticked Frenchies look like
Piebald Frenchies
The piebald pattern is when there are spots of unpigmented (white) fur on top of the pigmented (colored) fur.
In this piebald Frenchie, you can see its spots of white fur on top of the black coat:
What Piebald Frenchies look like
Frequently Asked Questions
What French Bulldog colors are considered exotic?
You might have heard of some Frenchie colors being called “exotic”.
The truth about most of these fad colors is that they are made by breeding Frenchies with other dog breeds.
It’s sad that these breeders are after a profit without regard for the health of the breed. Unfortunately, there is a high demand for these “exotic” Frenchies, so I don’t see this practice ending anytime soon.
Fluffy Frenchies
The newest exotic Frenchie on the block is the Fluffy Frenchie.
Believe it or not, these Fluffy Frenchies are actually purebred Frenchies– the gene for fluffiness is just extremely rare.
Yes, you heard me right, some of these Frenchies (as you’re about to see) can even cost as much as $10,000 to $100,000+.
“That’s crazy!”
you might be saying, however, I promise we can explain everything.
Breeding Frenchies is a lot of work!
But, did you know the average cost to breed a French Bulldog is roughly $7000?
What makes breeding French Bulldogs (and hence Frenchie puppies) so expensive is that they require artificial insemination and c-sections to reproduce.
Their very slim hips make it very difficult, if not nearly impossible for them to reproduce naturally.
Not to mention, vet bills, high-quality foods for the puppies, and housing just add to the cost of breeding Frenchies.
There’s no other way to put it, breeding French Bulldogs is a full-time job; they require constant attention and care.
What French Bulldog Colors are Considered Rare?
These colors are not officially recognized by the AKC.
- Blue– looks like a silver/grey color. Grey & White Frenchies are usually “Blue” Frenchies.
- Blue Fawn– This is what color my Frenchie is. It’s a lighter fawn that looks almost “silver” sometimes.
- Blue Brindle– a mix of Blue with bits of Brindle mixed in
- Blue Pied– Spots of unpigmented (white) fur on top of a blue coat
- Lilac– a dilute of brown
- Platinum–a lack of pigment – all-white Frenchie
- Merle– random splotches of dark pigment overlayed over a lighter shade of the same color
- Chocolate– the Brown gene (TYRP1); also called the B Locus
- Isabella– a light grey/brown color; famously seen on Weimaraners
- Chocolate Merle– a Merle coat with a base coat of Chocolate
- Blue Fawn Merle– a Merle coat with a base of Blue Fawn
- Platinum Merle– a Merle coat with a base of Platinum/White
What French Bulldog colors are officially recognized by the AKC?
While Frenchies may come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and patterns, there are only a handful that are officially recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC).
The standard French Bulldog colors recognized by the AKC are: cream, fawn, white, fawn & white, brindle, white & brindle, fawn brindle, and fawn brindle & white.
French Bulldog AKC Colors
These are the 8 color combinations officially recognized by the American Kennel Club for French Bulldogs:
French Bulldog AKC Markings
Frenchies not only come in 8 different colors but 5 different markings. These are the patterns the AKC recognizes:
- Black mask
- White markings
- Black markings
- Brindle markings
- Piebald
Other French Bulldog Markings
You might see Frenchies with these markings, but the AKC would disqualify a Frenchie with these markings (not important unless you want your dog to compete in AKC dog shows)
- Spotted
- Ticked
- Tan Points