About Blue French Bulldogs

Blue frenchies are just like any other French Bulldog except that their coat colour is blue where it would otherwise be black. The blue colouring is the result of a double recessive dilute “d” gene which turns the black hair to blue. Blue French Bulldogs carry “d/d” and blue carriers (which are not blue in colour, but can produce blue if bred to another blue carrier or a blue) carry “D/d”, and frenchies who are not blue or blue carries have "D/D" (unless they are chocolate, or a chocolate carrier, in which case they would have a recessive "b" gene). Whew… did you get that?

Blue French Bulldogs come in three distinct color/patterns - blue brindle (grey/blue with grey/blue or tan brindle markings) blue fawn (fawn colored with grey/blue points - note: masked dogs will have a grey coloured mask rather than the typical black) and blue pied (grey/blue and white).

As far as health concerns, blue French Bulldogs are just as healthy as any other colour and there is no evidence to suggest otherwise. Blue frenchies come from the same French Bulldog gene pool, and the majority of their ancestors are the typical frenchie colours (fawn, red, cream and brindle).

Blue frenchies are a natural occurrence. There are many other breeds, like the French Bulldog, that come in a variety of colours including blue (e.g. Italian Greyhounds, Poodles, Great Danes, Chows, Weimaraners, Dobermans and Chihuahuas). Any dog that comes in black can also come in blue if they carry the dilute “d/d” gene. In many of these breeds blue is a recognized colour. Unfortunately, as of yet, the French Bulldog is not one of them.

That does not mean that blue French Bulldogs can not be registered. Our blue French Bulldogs are purebred and are registered with the Canadian Kennel Club. They just are not shown (at least not at this time). I am however, very hopeful that one day Blue and Chocolate French Bulldogs will be accepted in the breed standard. After all, breed standards are not written in stone - they change over time.

The original French Bulldog standard written in 1897 states that "the color should be uniform, pure of its kind and brilliant. Preference should be given as follows: dark brindle, dark brindle and white; all other brindles, all other colors. In brindle and solid colors, a small white patch on breast is not considered detrimental" (http://www.frenchbulldogclub.org). It says nothing about the following colour disqualifications that are currently in the breed standard (black and white, black and tan, liver, mouse or solid black). Therefore, we can assume that both blue and chocolate French Bulldogs would have met the standard during that time period.

It is still up for debate (and probably always will be) as to whether blue is what would be considered “mouse” and chocolate “liver” coloured - although it would seem logical to assume this is the case. Either way, it is time that we took a good hard look at the current standard and start defining more clearly what is accepted and what is not, and more importantly - why?

When it comes to blue and chocolate frenchies, many long-time French Bulldog Breeders are against breeding them and for some good reasons.

Unfortunately, blue and chocolate French Bulldogs are somewhat of a "fad", and unethical breeders are currently flooding the market with any blue or chocolate dog they can reproduce no matter what the conformation, quality or health of the pups in order to cash in on the demand for them. In fact, they can't pump them out fast enough!

This needs to stop, and one of the best ways to stop it is to lower the price of them. It is almost ludicrous what some people are charging for blues and chocolates while advocating that they are no different than any other French Bulldog.

Obviously, breeders who are pioneering the reintroduction of these colours paid premium prices for their blues (especially ones of nice quality) and must be able to recoup some of that investment. That being said, it should not be at highway robbery prices.

If you are thinking of buying a blue (or chocolate) be very careful. Talk to the breeder and ask them why the got into them and understand their reasoning for it. Do not buy into the whole “rare” and “exotic” thing. At the rate that some breeders are pumping out blues (and chocolates) they are far from rare and exotic. What is rare, is to find a blue or chocolate French Bulldog that actually conforms to the weight and height restrictions of the breed.

As it is, many blue French Bulldogs do not meet the standard (colour aside) as far as conformation goes (height, weight, bone structure etc.) In fact, some blues are topping off at 35 - 40 pounds when the standard is no more than 28!

In my opinion, it is one thing to have a different coat colour, but it is a totally different thing not to meet the French Bulldog standard as far as weight, height and structure is concerned. Obviously, the reason for breed standards is so that French Bulldogs end up looking like French Bulldogs and not English Bulldogs with bat ears.

So where do we draw the line? Is it a double standard to say that blue and chocolate French Bulldogs should be accepted in the standard, but that a dog that exceeds the height limitation by two inches is not bred to standard?

The bottom line is that structure is far more important than colour. A fawn or brindle French Bulldog with excellent conformation is a much better representation of the breed than a blue one that is too long in the leg or back. Likewise, a blue French Bulldog with excellent conformation is much nicer than a fawn or brindle that exhibits the same previously mentioned undesirable traits.

If anything, a blue or chocolate coat colour on a French Bulldog can only be considered a minor fault by today’s breed standard as it has nothing to do with the individual dog's health, temperament or suitability as a pet.

I think the key is, if you are going to get into breeding blue or chocolate French Bulldogs, breed them ethically, know the bloodlines, study the pedigrees and breed them so that they are structurally correct.

If you are just looking for one as a pet - talk to the breeder, ask questions and don't break your bank just to own one. That is not to say you shouldn't expect to pay a little more for one, but it should be within reason. Make sure you talk to responsible breeders who are in it because they love the breed (and the colour) not because they want to make a quick buck.

The ironic thing is that blues and chocolates are only going to get better conformation wise, and the price will eventually drop to match that of any other French Bulldog. However, this will only happen when responsible breeders start selectively choosing the best blues (and chocolates) to breed to, and work together to ensure a diversified gene pool. If this happens, we will see the conformation of blues and chocolates slowly improve over time. And then who knows? Maybe they will become an accepted colour within the standard.

Whatever your opinions are, it is a very interesting time for French Bulldog breeders and fanciers alike. I feel very privileged to be a part of such a special breed.

~ Amy Presse