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French Bulldog colours
Every colour, what produces it genetically, what it costs in the UK, whether the Kennel Club recognises it, and whether it carries any health risk that standard colours do not.
Worth knowing before you pay a premium: none of the "rare" colours are genetically rare. They are simple recessives that any two carriers can produce. What the premium buys is fashion — and in diluted coats, a specific risk of colour dilution alopecia. The full argument is here.
Try it yourself: the colour genetics calculator lets you pick the genes and watch the dog change — including what happens to the nose, which is how you check a seller's claim from a photograph.
Which gene does what
Decides whether brindle striping overlays everything else
kbr (brindle) · ky (allows A locus to show)
Fawn, sable, tan points, or recessive black
ay (fawn) · at (tan points) · a (black)
Can switch off dark pigment in the coat entirely
e/e produces cream — with a black nose
How much white the dog carries
sp/sp produces pied
⚠ Extensive white on the head carries a modest deafness risk
Turns black pigment brown — two separate genes do this
b/b (testable chocolate) · co/co (cocoa)
Lightens black to grey and brown to lilac. Affects skin too, which is why the nose changes
d/d produces blue, lilac, isabella, platinum
⚠ Colour dilution alopecia — permanent coat loss, no cure
Mottled patches of diluted pigment
M/m produces merle · M/M is double merle
⚠ Not native to the breed. Double merle risks deafness and eye defects
What each tier costs, and what it carries
The loci that command the largest premium — dilution and merle — are the same two carrying a health consequence. The ones that cost nothing extra carry none. That is the entire argument about rare colours in one picture: you are paying more for the versions that are more likely to cost you again later. The longer version.
Every colour compared
| Colour | Typical UK price | KC recognised | Genotype | Health flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brindle | £1,800–£3,000 | Yes | kbr/kbr or kbr/ky at the K locus | — |
| Fawn | £1,800–£3,000 | Yes | ay/ay or ay/at at the A locus with ky/ky at K | — |
| Pied | £2,000–£3,500 | Yes | sp/sp at the S locus | 1 |
| Sable | £2,000–£3,500 | Yes | ay/ay at the A locus with dark-tipped guard hairs | — |
| Cream | £2,200–£3,800 | Yes | e/e at the E locus | — |
| Black | £2,500–£5,000 | No | a/a at the A locus, or dense kbr brindle reading as solid | 1 |
| Black and Tan | £3,000–£6,500 | No | at/at at the A locus with ky/ky at K | 1 |
| Blue | £3,500–£8,000 | No | d/d at the D locus (MLPH) | 3 |
| Chocolate | £3,500–£7,000 | No | b/b at the B locus (testable chocolate) | 2 |
| Blue Brindle | £3,500–£7,000 | No | kbr at K with d/d at D | 2 |
| Blue Pied | £3,800–£7,500 | No | sp/sp at S with d/d at D | 3 |
| Blue Fawn | £4,000–£8,500 | No | ay/ay with d/d | 2 |
| Chocolate and Tan | £4,000–£8,000 | No | at/at at A with b/b or co/co | 2 |
| Blue and Tan | £4,500–£9,000 | No | at/at at A with d/d at D | 3 |
| Tri Colour | £4,500–£10,000 | No | at/at at A with sp/sp at S | 3 |
| Lilac | £5,000–£12,000 | No | d/d plus b/b or co/co | 4 |
| Platinum | £5,000–£11,000 | No | Diluted cream — e/e combined with dilution and often cocoa | 3 |
| Merle | £6,000–£15,000 | No | M/m at the M locus (PMEL) | 4 |
| Lilac and Tan | £6,000–£13,000 | No | at/at at A, d/d at D, plus b/b or co/co | 4 |
| Chocolate Merle | £7,000–£15,000 | No | M/m at M with b/b or co/co | 4 |
| Fluffy | £8,000–£20,000 | No | Two copies of a recessive FGF5 variant | 3 |
| New Shade Isabella | £8,000–£18,000 | No | d/d with both b/b and co/co in combination | 3 |
| Blue Merle | £8,000–£20,000 | No | M/m combined with d/d | 4 |
| Lilac Merle | £9,000–£20,000 | No | M/m at M, d/d at D, plus b/b or co/co | 5 |
Standard colours
Kennel Club recognised, no colour-linked health risk, and priced accordingly.
Non-standard colours
Outside the breed standard. Some carry specific health considerations.
Premium colours
The top of the market. Read the health notes carefully before paying the premium.