What is an Exotic French Bulldog?
An Exotic French Bulldog is a term used to refer to Frenchie’s that don’t conform to the breed standard. These can sometimes be referred to as Fad colors and can encompass a large range of unique looking French Bulldogs
Blue French Bulldog
The Blue French Bulldog is caused by the combination of a set of recessive genes. These are located in the D Locus and are referred to as the dilution gene although can also be called Blue. This gene lightens the colors which are present within the Frenchie. With this being recessive it requires the gene to be passed on by both parents. This however does not mean that Non-Blue French Bulldogs can’t have Blue puppies as long as they carry the gene.
Blue Merle French Bulldog
A Blue Merle French Bulldog is the combination of the Blue Frenchie coloring with the Merle pattern. The Merle pattern is a dominant gene and only requires one copy to be present. Despite this it is rarely seen due to health issues with breeding Merle dogs together. There are huge health issues linked to dogs which have two copies of the Merle gene and these are referred to as Double Merle. Due to this there is a reluctance to breed Merle dogs as this could lead to detrimental health effects.
Blue Brindle French Bulldog
Brindle is one of the most common patterning effects present on French Bulldogs. It is however much rarer to find it combined with the Blue base coat. Brindle is where there are intertwining areas of darker and lighter shades of fur. In a Blue Frenchie this leads to a beautiful combination between light and darker Blue across the Frenchie.
Blue Fluffy French Bulldog
Whilst most Frenchie’s have a short coat which will shed a couple of times a year this isn’t the case with a Fluffy Frenchie. They will have a much longer coat thanks to this rare genetic combination which requires genes to be passed from both parents. The Long-haired coat has much different requirements from the standard short hair. It is not confirmed as being hypoallergenic but by all accounts it does appear not to shed or shed less.
Blue Tri Color French Bulldog (Blue and Tan Frenchie)
The Blue Tri Color French Bulldog is another rare exotic Frenchie. It is often referred to as Tri Color due to the two additional colors that come from the Tan Point gene. This is caused by a recessive gene to the more common Fawn color. This make a striking Blue, Tan and White coloring to the coat on a French Bulldog.
Chocolate French Bulldog
The Chocolate French Bulldog is considered a non-standard Frenchie color and therefore is considered Exotic. There are two different ways in which a Chocolate Frenchie can appear and both are sets of recessive genes. The more common genetic combination for producing Chocolate relates to the Cocoa gene. This is represented in DNA tests as coco with the small letters representing it’s presence.
The second way in which Chocolate can be present in a French Bulldog relates to the Brown/Liver gene. This can also be referred to as Testable Chocolate due to it’s ability to be DNA tested prior to the Cocoa gene being testable.
Chocolate Merle French Bulldog
Merle itself is a dominant gene but is not known to be present in the original genetics of French Bulldog’s. Due to this it is still rarely found within French Bulldogs. The Merle patterning displays itself in patches of lighter and darker fur across the body of the Frenchie. These are usually smaller patches around the facial area and larger on the body.
Chocolate Brindle French Bulldog
Brindling is a unique looking effect found on many different types of dog. It is commonly seen within French bulldogs and it leads to a tiger stripe style pattern of lighter and darker shades. This leads to a beautiful Light/Dark Brown effect throughout a Chocolate Frenchie with a unique look.
Chocolate Fluffy French Bulldog
Fluffy Frenchie’s are caused by a set of recessive genes. They can also be referred to as Long-Haired French Bulldogs. They have different grooming requirements to a standard French Bulldog due to the fact they don’t shed as much if at all. This also makes some believe that they are hypoallergenic although this is unconfirmed.
Chocolate Tri Color French Bulldog (Chocolate and Tan Frenchie)
Chocolate Tri Color French Bulldog’s combine the recessive Chocolate gene with the rare Tan gene. This leads to a combination of Chocolate, Tan and White in a beautiful Tri-Color effect. This is a very rare and expensive Frenchie which is realistically only achieved through targeted breeding.
Lilac French Bulldog
Lilac is formed by combining the recessive genes found in both the Blue and Chocolate French Bulldog. The Lilac color requires a specific part of the Chocolate genetics with that being the Cocoa gene. Combining the Cocoa gene with Blue gives off the beautiful Lilac effect.
Lilac Merle French Bulldog
With Merle being a rare patterning and Lilac being a rare color it is very unusual to see this exotic dog outside of targeted breeding. The patterning on this dog will be mainly a base coat of Lilac with lighter patches of fur throughout it’s coat. These will usually be found in smaller amounts around it’s face and larger along it’s body. It is important to remember never to breed two Merle dogs together due to the chance of producing a Double Merle. Double Merle’s have a large range of health issues which result in a short life for almost all and therefore should be avoided.
Lilac Brindle French Bulldog
The Brindle effect is a much loved patterning on dogs and is commonly found on French Bulldogs. It is rarely combined with lilac however due to a number of French Bulldog breeders looking to avoid the Brindling effect. When a Lilac Brindle is seen it will have varying shades of Lilac striped throughout it’s coat.
Lilac Fluffy French Bulldog
The Fluffy gene is one of the most sought after throughout the French Bulldog genetics. This is due to it’s beautiful long-haired look and it’s rumoured yet unproven hypoallergenic trait. This combined with Lilac makes an incredibly rare and highly sought after Frenchie. A breeder would pay a high price for a dog with these genetics.
Lilac Tri Color French Bulldog (Lilac and Tan Frenchie)
One of the most sought after French bulldogs is the Lilac Tri-Color also known as Lilac and Tan. Lilac and Tan French Bulldogs combine the rare genetics of Blue and Cocoa with the tan point gene. This results in a Lilac base coat with patches of tan and white around it’s body. This is how it gets it’s Tri-Color name.
Isabella French Bulldog
Isabella is similar to Lilac in a number of ways and is often referred to as Double Lilac. The difference between Lilac and Isabella relates to the Chocolate genetics which is combined with Blue to produce the combined color. Where as Cocoa is used to produce Lilac the Brown/Testable Chocolate is used to produce Isabella. The only guaranteed way to tell between Isabella and Lilac is through a DNA test. It is thought that of this coloring around 10% are likely to be Isabella and 90% Lilac.
Isabella Merle French Bulldog
Isabella when combined with Merle would be a highly sought after French Bulldog which would combine a hefty price tag. Merle itself is a dominant gene which is believed to have been crossbred into the Frenchie lines from a Chihuahua which is why it is not widespread. Responsible breeders will also never breed two Merle dogs together due to this risk of producing a Double Merle. Double Merles are almost always born with serious health defects and it is highly irresponsible to breed them.
Isabella Brindle French Bulldog
Whilst Brindle is the most common patterning present in Frenchies it is less common to see it in Isabella. This is due to targeted breeding trying to avoid Brindle in rarer colors such as Isabella. Due to the rarity of Isabella it is only really seen from targeted breeding programs. Brindle in Isabella produces a patterning effect of the lighter and darker shades of Isabella. This type of pattern is often referred to as Tiger stripes.
Isabella Fluffy French Bulldog
Fluffy in combination with Isabella is a highly valuable French Bulldog that would be sought after by breeders. It is unlikely these dogs are going to be made available to be purely pets very often. To make a Fluffy Isabella you need to combine the rare Blue, Testable Chocolate and Fluffy genes.
Isabella Tri Color French Bulldog (Isabella and Tan Frenchie)
Another incredibly rare combination is the Isabella Tri Color. This will be seen as an Isabella base coat combine with tan point and white markings. This would be in contrast to the more common Isabella Fawn. It would be expected this unique genetic combination would fetch a high price and be highly sought by breeders.
