The Blue French Bulldog is a unique and beautiful color of Frenchie.
Their soft gray-ish blue fur gives them a striking coat color which is loved by people all over the world. Some pups even have blue eyes to match their gorgeous coat.
Also known as a Blue Frenchie they are easy going and ready to be friends with anyone. These dogs will warm your heart with lots of cuddles and their cute snores.
So where did the Blue French Bulldog come from and how are they different from other Frenchies? Keep reading to find out…
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Blue French Bulldog Dog Breed
The Blue French Bulldog is a beautiful color variant of the Frenchie.
Their stunning gray-ish slate blue color makes them the rarest and most desired of all French Bulldogs.
Apart from their beautiful color they are no different from other Frenchies. They have the same personality traits, characteristics, appearance, size and history.
One of the most common misconceptions that you will hear about this color is that there are health problems associated with it.
This misconceptions is far from the truth. The Blue French Bulldog is different only because of a dilute color gene, just like the blue German Shepherd. They have a diluted gene that causes a black coat to turn blue. Sometimes it changes their eye color to blue too.
The history of health problems associated with this color was mostly due to improper breeding. If breeders do their research and are careful there should not be any health problems.
Blue Frenchies may not have been popular in the past due to this misconception, but now people all over the world want to adopt this rare pup.
Competition for adoption and rarity makes Blue French Bulldogs one of the most expensive breeds. They are ranked the second most popular dog breed in America.
These dogs were bred specifically for companionship. They are known for their warm, easy-going temperament and go-with-the-flow attitude towards life. They love to make friends with both people and other animals.
This breed is very affectionate and loves to cuddle, the blue variety is no different.
These dogs are happy to spend all afternoon on your lap. If you have had a busy day and just want to be a couch potato, they will be a couch potato right along with you.
Their small size makes them a great companion for city living in an apartment.
But their size is misleading, people are often surprised by how strong they are. They are very compact dogs with a sturdy and well-muscled body. They are certainly not fragile pups and are surprisingly strong.
Origin
The Blue French Bulldog was first bred in the early 1900s and has the same history as all of their non-blue siblings.
Unlike the name would make you think, French Bulldogs do not come from France!
Instead they were first bred in England.
In England these small dogs were bred with other breeds, such as the Pug and Terrier. You can still see the resemblance today with their big bat ears and scrunched noses.
Lacemakers that lived in England bred and owned small dogs for smaller homes. During the industrial revolution, they moved to France to use their skills of lace-making and of course, brought their small companions with them.
The French Bulldog was brought from France to the Americas during the 19th century. Their small size, loyal temperament and cuddly personality made them very popular.
Are Blue French Bulldogs Purebred?
Yes Blue Frenchies are purebred dogs.
It takes very specific genetics to achieve this rare and beautiful color. Breeding two purebred Blue French Bulldogs is the only way to pass on the coat color to puppies.
But being purebred does not always mean they are recognized.
The Blue French Bulldog is unfortunately not recognized by any Kennel Clubs or breed associations, despite all the careful work that goes into breeding them.
Concerns about the rarity of their coat have made it difficult to get them recognized. With so many great breeders working hard on creating healthy dogs this could be changing soon.
Currently Kennel Clubs only recognize fawn, brindle, and white colors in the breed standard.
Kennel Clubs know how careful owners have to be when choosing a dog for color because of the breeding patterns and techniques that take place to get those colors.
As the American Kennel Club does not recognize them they cannot be brought on to the show ring or used in dog shows.
People all over the world recognize these beautiful pups as smart, loyal and desirable. The Blue French Bulldog is the exact same dog, just with a different coat color.
Blue French Bulldog Appearance
Blue French Bulldogs have a gray-ish blue coat that draws a lot of attention to them. They are definitely dogs to catch your eye and are pretty easy to recognize.
The Blue Frenchie’s coat color is a dark, slate-gray shade. It is easy to spot from the gray colors in other French Bulldogs. Their blue coat has a glossy look with a soft texture. It is closely knit to their skin, but their skin is very loosely fit to their bodies.
Their eyes also help them stand out. They also have big eyes that can be blue, gray or green. Green eyes are guaranteed to melt your heart. Many people love to see this green eye color and it is another reason to adopt a Blue French Bulldog.
As far as the rest of their appearance, they share that with other French Bulldogs.
Their fur is very short and straight which gives them a nice sleek look. It is also nice and soft which makes it perfect for lots of cuddles.
They also have their lovable, scrunchy noses and irresistible face wrinkles. One of the other noticeable things about these little guys is their “bat ears”.
This breed also has a characteristically stumpy tail. Their tails aren’t altered or docked, this is just how they look. They are also known for their short legs, which contributes to their short gait.
Their gait is often a quick, happy trot and is usually accompanied by a lolling tongue and a cute smile.
Combine all of these traits and you have one adorable little companion.
Size
To meet the breed standards a Frenchie must be between 11 and 13 inches tall and weigh under 28 pounds.
The Blue French Bulldog sticks to these numbers.
They are forward heavy and well-muscled little dogs that range in size from 16 to 28 pounds.
Females are a bit smaller than males so they weigh an average of 16 to 23 pounds compared to males between 21 to 28 pounds. Full grown blue french bulldogs stand 11 to 13 inches tall.
Males and females are very short and compact. Even when they are healthy and at a healthy weight, they seem to be chubby.
They have very large heads for their small bodies that are topped with huge bat ears. Their ears just make them even more adorable.
Color
There are four different color variations of the Blue French Bulldog. All of these colors are just as popular, beautiful and rare.
- Blue merle
- Blue fawn
- Blue pied
- Blue brindle
The first shade is the blue merle French Bulldog.
This Frenchie has a blue coat color with markings that do not follow one specific pattern. They have lighter blue fur mixed with darker strips, spots and swirls all over. To make it even better they have blue eyes that they keep their whole life.
Second is the Blue Fawn Frenchie.
These dogs carry the dilute gene as well as a brindle gene. It has a fawn coat color with a blue mask over the face and ears. This means the body is a fawn color, and the face and ears are blue.
Third is the blue pied Frenchie. This dog has a base color of white with patches of blue.
The amount of shading and the size of the patches on these pups varies from dog to dog and no two are quite alike.
Finally we have the blue brindle which looks like it has tiger stripes.
These pups are typically a darker shade of blue in a charming brindle pattern. It is not unusual to see a little bit of chocolate color added to the striping as well.
You will have no trouble finding just the color you are after when looking for a blue-colored pup.
Personality and Temperament
Breed Characteristics | |
---|---|
Family Friendly | ★★★★★(5) |
Energy Levels | ★★★★★(1) |
Ease of Training | ★★★★★(3) |
Shedding Frequency | ★★★★★(2) |
Price | ★★★★★(5) |
These dogs are naturally very loving. Your Frenchie will probably be following you around the house wherever you go. They are very affectionate, love to snuggle and are great with kids.
They are a very lazy dog that would rather cuddle and be by their owner’s side.
Some can get very attached to their family which can cause separation anxiety. It is important to take this into consideration before adopting one. It can lead them to do things they would normally not do, like barking.
French Bulldogs in general are very quiet and do not bark a lot or get very loud. They do not usually bark without a reason and are pretty quiet the rest of the time. This is another reason why they are the perfect breed for owners living in apartments and small homes.
Even though they don’t bark that much, a Frenchie can be noisy in other ways. They are known to be snorers! Their snoring can get loud and often makes their owners laugh.
You should not wake your dog when they are snoring though. They get offended quickly and can be emotional little dogs.
Speaking harshly or angrily might end up with your dog wandering the house in a gloomy mood for a while.
For a lot of people, these characteristics make a dog whose personality brightens their day and brings lots of laughter. They are sure to keep a smile on your face and have big, extroverted personalities.
They want to make friends, play and be your best buddy.
If you throw a party your Frenchie is more than likely going to be the social butterfly that has to meet and greet everyone who arrives. They get along great with kids and other dogs, so it is not an issue for them to be with big families of kids and other dogs.
How To Train A Blue French Bulldog
Due to their stubborn nature a lot of people think that there is no hope for training a French Bulldog.
Despite having a reputation as being difficult to train, Frenchies are actually eager to please.
They do have a mind of their own and are not afraid to use it, but they also want to make you happy. This makes them smart dogs that excel at training with the right method.
One of the most recommended training methods for Blue French Bulldogs is positive reinforcement. They learn fast and do very well when they are rewarded for good behavior.
These dogs thrive with you ignoring unwanted behavior and rewarding desired behavior. Being harsh with them often leads to broken trust and sulking instead of learning. They are sensitive pups.
With the right type of training they can be trained quite easily.
Food is a great motivator for these little guys and treats are an excellent training tool.
Who wouldn’t want to do something for a pocket full of treats?
There are a few important things to know before training a French Bulldog and treats are one of them.
For Frenchies too many treats could do more harm than good. Their short and chunky body already has a chubby look, too many treats can cause them to become obese. It is important to choose healthy treats and not to use too many.
You should also take into consideration their compact snout when training. They have small and narrow airways which can cause breathing difficulty.
It is important not to over-exhaust your pup and make sure the weather conditions are suitable before training outdoors. Hot weather is not an ideal environment for training. The heat will make it harder for them to breathe.
It is recommended that you begin training your dog indoors as early on as possible, especially with basic commands such as “sit”.
All in all it is important to keep training fun and short. Make sure it is fun, in an easy environment and is based on positive reinforcement. Your French Bulldog will be trained in no time.
Grooming
The Blue French Bulldog has short fur and a fairly easy grooming routine. They do shed, but it is not a lot.
They have periods where they shed out their old coat twice a year, but aside from that you shouldn’t have to worry about fur getting all over your furniture. A quick weekly brush will do the trick. A lot of people love that about these dogs.
Even though they don’t need much grooming, it is good to brush them every once in a while.
Brushing helps spread the natural oils out evenly across their coat and keeps it gleaming blue. It is also good for removing any dirt that has gotten trapped during playtime.
It is important to take care of that scrunchy face and make sure their wrinkles are clean. Wrinkles can trap dirt, and this can irritate their sensitive skin. It does not take much to keep their wrinkles clean though, all that is needed are some dog-safe wipes.
Their wonderful bat-ears are also something to keep an eye on for cleanliness. If they look dirty a quick wipe will help keep them healthy too.
Baths are also great for a French Bulldog to keep them clean and smelling great. When giving a bath it is important to make sure that your pup is not allergic to the shampoo and soaps used.
Some Blue French Bulldogs are prone to allergens found in some soaps and can develop alopecia.
Aside from brushing and bathing, the main thing to be concerned about is their nails.
Since they are not very active dogs their nails are not naturally filed by doing things such as digging and running. It is important to trim their nails every few weeks, otherwise they will grow to be very long and cause pain.
Monthly nail trims help save you from any problems with sore feet.
All in all, these snuggle buddies are clean and easy to care for. Grooming is fairly easy and quick when compared to the fluffy French Bulldog.
Why Are Blue French Bulldogs So Expensive?
A lot of people are surprised by how much a Blue Frenchie costs. When searching for a Blue French Bulldog for sale you can expect to pay anywhere from $1,500 to $4,000 for a puppy. They are one of the most expensive dog breeds and even cost more than Pugs!
These puppies are expensive because it is difficult for breeders to breed them.
There is also a lot of health screening that has to be done to produce healthy pups. This makes it very labor intensive.
Females also require a lot of care while they are pregnant. Usually, they need a C-section to give birth safely. The hips of this breed are so narrow and small, and the pups have heads that are so big, that the natural birth process can become dangerous.
All of these health expenses cost the breeder.
Many breeders also make the decision to artificially inseminate their French Bulldog to get specific colors, health and coats.
This also adds extra cost to the pups.
Blue French Bulldog puppies are very rare and unique. They have a dilute gene that causes them to have a beautiful coat. This gene is very rare so there is not a big number of puppies for sale, compared to other Frenchies.
The challenge is finding the best breeder.
Many breeders try to cut corners because it is so much work to breed healthy puppies.
If a puppy is priced at less than $1,500 they are more than likely not from a reputable breeder. A good and healthy French bulldog is not cheap.
Who wouldn’t want to look at that cute wrinkly face all day?
But there are a lot of things to consider when adopting one. All French Bulldogs have smaller airways which can cause trouble breathing and create respiratory issues.
Another health concern is alopecia, which means they lose their beautiful fur.
This can make their grooming a little more difficult.
The best way to cope with the health issues is to buy a puppy from a reputable breeder that has experience breeding blue coated Frenchies.
How Are They Different?
The Blue French Bulldog stands apart from all other Frenchies due to their rare coat. The rest of their appearance, size, traits and personality all stay the same.
Their difference lies solely in their color.
There is a misconception that the blue color of the French Bulldog causes health issues. This is not true.
It is a misconception that blue French Bulldogs are more prone to health problems than other Frenchies. This color appears because of a dilute gene like the blue nose pitbull, not a health condition.
Many families seek out this color and will happily pay the higher price to add this beautiful companion to their family.
Their blue color is what makes them stand out, but it also means they cannot compete in dog shows. Blue is not recognized in the breed standard.
Blue and other colors share the same size, temperament and care requirements.
The decision really comes down to how much you love that blue color.
Summary
The Blue French bulldog is the most popular and rarest of all French Bulldogs.
Its gorgeous gray-ish slate blue coat color makes it absolutely adorable.
They love to cuddle and are very sociable, making them one of the best breeds to be around kids and other dogs. They are wonderful family pets who are sure to have a great time playing with the kids.
It is no surprise they are one of the top-ranked dog breeds in the world.
One thing to take into consideration when adopting a Blue French Bulldog is that they are not very active dogs. They are more of a lazy pup that just wants to be with you and cuddle.
If you want a small, cuddly, lovable, and easy-to-maintain dog, you might have found the right dog for you. Although the Blue Frenchie is very expensive, they will add lots of joy into everyday life.