Blue French Bulldogs: The good and the bad of blue Frenchies
There’s been a lot of fuss on the media about Blue French Bulldogs, a supposedly “rare” variation of the classic Frenchie. They’re called Grey or Mouse due to the blue hue of their coats, which seems like a very attractive color for a dog. It’s important to note that, not only this color is not recognized by any KC, but it’s also a scam that you can fall into.
In this article you’ll learn:
- Whether Blue French Bulldog is good or bad.
- Their origins and causes of their proliferation.
- More about the health issues associated with this coat color.
- And more interesting facts, good or bad, are associated with this “rare” dog.
When you finish reading, hopefully, you’ll have a solid idea about the reality behind the blue french bulldog, and why they exist.
Important: Here at FrenchBulldogsClub.org we do not support the breeding of this type of Frenchie. We believe profoundly that it’s not a good practice for the safekeeping of the breed’s standard. However, we will inform you about it in an unbiased manner, so you can determine if this type of dog is right for you.
Let’s get started!
AVMA – American Veterinary Medical Association
What is a Blue French Bulldog?
A Blue, Mouse, or Grey French Bulldog is a dog with a blueish hue and a grayish coat color. There are several types of “Blue” Frenchies. Their different colors are:
- Silver Blue.
- Sable Blue.
- Blue Pied.
- Blue Fawn.
- Slate.
Among others. Usually, the breeders behind this type of Frenchie are not recognized as good nor are affiliated to Kennel Clubs in their localities. This is because this type of coat color is not recognized as part of the breed’s standard. Still, this type of dog can appear naturally in any litter, but the Blue French Bulldog is seen as faulty and is immediately spayed/neutered and given in adoption.
French Bulldog Health – The Blue ones
It’s not a secret to anyone that French Bulldogs are prone to suffer from some issues, like respiratory issues and allergies. Also, they are a brachycephalic breed, which means the shape of their skull is odd and doesn’t help a lot with the way their breathing works or anything else. Still, those accepted issues can be managed with the proper care of the breed.
With that being said, a Blue French Bulldog has an extra array of issues directly related to this specific color variation. The main concern about this coat color is a condition called Blue Dog Alopecia. Here’s what it causes:
- Hair loss: Eventually, all dogs with a blue coat, including those that have this color within their standard, can suffer from hair loss. There’s little to do about it; no amount of care can avoid it. This only affects the blue parts of their coats.
- Skin inflammation: This is a subsequent effect of hair loss. Since the dog is bald, he will be much sensitive to environmental threats, like temperatures, cold or hot, cuts, and simple pain.
- Cracked, injured, and ruptured skin: Inevitably, inflamed skin leads to the aforementioned. This can cause a wide range of issues and worsen many others that French Bulldogs are common to withstand, like skinfold dermatitis, allergies, and more.
Some of them, depending on their specific variation, can suffer from other issues like blindness (directly related to dogs with yellow or blue eyes) and deafness.
Usually, a Blue French Bulldog dies when they are French Bulldog Puppies within weeks or months after they’re born. Simply, the Blue French Bulldog is not prepared to adapt to any environment.
VCA Hospitals
French Bulldogs colors: why there is still blue?
As we said, this is a natural occurrence in a litter. However, they’re not common, and of course, shouldn’t be intentional. This hasn’t stopped bad breeders from creating more and more Blue French Bulldogs, which add to the numerous set of fad colors. Other colors are Chocolate, Liver, Silver, Merle, Lilac, among others. But, why?
You see, some breeders don’t care about the well-being of dogs, or if they’re accurate representations of the standard. Instead, they’re completely motivated by money. They’re exploiting two things:
- Uneducated people: Those who want a “different and unique” dog to own.
- French Bulldogs: A dog that has many different color variations running in its genes.
Well-reputed breeders don’t try to harness the actual “rarity” of this type of dog. The Blue French Bulldog is rare, but just because this color shouldn’t happen. Instead of selling Blue Frenchies with an inflated price tag, they usually give them away to shelters or for adoption, because they recognized the dogs as they are: a “mistake”.
Don’t get us wrong; the Blue French Bulldog also needs love and compassion – but also a humongous amount of money and patience. The difference is that they also recognize that the people that will give them home should be educated about the dog’s issues and special needs. And also have sufficient resources to take care of it!
Blue French Bulldog – Genetics
The genes of Blue French Bulldogs are not so different than those of a regular Frenchie. The only minimal difference is caused in the D-locus, which is called the “Dilute locus”. This is normal for every Frenchie because all of them have it. However, Blue French Bulldogs have two genes in the D-locus (they’re d-d). These genes will interact with the K-locus and A-locus, where the color is usually dictated, resulting in a watered-down version of the dog’s color.
If a dog is brindle in the K-locus (represented by the Kbr gene) and has two blue genes, the result will be a watered-down version of brindle with a blueish hue.
Grey French Bulldog Vs. Blue French Bulldog
In the case of a Grey French Bulldog or a Solid Blue French Bulldog, genetic math is more crowded and complicated, and even worse. Why? You see, Grey Frenchies come from Black Frenchies with double dilute genes. As you should know already, there’s no such thing as a Black French Bulldog! They’re also a dog designer-made breed.
Also, since the Blue French Bulldog is totally “blue”, the affected area will be their whole body, making the issues even worse. If someone offers you a Grey French Bulldog, think a lot about that yes.
Blue French Bulldog – Some people defend Blue Frenchies
Another issue that causes this type of blue Frenchie to proliferate is that some people defend it as part of the breed. Well, those people are not wrong, yet they’re not right either. Blue French Bulldogs occur rarely but in natural ways sometimes. Honestly, as we said earlier, they also need a home and a loving family.
We believe this sincerely, as do a lot of people; usually, the same that advocate for the blind, deaf dogs, and dogs with other special needs. And that’s ok.
On the other hand, we also believe that if the Blue French Bulldog comes from a “breeder” that specializes in this type of French Bulldog, there’s nothing more than greed as their motivation. They don’t love the breed, they don’t care if a dog is healthy or has a good temper.
Simply, they want to sell more. This could be seen as morally incorrect as Teacup dog breeders.
“Hair loss (alopecia) is a common disorder in dogs that causes the animal to have partial or complete hair loss. It can affect a dog’s skin, its endocrine system, its lymphatic system, and its immune systems”
PetMD
So, Blue Frenchie…is it a good or bad idea?
Dogs are not to blame for the things they suffer, thus they can’t be good or bad. The Blue French Bulldog is the victim here! What’s actually important is if you believe you can help them or not. If you do, there are some shelters where you can responsibly get a Blue French Bulldog. Some organizations care about Frenchies. They can show you the right way of taking care of this specific type of dog and are also willing to assist you to procure that.
We are to blame for the issues of those dogs!
Conclusion – Blue French Bulldog
Our moral stand: As you can see, this is a rather complicated subject. Here at FrenchBulldogsClub.org, we look at it like this:
- Caution: Strong opinions ahead.
If someone decided to have children with some sort of disability or special need on purpose, would you believe that is morally right? Would you support it? Why?
If you can answer those questions and feel right about that, then that’s where you stand. And no, we don’t look at dogs as human beings, of course.
We look at them as beautiful and innocent creatures that, sadly, depend on us to exist. Will we give them a good chance to enjoy themselves? Certainly, as living creatures, a Blue French Bulldog has every right to do so!
We also believe that it’s important to protect the true beauty of this breed, and we blame dog breeders that apply bad practices if the breed changes. This is not just applied to Blue Frenchies, but to all of the different, non-accepted colors that may appear. There are some of them, like the Black and Tan colors (like Doberman’s coats) that can be so dominant genetically speaking, that they could eliminate all the other colors present in this breed. Without the influence of humans, this wouldn’t happen.
So, where do you stand in this complicated case? Let us know in the comments!
