The French Bulldog has a very distinct look. Its face wrinkles, body shape and compact size make it one of the most recognisable dog breeds. Originally bred in France as companion dogs — descendants of toy bulldogs brought across the Channel by English lace workers — they are now popular pets in households all over the world. Aside from their physical features, French Bulldogs possess a sweet and playful personality that makes them the perfect addition to any family! Recently, long-haired French Bulldogs have taken the world by storm. They are quite rare and come with a high price tag. Here is everything we know about long-haired French Bulldogs.
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Enzo the long-haired French Bulldog wearing our Vibrant Hound Christmas Splash shirt. Image source
How are French Bulldogs bred to have long hair?
French Bulldogs that have long hair carry the recessive long-hair gene — either L1 or L4. The gene works by reducing the ability of the FGF5 gene to signal to the hair follicle to stop hair growth 1.
To produce a long-haired French Bulldog, both parents must carry the L1 or L4 gene. They do not have to have long hair themselves, but they must carry the gene. A dog with one copy of the long-hair gene and one copy of the short-hair gene will pass the long-hair gene on to roughly 50% of its puppies — and if it is paired with another carrier, some of the litter can be born long-haired.
A dog with two copies of the long-hair gene will pass the gene to every puppy — and if both parents carry two copies, every puppy in the litter will be long-haired.
Does the AKC recognise long-haired French Bulldogs?
The American Kennel Club does not recognise long-haired French Bulldogs, as it views long hair as an undesirable trait. The official breed standard calls for a short, smooth coat, and lists coats "other than short and smooth" as a disqualification 2.
These are the colours and patterns the AKC recognises for the breed 3:
Colours
- Brindle
- Brindle and white
- Cream
- Fawn
- Fawn and white
- Fawn brindle and white
- White
- White and brindle
- White and fawn
Patterns
- White markings
- Black markings
- Black mask
- Piebald
- Brindle markings
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How long do long-haired French Bulldogs' coats grow?
Long-haired French Bulldogs' coats are only moderately longer than their short-haired siblings'. They typically grow 2-3 times longer than a short-haired French Bulldog's coat.
How much do long-haired French Bulldogs cost?
Long-haired French Bulldogs typically sell for a higher price than short-haired French Bulldogs. They sell as pets for prices higher than $10,000.
Why are long-haired French Bulldogs rare?
As fluffy French Bulldogs are not part of the AKC breed standard, breeders spent years deliberately breeding away from the long-hair genes. Producing one requires both parents to carry a recessive gene that most breeding lines were selected to avoid. As long-haired French Bulldogs have become more popular with pet owners in recent years, breeders have begun aiming to reproduce them.
References
1) L-locus (long hair/fluffy) LH1 common variant found in many breeds
https://www.pawprintgenetics.com/products/tests/details/172/?breed=109
2) Official standard of the French Bulldog
https://images.akc.org/pdf/breeds/standards/French_Bulldog-6-18.pdf
3) French Bulldog breed characteristics and traits
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/french-bulldog/