The French bulldog has a very distinct look. Its face wrinkles, body shape and compact size make it one of the most recognizable dog breeds. Originally trained in France as working dogs, they are now a popular pet 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 at a high-cost tag. Here is everything we know about long-haired French Bulldogs.
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 longhair gene. This can either be L1 or L4. The L gene carried works by reducing the ability of the gene FGF5 from signalling to the hair follicle to stop hair growth.1
To produce a long-haired French Bulldog both parents must carry either L1 or L4 genes. They do not have to have long hair themselves but they must carry either of the genes. If one of the dog's parents carries one copy of LH and one copy of SH genes it will pass this onto 50% of the dogs bred. If this dog was paired with another French Bulldog carrying long hair it can be bred for long hair.
If a dog with two copies of Long haired genes it will produce long-haired French Bulldogs every time.
Does the AKC recognise Long-Haired French Bulldogs?
The American Kennel Club does not recognize long-haired French Bulldogs as they view long hair as an undesirable trait. They state in the breed standard "Coat: Coat is brilliant, short and smooth. Skin is soft and loose, especially at the head and shoulders, forming wrinkles. Coats other than short and smooth are a disqualification."2
These are the 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
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 2-3x longer than a short haired French Bulldogs 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 have been breeding away from the long-haired genes. Long-haired French Bulldogs require both parents to carry a recessive gene that produces long hair that breeders have been trying to avoid for years. As the long-haired French Bulldogs have become more popular with pet owners in recent years breeders have been aiming to reproduce them.
References.
1) L-locus (Long hair/fluffy) LH1 common varient found in many breeds. https://www.pawprintgenetics.com/products/tests/details/172/?breed=109
2) Offical 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/