Chocolate French Bulldogs have captured the hearts of dog lovers around the world with their endearing personalities, adorable looks and irresistible charm. With their rich and luscious chocolate coats, these Frenchies stand out from the crowd whether they have a milk chocolate coat or decadent dark brown coloring.
If you are interested in Chocolate French Bulldogs keep reading this article to find out all the answers to your questions about this coat color!
What Is A Chocolate French Bulldog?
A Chocolate French Bulldog is a Frenchie that has a brown coat which resembles the shade of chocolate. The coat can range from a light shade of brown to a dark, rich chocolate hue. Chocolate is not an officially recognized coat color by kennel clubs like the American Kennel Club (AKC) unlike other colors like fawn, brindle and pied. That it is why it is often controversial to breed Chocolate French Bulldogs as the coat color does not align with the breed standards.
Are Chocolate French Bulldogs Rare?
Chocolate French Bulldogs are relatively rare as they are not a standard coat color according to most French Bulldog breed standards. The typical breed standard for French Bulldogs includes colors such as brindle, fawn, cream and pied which are much more common than Chocolate Frenchies. It is the result of a Frenchie carry two recessive genes which contributes to its rarity.
Many breeders avoid breeding for Chocolate French Bulldogs as the color does not conform to the official standards. Nevertheless, they do exist as not everyone wants to show their dogs or have them conform to the official standards so there is some demand for the brown coat. That is why some breeders selectively breed for less common colors like chocolate. There’s also some incentive as Chocolate Frenchies can be sold for higher prices than common colors as it is rare.
Chocolate French Bulldog DNA
The genes that are involved in creating the chocolate coat are located on the B locus. At the B locus, there are two possible gene variants:
- B – black
- b – brown
The ‘B’ allele is dominant and causes a black coat. A French Bulldog that carries one (Bb) or two (BB) alleles will have a black coat. On the other hand, the ‘b’ allele is recessive and when two copies are present (bb), the coat will be brown.
What Does Testable Chocolate Mean In French Bulldogs?
‘Testable Chocolate’ historically referred to French Bulldogs that were able to be genetically tested for the presence of the ‘chocolate gene’. Up until recently, only French Bulldogs that carried two recessive alleles from the B locus ‘bb’ were testable chocolates. Some French Bulldogs clearly had a chocolate colored coat however their DNA tests would always come back ‘BB’ (not chocolate). These Frenchies were called “non-testable chocolates”
- bb = testable chocolate
- BB = non testable chocolate
Until recently, testable Chocolate French Bulldogs (bb) were very rare as the majority of chocolate genes in Frenchies were non-testable. This was the case until the ‘cocoa’ allele was discovered which is the gene that was causing a chocolate coat in French Bulldogs that would come back as ‘BB’ (not chocolate). Non-testable Chocolate French Bulldogs were also referred to as Mutated Chocolate Frenchies.
Cocoa French Bulldogs (AKA ‘Non-Testable’ Chocolate)
Cocoa French Bulldogs (previously known as ‘non-testable Chocolate French Bulldogs’) have a slightly darker coat than the typical brown Frenchie. Frenchies that carry ‘co/co’ genotype may express the cocoa phenotype however it depends on the epistatic interaction of other coat color genes. Frenchies that carry N/co are cocoa carriers but do not express the cocoa phenotype.
- N/N = non-cocoa
- N/co = cocoa carrier
- co/co = cocoa
Unofficial Testing For ‘Non-Testable’ Chocolate
An unofficial way to test for chocolate in ‘non-testable’ chocolates is the ‘demonic red glow’ test. This is when you put a Frenchie in a dark room and film their eyes with your phone. If they appear to have a red glow in their eyes from the video, they likely carry the untestable chocolate gene.
This test can be done around 2 months of age as any earlier, the red glow is unlikely to show. If a French Bulldog has come back as ‘BB’ from a DNA test and they do not have a red glow in their eyes but appear to have a chocolate colored coat, they are most likely a brindle Frenchie.
Is Chocolate A Recessive Gene In French Bulldogs?
Chocolate is a recessive gene in French Bulldog that is found on the B locus. They therefore must carry two copies of the gene (bb) to express a chocolate coat. As the gene is recessive, the coat color is not that common.
Kennel Club Recognition
Chocolate French Bulldogs are not recognized by any of the major kennel clubs around the world. This includes the American Kennel Club (AKC), the United Kennel Club (UK) and the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI). Chocolate is not included in the breed standards of the aforementioned kennel clubs.
While chocolate is not recognized, it does not mean that Chocolate Frenchies are subpar in terms of quality or health. Breed standards have been around for decades and are hardly ever altered to upkeep breeding traditions. If a breeder is producing Chocolate French Bulldogs but is breeding ethically with proper health tests and is prioritizing health, wellbeing and temperament, the Frenchies should be of good quality regardless of their coat color.
Types Of Chocolate Frenchie
Cocoa French Bulldog
Cocoa French Bulldogs have a relatively darker coat than the typical Chocolate French Bulldog. To express this coat, they must carry two copies of the recessive ‘co’ gene for cocoa which is caused by a mutation in the HPS3 gene. Cocoa was only recently discovered and before this Cocoa Frenchies were called ‘non-testable chocolates.’
Cocoa French Bulldog puppies are usually born with a light grey-brown coat which darkens as they mature. They also usually have green or amber eyes.
Chocolate Merle French Bulldog
Chocolate Merle French Bulldogs carry the merle gene which results in mottled patches of chocolate, copper, beige and white throughout their coat. Most of their coat is a beige-grey and they feature chocolate, white and copper patches throughout it.
They would have originally had a solid chocolate coat but the merle gene diluted sections of it into lighter colors. It also affects eye colour and skin pigmentation on the nose and paws causing pink patches. Chocolate Merle is not recognized by kennel clubs.
Chocolate Brindle French Bulldog
Chocolate Brindle French Bulldogs have a chocolate brown base coat with darker stripes over the top to create the brindle pattern. Many people differentiate brown or more intense brindle coats by calling them ‘Chocolate Brindle Frenchies’ however it is not a specific recognized category by kennel clubs. Kennel clubs usually just have the overarching category of ‘brindle’.
Chocolate and Tan French Bulldog
Chocolate and Tan French Bulldogs have a chocolate base coat color with tan markings on their cheeks, eyebrows, legs and under their tail. The tan markings are a much lighter shade of brown than the base coat and usually ranges from a caramel color to a light tan. Chocolate and Tan Frenchies are not recognized by kennel clubs.
Chocolate Tri French Bulldog
Chocolate Tri French Bulldogs have a chocolate base color with white and tan markings. The chocolate base coat can range from a light milk chocolate color to a rich chocolate hue. The white markings are usually located on their face, chest and feet and the tan marking are on their cheeks, eyebrows, legs and under their tail.
Chocolate Sable French Bulldog
Chocolate Sable French Bulldogs have bi-colored coats where the hairs are a light brown at the root and are dark brown or black at the tip. The sable undertones are most prominent on a Frenchie’s muzzle, eye brows, ears and back. They may also have a white patch on their chest.
Dark Chocolate French Bulldog
Dark Chocolate French Bulldogs have a coat that is a rich, deep shade of brown that resembles dark chocolate. They are most commonly ‘cocoa’ Frenchies which used to be known as non-testable French Bulldogs.
Double Chocolate French Bulldog
Testable Chocolate French Bulldogs are sometimes called Double Chocolate French Bulldogs because they carry two copies of the recessive ‘b’ allele. Double Chocolate Frenchies are ‘bb’.
Coat Comparisons
Cocoa vs Chocolate French Bulldog
Cocoa French Bulldogs generally have a darker coat than the average Chocolate French Bulldog. Chocolate French Bulldogs carry two recessive genes on the B-locus and are ‘b/b’ while Cocoa French Bulldogs carry two recessive ‘co/co’ genes.
Chocolate vs Black French Bulldog
The coloring for both the Chocolate French Bulldog and the Black French Bulldog originates from the b-locus. Black French Bulldogs are either ‘B/B’ or ‘B/b’ as the gene for the black coat ‘B’ is dominant. Chocolate Frenchies have to carry two recessive ‘b’ genes to express the brown coat. Both dogs usually have a solid coat without any markings.
Chocolate French Bulldog Price
How Much Do Chocolate French Bulldogs Cost?
Chocolate French Bulldogs cost between $5000USD and $8000USD with most selling for prices around $6500USD. They are more expensive than Frenchies with common coat colors as the breeding process is much more complex, especially considering that the genes are recessive and up until recently could not be tested for.
Why Are Chocolate French Bulldogs So Expensive?
No matter the coat color, French Bulldogs are very expensive as there are many breeding challenges. Frenchies often have trouble with natural mating and have to be artificially inseminated due to their unique body structure. Female French Bulldogs often face issues with giving birth as well meaning that they have have to have caesarean sections which contributes to their overall cost. They also tend to only have two to four puppies in each litter which is tiny in comparison to other breeds that can have ten or more puppies per pregnancy.
Frenchies have also become extremely popular in recent years. According to the American Kennel Club, they are the most popular breed at the moment, surpassing Labradors and Golden Retrievers for the top position. Their demand often exceeds supply which has caused massive price increases.
Chocolate French Bulldog Names
| Chocolate Female Frenchie Names | Chocolate Male Frenchie Names |
| Cinnamon | Moose |
| Maple | Bruno |
| Bindi | Bear |
| Hazel | Ted |
| Chia | Rusty |
| Willow | Chip |
| Coco | Barley |
| Honey | Hershey |