Fluffy French Bulldog Gene
French Bulldogs are renowned for their short muzzle, big ears, and fabulous temperament. They typically have short, rough fur, however over the past few years, there have emerged French Bulldogs with longer hair. Eventually, this fur has grew to a length of which led people to refer to them as “Fluffy Frenchies”. In fact, there is a particular gene responsible for the fluffy fur – the LH gene. Although it is present throughout the French Bulldog population, it is fairly rare.
Consequently, this has led to Fluffy Frenchies also being rare.
For example, it’s quite unlikely that you’ll spot a Fluffy French Bulldog at your local park, compared to the chances of spotting a standard Frenchie.
This is because for a Frenchie to have the fluffy/longhair gene, they must have inherited two LH genes from their parents. Even if they are a carrier of the gene, they will only have common short hair (the LH gene is recessive).
As it goes, what is rare is often more valuable. This has led to many standard French Bulldog breeders to include the Fluffy gene into the gene pool of their Frenchies. Subsequently, the prices of such dogs have increased.
Although you won’t notice a difference in terms of temperament, there is a clear visual distinction between standard Frenchies and Fluffy Frenchies.
Read on to learn more about the inclusion of the Fluffy Frenchie Gene and more information about Fluffy Frenchies.
What Does A Fluffy Frenchie Look Like?
As mentioned before, there is not much of a temperamental difference between standard and Fluffy Frenchies. There is, however, a big difference between the appearance of the two.
The main distinction of a Fluffy Frenchie is the long hair gene. As long as the dog carries two copies of the Fluffy gene, you should be able to notice a difference. However, if the dog only carries one copy of the long hair gene, the length of their fur will remain the same as a standard French Bulldog.
Check the comparative image below.
The length of hair on a Fluffy Frenchie may surprise you; it’s not long enough to touch the floor, and it certainly wont cause you any more issues than standard length hair. It will, however, remain distinguishable from a standard French Bulldog, even though they are quite similar.
French Bulldogs as a whole are a small and compact breed. Their smaller body is juxtaposed with their bigger square-shaped head. They are smaller than most breeds and are regarded as one of the best companion animals. Moreover, they often have large ears that stand upright on their head.
Most people prefer Frenchies without a long tail. Yet, it is not unlikely that you will see both short and long tailed French Bulldogs. Surprisingly, this does not affect the balance of the dog; they would run around the garden all day if you let them!
In recent years, the Fluffy Frenchie gene has become more and more wanted due to the fact it creates a dog that is seen as cuter and friendly than a standard Frenchie. Their fur is often easier to stroke and pet than a coarse, short haired standard.
The Origin Of The Fluffy Frenchie Gene
Unfortunately, the exact origin of the LH gene in Fluffy Frenchies remains unknown. Tracing genes back to particular dates and times is often a difficult task. What we do know, however, is that this gene may have existed for longer than we originally believed.
For example, Ivy Rose Puppies had a French Bulldog back in 2009 that had much longer fur than any other French Bulldog at the time.
It’s likely that the first breeders of French Bulldogs attempted to diminish the Fluffy gene from the Frenchie gene pool during the initial stages of the breed. This happens when puppies born with the longhair gene would be euthanised in order to prevent passage of the gene to other members of the population. Yet, this is unlikely to ever have 100% efficiency as we know the Fluffy gene is recessive, meaning there can be carriers of the gene (of whom do not have visibly fluffy hair and therefore would not have been euthanised).
During the mid 1800s, the French Bulldog began to reduce in popularity. This is because they were originally used for bull-baiting sports and these sports eventually became illegal. However, it didn’t take long for people to see French Bulldogs for the wonderful dogs they are as they have been bred as companion animals ever since. Therefore, most of the genetically enriched aggression that once existed in French Bulldogs no longer exists.
Once again, we do not know the exact origin story of the French Bulldog. There are no records on the development of the breed, therefore we can only make educated guesses and hold hypothetical views as to the prevalence of the breed.
The Difference Between a French Bulldog and a Fluffy Frenchie
Since the introduction of the French Bulldog, there has been a sharp rise in its popularity across numerous countries. Many first time pet owners are choosing to buy or adopt a French Bulldog instead of traditional first-pets, such as a hamster or gerbil.
For example, in the United Kingdom alone, The Kennel Club recorded a whopping 39,266 new registrations of French Bulldog puppies in 2020. French Bulldogs have overtaken the Labrador Retriever as the U.K’s most popular dog breed for the first time since records began.
It’s likely this increase in ownership is down to the temperamental and physical aspects of the Frenchie.
Furthermore, the French Bulldog is a breed loved by many celebrities, too. Lady Gaga, Hugh Jackman, and the Beckham family are all owners of Frenchies.
And the exact same case is happening with Fluffy Frenchies; there’s a sharp rise in popularity for this breed, too. But what would sway a person towards a Fluffy Frenchie compared to a standard Frenchie? What exactly is the difference?
The difference lies mostly in the length of the fur. The Fluffy Frenchie gene alternates the length of the hair on a French Bulldog from short and coarse to long and fluffy.
Granted, the fur isn’t terribly long and doesn’t touch the floor (unlike a Shih Tzu, for example). It’s fairly easy to maintain and there’s not much of difference between grooming a French Bulldog and a Fluffy Frenchie.
Fluffy Frenchies have a tendency to have a rounder shaped head, too. The unprecedented rise in popularity has caused great variation in the breed, so a rounder head is not always the case.
With regard to temperament, as the Fluffy Frenchie is a variation of the standard French Bulldog, the temperament remains exactly the same.
This is what you can expect from the temperament of a Fluffy Frenchie:
- Loving
- Playful
- Sporty
- Alert
- Energetic
- Friendly
It is important to note that temperament varies from dog to dog, as the upbringing of a dog has a great impact on their behaviour. This is why you should always purchase a dog from a reputable breeder.
As we can see, the main differences between a standard French Bulldog and a Fluffy French Bulldog lies in the length of the fur coat.
How To Purchase A Fluffy Frenchie
When purchasing a dog, it is critical that you know enough about the breed and have researched a good amount. Otherwise, you could end up with a dog that doesn’t suit your lifestyle, leading to behavioural and potentially resentment for the dog. This wouldn’t be fair on you nor the dog.
Unfortunately, as the popularity of French Bulldogs has increased, so has the risk of adoption and poor care. Some people purchase dogs on a whim, therefore finding themselves unable to provide the animal with the proper care it needs and deserves.
However, compared to dogs such as the Belgian Malinois, Frenchies tend to have a much lower maintenance.
For example, working dogs such as Shepherds are bred to work, requiring intense stimulation and hours of exercise every day. Otherwise, they typically develop disruptive behavioural issues as they begin to find ways to stimulate themselves. This usually involves chewing the sofa!
Therefore, the Frenchie is usually easier to manage for a small family. But any dog requires mental and physical stimulation; Fluffy Frenchies will require at least 1 half hour walk per day and should be provided with some basic obedience training. This not only improves the quality of life for the dog but for the owner, too.
So, if you believe you’ve got what it takes to care for a French Bulldog, then your next step will be to purchase a French Bulldog.
There are a few places to purchase a French Bulldog. You can use a common dog marketplace to search for a French Bulldog, however this isn’t always a good idea as you are limited in the amount of research you can conduct with the breeder.
Instead, we recommend you go to a dedicated Fluffy Frenchie breeder. Prepare yourself to ask a myriad of questions; the breeder should be happy to answer each and every one of them.
Finally, Ivy Rose Puppies are specialists in dog breeding with an extensive history of ethical breeding, council licensing, and complete transparency. You can check out our other pages, such as our About Us, to find out more information about our dogs. We often have a great deal of Fluffy Frenchies available for sale.
Please click here to contact us today and secure a Fluffy Frenchie.
What Is The Fluffy Frenchie Gene?
Dogs have a massive variety of genes, just like any other species of animal on earth. Genes are a way of determining certain characteristics of an animal.
For example, your eye colour is determined by genes. If both of your parents have green eyes, the chances of you having brown eyes is 0%, whilst blue eyes is 25%, and green eyes is 75%.
This is similar to the Fluffy gene in French Bulldogs.
Let’s look at our Fluffy Frenchie stud dog, Batman.
Batman is a visual fluffy. This means he carries two copies of the Fluffy gene and will pass at least one copy to all of his offspring.
However, if the mother to the offspring also carries the Fluffy gene, some puppies could carry two copies of the Fluffy gene – they would be a visual fluffy.
The gene in question is known as the LH gene. Although present in the general French Bulldog population, it is fairly rare.
If the dog is to be a visual Fluffy Frenchie, they must carry two copies of the LH gene. This is because the Fluffy French Bulldog gene is recessive.
Overall, the Fluffy Frenchie has the same genes as the standard French Bulldog. The only difference, of course, lies in the LH gene, determining the length of their fur.
What Colour Is A Fluffy Frenchie?
Just like the standard French Bulldog, there are many variations of colour in the Fluffy Frenchie. This is because breeders are combining standard Frenchie colours with Fluffy Frenchies, leading to new colours in the breed.
For example, one of our stud dogs is a Blue and Tan Fluffy French Bulldog.
Another one of our stud dogs is an Isabella Fawn French Bulldog carrying the Fluffy gene.
Here are the most popular Fluffy French Bulldog colours:
- Blue Fluffy French Bulldog
- Merle Fluffy French Bulldog
- Fluffy Eared French Bulldog
- Blue Sable Fluffy French Bulldog
- Black Fluffy French Bulldog
- Fawn Fluffy French Bulldog
- Grey Fluffy French Bulldog
- Isabella Fluffy French Bulldog
- Chocolate and Tan Fluffy French Bulldog
- Testable Chocolate Fluffy French Bulldog
Of course, this list is not extensive and there are many more variations of the Fluffy gene in Frenchies, although they are the most common in 2021.
The Difference Between A Long Hair French Bulldog And Fluffy French Bulldog
A French Bulldog presents itself in a massive variety of colours, shapes, sizes, and even fur length! In fact, over the past couple of years, there’s been a sharp increase in popularity of longer haired French Bulldogs. Naturally, more variations of French Bulldog have sprouted into existence, such as the Merle French Bulldog, Fluffy Isabella and Tan French Bulldog, etc.
Instead of coarse and rough short hair found on traditional Frenchies, the fur on long hair French Bulldogs is much softer, smoother, and longer!
But what exactly is a long hair French Bulldog?
The rarity of the long hair Frenchie means most people haven’t had the chance to see one. Their ears are very similar to standard French Bulldogs; they stick up on a square-shaped head. Their body shape is also not much different – it is small and compact, with a minor or lack of tail.
The main difference between a Fluffy Frenchie and Long Haired French Bulldog, though, lies in their genetics.
Some dog owners have tested their beloved pet at a genetic testing facility, such as Laboklin. Even though their pet seems to possess the Fluffy gene, the test results confirm that this isn’t the case. Only true Fluffy French Bulldogs have the recessive L1 or L4 gene, whilst long hair French Bulldogs do not. Even a single gene carrier of the Fluffy gene will not display any visual qualities of a Fluffy French Bulldog.
If you’d like to know whether your long hair French Bulldog is carrying the Fluffy gene, we suggest you contact your nearest animal genetic testing laboratory and explain the situation.
