What is a Fluffy French Bulldog?
A Fluffy Frenchie is a long-haired, furry purebred French Bulldog that gets its fluffiness from an extremely rare mutation in the fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5) gene. Dna tests will show this recessive gene as LH.
A visual fluffy frenchie will show the hair length mostly at the ears, but the hair all over the body will be longer than their short haired cohorts.
The Fluffy French Bulldog isn’t much different from other French Bulldogs in terms of appearance. Their fur is only moderately longer than a regular French Bulldog. It is more accurately considered “medium-length.” Typically, these dogs are fluffier around their chest, neck, and ears, giving them an irrestibly adorable fluffy appearance.
It is believed that the long hair gene was probably always in the population, but since the long hair did not conform to the breed standard, it is likely that these pups were culled from breeding programs.
The french bulldog breed was historically developed in the 1800s and was a cross between an English Bulldog and local ratter dogs in France. One can argue that these "local ratter" dogs could have been long coated or carried long hair gene which has been carried through the generations.
Today, genetic testing allows breeders and pet owners to confirm DNA to show that yes, their dog is a purebred french bulldog, which should come with a pedigree from AKC or FCI.
You can read more about the genetics of a fluffy frenchie here.
