When people hear the name Bulldogs, they think about these vicious dogs with a terrible reputation that everyone is afraid of. English Bulldogs, however, are anything but that.
The English Bulldog is one of the sweetest dogs out there. They are predictable and dependable, making them some of the most amazing family pets. They love their owners with all their hearts, and they’ll do anything they can to gain human attention.
However, how much do you know about English Bulldog colors? Did you know that these dogs can come in some exotic colors, making them truly stand out from the crowd?
1. White English Bulldog Colors
White is one of the more common English Bulldog colors, but there is a catch. Pure white Bulldogs, also known as platinum, shouldn’t have a single hair of any other color – but this is a rare sight. This is why they are allowed to have up to 10% of their coats covered in some other color.
Instead, most white Bulldogs come in at least two colors, so you may find a doggy with a white coat but a black mask, a white Bulldog with tan points, a white and fawn Bulldog, and so on.
Some common white English Bulldog colors are: Solid white, White tri-color, White and tan, White and fawn, and White parti.
2. Red English Bulldog Colors
Red is a pretty standard English Bulldog color. These dogs can come in any shade of red, from light ginger to deep red that might look similar to chocolate.
It’s important to note that all red English Bulldogs have black noses, eye rims, paw pads, and lips. This makes them different from chocolate English Bulldogs that have a brown nose and so on.
Some of the common red English Bulldog colors, both recognized and unofficial, include: Red and white, Solid red, Red and fawn, Red merle, and Red brindle.
3. Fallow English Bulldog Colors
While fawn is a color commonly connected with furniture or clothing, it is also a popular color for many dog breeds – including English Bulldogs. The exact shade can be described as a light tannish yellow color, but it can be lighter or darker. Sometimes, it can even be as dark as a deep red color.
The first recorded time the name fawn was used was in 1789 in England, and this is the exact country these cute Bulldogs are from, which is a fun coincidence, especially considering that it’s a popular color for these pups.
In recent years, fallow is a word most people use to describe this color, especially in English Bulldogs.
4. Brindle English Bulldog Colors
While some other English Bulldog colors might be more recognizable, brindle is the signature English Bulldog breed color.
A brindle pattern in dogs, essentially, means striped dogs. This pattern is characterized by dark, tiger-like stripes that can cover an entire dog’s body or just a portion of it. The brindle stripes give the dog a unique appearance, making it look rare and regal.
The brindle pattern can occur on any base color, so you can have a chocolate brindle English Bulldog, a white and fawn brindle English Bulldog, a red brindle Bulldog, and so on.
5. Black English Bulldog Colors
Solid black English Bulldogs are very rare, but they do exist. This color should appear black no matter the lighting – otherwise, it will be considered dark blue, dark chocolate, or even seal.
Most black Bulldogs come with some pattern, including white markings, tan points, pied, or black tri-color. Still, the most dominant shade should be the black color.
Some black English Bulldogs have a fawn undercoat that remains unnoticed until you rub the coat backward.
All black English Bulldogs must have black noses, eye rims (or eyeliner), lips, and paw pads. Otherwise, they cannot be considered black.
Black English Bulldog colors include: Black tri-color, Black seal, Black and white, Black platinum, and Black merle.
6. Blue English Bulldog Colors
Blue is another fairly rare English Bulldog color. This is actually a black dog with a dilution gene that turns the black color into blue.
The blue coat color is, in fact, a specific shade of grey that appears to have a bluish tint under certain light. Just like black Bulldogs, they might come with a fawn undercoat.
All blue English Bulldogs have slate grey noses, eye rims, lips, and paw pads. Some might even have blue eyes, making them very rare and expensive.
While blue can come in all patterns – including blue brindle, blue tri-color, or a blue and white English Bulldog – one color remains unique: the blue fawn.
In blue fawn English Bulldogs, the coat color itself isn’t diluted, and it stays in a perfect fawn shade. However, the dog’s skin – including the eye rims, nose, paw pads, and lips that we’ve mentioned above – remains blue, while in standard fawn Bulldogs, these skin areas are always black.
Some of the common blue English Bulldog colors are: Blue and tan, Blue tri-color, Blue and white, Blue brindle, Blue merle, Blue platinum, and Blue fawn.
7. Chocolate English Bulldog Colors
Just like blue English Bulldogs, chocolate Bulldogs are simply a black Bulldog with a dilution gene. However, this specific gene dilutes the black color, not into blue but brown.
As this English Bulldog color comes from black Bulldogs, these pups may come with a fawn undercoat that isn’t affected by the dilution gene.
If you are uncertain whether a dog is chocolate or some other shade, look at its nose. In chocolate Bulldogs, the nose, lips, eye rims, and paw pads are always brown, no matter the hair shade.
While there are many patterns in chocolate Bulldogs, the most notable is a chocolate fawn Bulldog. Just like in blue fawn dogs, the fawn color isn’t diluted, but if you look at the pup’s nose, you can see that it’s brown in color.
Another rare brown pattern is chocolate platinum, which includes all white dogs with a minimal body color that is most likely distributed as spots on the pup’s face and tail.
While not as common as with blue English Bulldogs, chocolate Bulldogs can also have blue eyes, but this is extremely rare.
Keep in mind that a chocolate Bulldog shouldn’t have any black pigment on its fur or body.Chocolate English Bulldog colors you can commonly see are: Chocolate and tan, Chocolate trindle, Chocolate seal, Chocolate brindle, Chocolate merle, and Chocolate platinum fawn.