My Frenchie Shedding Journey: Does Color Even Matter?
Alright, let’s talk about French Bulldogs and shedding. I see this question pop up all the time online: “What color Frenchie sheds the least?” People seem to think there’s some magic color, like a unicorn Frenchie that doesn’t leave hair everywhere. I wanted to know the real deal myself, not just read stuff online, so I kinda went through my own little investigation when I was looking to get my first Frenchie.
First off, I already had friends with dogs, including a couple of Frenchies. One had a fawn-colored girl, sweet thing, and the other had a pied (you know, the white ones with patches). I spent time at their places, partly because I loved the dogs, partly doing my ‘research’. I definitely saw hair. Light hairs from the fawn dog on their dark clothes, dark hairs from the pied dog on their light sofa. It seemed pretty obvious they both shed.
Then I started talking to breeders when I got serious about getting my own pup. You hear all sorts of things. One person told me pieds shed less because the white hair is different? Sounded fishy. Another said creams were the worst shedders. It felt like everyone had a theory, but nothing concrete.
So, I ended up getting Gus, my little brindle fella. He’s mostly dark with some lighter stripes. And let me tell you, that boy sheds. You notice it most on light surfaces, obviously. My beige rug? Forget about it after he’s had a good roll. My black t-shirts? They hide it pretty well.
Here’s what I really figured out living with Gus and seeing my friends’ dogs regularly:
- They ALL shed. Seriously. Every French Bulldog I’ve ever met sheds. They have hair, hair falls out. It’s basic dog science, folks.
- Twice a year, it gets REAL. Like, you could probably knit a small sweater with what comes off them during shedding season (usually spring and fall). Doesn’t matter if they’re brindle, fawn, pied, blue, whatever.
- Color just changes VISIBILITY. This is the main thing. Dark hair shows up on light stuff. Light hair shows up on dark stuff. Pied dogs? You get both! It’s not that one color sheds less, it’s just about where you see it the most based on your furniture and clothes.
- Maybe slight coat differences? Okay, maybe some Frenchies have slightly thicker or thinner coats than others, just like people have different hair. This might affect the volume a tiny bit, but I really don’t think it’s tied strictly to the color pattern itself. It seems more dog-to-dog variation.
So, after going through the whole process, talking to people, and now living with my own little shedding machine, my conclusion is pretty simple. Don’t pick a Frenchie based on hoping one color sheds less than another. It’s a myth, mostly. Pick the dog you fall in love with, the one with the personality that fits your life. Then, invest in a good vacuum cleaner, some lint rollers, and embrace the fur. It’s just part of having one of these awesome little dogs around.
