Lilac vs Isabella French Bulldog: What's the Difference?

Editorial Director: Brandine StrandUpdated November 2026 Sources cited

Quick Answer

A lilac French Bulldog and an isabella French Bulldog are both pale, dilute browns, but the names describe different genes. UC Davis says diluted chocolate is “typically referred to as ‘isabella'” in French Bulldogs, and Frenchie breeders use isabella for diluted classic brown (b/b d/d), per Coats and Colors. “Lilac” has no single definition: many Frenchie breeders use it for cocoa (co/co) plus dilute. Both are AKC disqualifications, both carry the dilute gene, and only a DNA report tells you which dog you have.

Lilac French Bulldog at a Glance

Isabella has the closest thing to a lab definition. UC Davis says diluted chocolate is typically called isabella in French Bulldogs, and Frenchie breeders use isabella for classic brown (b/b) plus dilute (d/d), per Coats and Colors.
Lilac doesn’t. Many Frenchie breeders use it for cocoa (co/co) plus dilute, while UC Davis notes some breeds use it for diluted chocolate, and one 2020 study used it for any dilute brown.
“New shade” and “new shade isabella” are trade names, not lab terms.
Both colors carry two copies of the dilute gene, which is linked to color dilution alopecia (CDA). Not every dilute dog gets it. We found no CDA rate for lilac or isabella Frenchies, and a 2025 survey found only a possible, not statistically significant, link in blue ones.
Both are disqualified by the AKC and FCI standards and unacceptable under the standard of the UK’s Royal Kennel Club (formerly The Kennel Club). Ask for the genotype, not the color name.

20 min read · skim it in 519 cited sourcesFree Color Genetics Cheat Sheet

2 genesseparate a typical isabella (brown + dilute) from a breeder’s lilac (cocoa + dilute)

47 of 130brown or lilac Frenchies in a 2020 study had two copies of cocoa, not classic brown

25%chance of a dilute puppy, on average, when two dilute carriers are bred

Sources: UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, dilute test; Kiener et al., Genes, 2020.

A lilac French Bulldog looks like a dog dipped in moonlight: a soft, grey-mauve coat and a nose to match. An isabella Frenchie looks almost the same, maybe a touch warmer and more beige. Put them side by side and most people can’t tell them apart. Plenty of sellers can’t either, which is why the same dog gets called a lilac French Bulldog on one page and isabella on the next.

This guide settles it with genetics. We’ll show you what each name means, where the lab definition ends and breeder slang begins, and why the only answer you can trust is a DNA report. It’s one chapter of our French Bulldog colors guide, and like the rest of it, every claim is sourced.

Lilac French Bulldog illustration with a grey-mauve coat and nose — Genetics sources: UC Davis VGL; Coats and Colors.

Isabella French Bulldog illustration with a pale silvery beige coat and light brown nose — Genetics sources: UC Davis VGL; Coats and Colors.

What Is a Lilac French Bulldog?

A lilac French Bulldog is a Frenchie with a pale, greyish-brown coat made by two copies of a brown gene plus two copies of the dilute gene. The catch is which brown gene. Many Frenchie breeders use “lilac” for cocoa plus dilute (co/co d/d), but in some breeds it means diluted classic brown, and one 2020 study used “lilac” for any dilute brown dog, whichever brown gene it carried. The name alone doesn’t tell you the genotype.

Here’s why the word is slippery when you shop for a lilac French Bulldog. UC Davis notes that in some breeds, diluted chocolate “can be called ‘lilac'” (UC Davis VGL). The researchers who discovered cocoa in French Bulldogs also wrote “lilac (= dilute brown)” when describing their study dogs (Kiener et al., 2020). Meanwhile, a biologist-run color genetics site reports that Frenchie breeders “use ‘lilac’ for diluted cocoa” (Coats and Colors).

So in the Frenchie world, “lilac” most often points to cocoa plus dilute, but nobody owns the word. Two honest breeders can use it for two different dogs. The same site adds that co/co d/d produces “a lilac color very similar to diluted brown,” which is exactly why people mix them up.

Bodhi, our Frenchie mascot, in a green harness, looking at the camera, with his face, eyes and nose in sharp focus against a soft forest background — Bodhi, our Frenchie mascot.

What Is an Isabella French Bulldog?

In Frenchie breeder usage, an isabella French Bulldog has two copies of a classic brown gene (TYRP1, written b/b) and two copies of the dilute gene (MLPH, written d/d). The dilute gene lightens chocolate to a pale, silvery shade. UC Davis says that in the French Bulldog this color is “typically referred to as ‘isabella.'” That makes isabella the closer of the two names to a lab definition.

Think of it as two light switches. The brown gene swaps black pigment for chocolate. The dilute gene then washes that chocolate out. A dog with only b/b is chocolate. A dog with only d/d is blue. A dog with both is what Frenchie breeders call isabella (UC Davis VGL, dilute; UC Davis VGL, brown; Coats and Colors).

Isabella’s two parent colors each have their own guide: our chocolate and cocoa French Bulldog guide covers the brown genes, and our blue French Bulldog guide covers dilution.

Lilac vs Isabella French Bulldog: What’s the Difference?

The difference is the brown gene underneath. Isabella is classic brown plus dilute (b/b d/d). A lilac French Bulldog, in most breeder usage, is cocoa plus dilute (co/co d/d). Cocoa and classic brown come from two different genes, HPS3 and TYRP1. The coats can look almost identical, so the genotype, not the eye, is the only reliable way to tell lilac vs isabella apart.

Lilac vs Isabella French Bulldog at a Glance

What each name usually means, and how sure we can be.

	Isabella	Lilac (Common Frenchie Usage)
Genotype	b/b d/d	co/co d/d (some use it for b/b d/d)
Brown gene	TYRP1 (classic brown, “chocolate”)	HPS3 (cocoa, found in 2020)
Dilute gene	MLPH, two copies	MLPH, two copies
Definition	Closest to a lab definition UC Davis	Trade usage varies
Coat	Pale, silvery brown	Grey-mauve, very similar
AKC standard	Disqualified	Disqualified
Main health note	Dilute: CDA possible	Dilute: CDA possible; cocoa platelet finding

Sources: UC Davis VGL; Kiener et al., 2020; Coats and Colors; AKC standard; Laboklin, 2023; Laukner et al., 2021.

Why does it matter if a lilac French Bulldog and an isabella look the same? Three reasons. First, the two colors breed differently, so a breeder planning a litter needs to know which brown gene is in play. Second, cocoa has its own research history and a lab finding that classic brown doesn’t share (more in the health section). Third, you’re often paying a premium for a name, and a name that changes meaning from seller to seller isn’t much of a guarantee.

Lilac French Bulldog with tan markings lying on a dark grey background and looking at the camera — A lilac French Bulldog with tan markings. By eye, a coat like this can’t be reliably sorted into cocoa lilac or isabella; that takes a DNA test.

The Lilac French Bulldog Genes, Decoded

Three genes do most of the work. TYRP1 (the B locus) makes classic brown. HPS3 (the cocoa locus) makes a darker brown found so far only in French Bulldogs. MLPH (the D locus) dilutes black to blue and brown to lilac or isabella. All three are recessive, so a dog needs two copies of a variant, one from each parent, for it to show.

Reading a Lilac or Isabella DNA String

The codes you’ll see on breeder pages and lab reports, in plain English.

d/dTwo dilute copies (MLPH). Needed for blue, lilac and isabella.
D/d or N/dDilute carrier. Not dilute itself, but can pass it on.
b/bTwo classic brown copies (TYRP1). With d/d, this is isabella.
co/coTwo cocoa copies (HPS3). With d/d, this is what many Frenchie breeders call lilac.
N/coCocoa carrier. Looks like any other color but can pass cocoa on.
e/eCream or red. Hides brown and cocoa in the coat, so a cream can carry lilac genes unseen.

Sources: UC Davis VGL dilute, brown and cocoa tests; Embark; breeder color names per Coats and Colors.

Cocoa is the newest piece of the lilac French Bulldog puzzle. Before 2020, brown Frenchies that tested negative for classic brown were called “non-testable chocolate” (UC Davis VGL). Kiener and colleagues genotyped 373 French Bulldogs and found the likely cause, a variant in the HPS3 gene. Among 130 brown or lilac dogs, 47 had two copies of cocoa and 82 had two copies of classic brown (Kiener et al., 2020). Both brown systems, in other words, are well established in the breed.

Cocoa is also common below the surface. In the same study, 42 of 111 black- or blue-based control Frenchies, about 38%, carried one copy. UC Davis says it’s unknown whether the cocoa variant occurs in other breeds, and how cocoa interacts with classic brown “is not understood” (UC Davis VGL).

Dilution has a wrinkle too. UC Davis tests three dilute variants, but says they “do not account for all color dilution” in some breeds, French Bulldogs included (UC Davis VGL). So a dog that looks dilute can occasionally test as non-dilute. If a report doesn’t match the dog, talk to the lab.

Two Recipes for a Pale Brown-Based Coat

How the three recessive genes combine, as described in the DNA decoder above. “Lilac” here is the name many Frenchie breeders use for cocoa plus dilute; the 2020 cocoa study used “lilac” more broadly, for any dilute brown. Sources: genes per UC Davis VGL and Kiener et al., 2020; breeder color names per Coats and Colors.

How Lilac and Isabella Puppies Are Made: The Odds

Each parent passes one copy of each gene at random. Two dilute carriers average 25% dilute puppies. For isabella, a puppy needs two brown copies and two dilute copies, so two black parents that each carry both average just 1 in 16. Two isabellas make all-isabella litters, unless both carry cream (e). The same math applies to cocoa lilac, swapping cocoa for classic brown.

Chance That Each Puppy Is Isabella (b/b d/d), by Parents

Standard recessive inheritance. Assumes no cream (e/e) and no cocoa in the pairing. Each puppy is a fresh coin toss, so real litters vary.

Isabella × isabella100%
Isabella × blue carrying brown (B/b d/d)50%
Two blues carrying brown25%
Two blacks carrying brown and dilute (B/b D/d)6.25%

Bar length relative to 100%. The 25% carrier figure is stated by UC Davis VGL; the others follow from the same recessive model (½ × ½ for each gene). Swap co for b to get the odds for a cocoa lilac.

This is why a lilac French Bulldog or isabella puppy can “surprise” a breeder with two black parents. Both parents were quietly carrying brown and dilute all along. It’s also why a cream Frenchie matters so much in these pairings: because e/e hides brown and cocoa in the coat, a cream can carry lilac genes without showing them in its coat, though the skin may still give a hint (UC Davis VGL; Embark). Sellers have their own names for some of these creams; our platinum, pink and new shade guide unpacks them.

What Is a “New Shade” Isabella French Bulldog?

“New shade” and “new shade isabella” are breeder trade names, not lab terms. One color genetics site reports that Frenchie breeders sometimes use “new shade” for a dog with both cocoa and classic brown, and “new shade isabella” for the same combination plus dilute, a very light cream-grey brown. We found no lab or kennel club that defines either term, so treat them as unverified marketing labels.

Documented

Isabella: b/b d/d (UC Davis name; genotype per Coats and Colors)
Cocoa: HPS3 co/co, published in 2020
Dilute: MLPH d/d, recessive

Trade Usage

Lilac: Usually co/co d/d, sometimes b/b d/d
New shade: Reportedly cocoa plus classic brown
Lilac merle: A lilac or isabella base plus merle

Unknown

Interaction: How cocoa and classic brown combine
Rarity: No published frequency we could find for lilac or isabella
Other breeds: Whether cocoa exists outside Frenchies

“Lilac merle” is another trade name you’ll see. It describes a dog with a lilac-looking base coat plus merle, the patchy coat pattern. Merle brings its own serious concerns, including the risks of breeding two merles together, which UC Davis says “is discouraged” (UC Davis VGL). Read our merle French Bulldog health guide before you consider one.

Nose, Pads and Eyes: Can You Tell a Lilac French Bulldog by Looking?

Not reliably. The nose and paw pads give clues: UC Davis says two copies of classic brown change the nose and foot pads from black to brown. But cocoa lilac and isabella look so alike that a color genetics site says they “can be very hard to tell apart without testing.” Puppy eye color can darken with age, so it isn’t a dependable clue either.

Here’s what you can and can’t read from the outside of a lilac French Bulldog:

Nose and pads. A brown or pinkish-brown nose tells you the dog isn’t a plain black-pigmented dog. With b/b, UC Davis says the nose and pads turn brown, “even in e/e dogs with red or yellow coats” (UC Davis VGL). That makes the nose a useful hint on creams that might carry brown.
Coat in the light. Some people describe lilac as cooler and greyer and isabella as warmer and more beige. That’s an impression from photos, not a rule. Lighting and camera settings change it completely.
Eyes. The cocoa study shows a puppy with a brown coat and blue eyes whose “coat and eye color has markedly darkened over time” (Kiener et al., 2020). Puppy eye color can change, so don’t use it to judge the adult.

Lilac French Bulldog with tan markings looking up, showing its grey-mauve coat and pinkish-brown nose — A brown-toned nose like this one points to a brown gene, but it can’t tell you which one.

One more thing on eyes. The AKC standard disqualifies “blue or green eye(s) or any traces of blue or green,” which matters if you ever plan to show (AKC standard). For a pet, it’s simply a look, but ask the breeder what the parents’ adult eye color is.

Is a Lilac French Bulldog AKC Recognized? Standard vs Registration

No. The AKC standard accepts “white, cream, fawn (ranging from light fawn to a red fawn)” and says all other colors are a disqualification, naming blue and liver among them. Lilac and isabella are dilute browns, so they fall outside the standard. The FCI allows only fawn, brindled or not, with or without white, and says the nose is “never brown or blue,” and the UK’s Royal Kennel Club lists only brindle, fawn and pied. Registration is a separate question.

What Each Breed Standard Says About Lilac and Isabella Colors

Quoted from each organization’s current French Bulldog standard. None names lilac or isabella directly.

Organization	Color Wording	Lilac or Isabella
AKC / FBDCA (US, 2018)	Accepts “white, cream, fawn (ranging from light fawn to a red fawn)”; nose other than black is a DQ except creams or fawns without masks	Disqualified
FCI (international, 2023)	“fawn, brindled or not, with or without white spotting”; DQ includes “Colour of nose other than black”; nose “never brown or blue”	Disqualified
The Royal Kennel Club (UK)	“The only correct colours are: Brindle; Fawn; Pied”; “Any other colour or combination of colours unacceptable.”	Unacceptable

In a 2008 clarification of the earlier standard, the FBDCA said its color requirements dated back to 1911 (FBDCA); the AKC approved the current color wording in 2018. The UK club’s members voted in June 2024 to change its name from The Kennel Club to The Royal Kennel Club (The Royal Kennel Club).

Showing and registering aren’t the same thing. The AKC says “dogs of a disqualifiable color may still be registered” (AKC conformation FAQ). So “AKC registered” on a lilac French Bulldog listing means the parentage is recorded. It doesn’t mean the AKC recognizes the color, and it says nothing about health.

The breed club is direct about it. The FBDCA’s “French Bulldog Fad Colors” page warns against colors disqualified by the standard and marketed as rare, which it says lets sellers charge “very inflated prices” (FBDCA). Our French Bulldog breed standard guide goes through the full text.

Lilac French Bulldog puppy with tan markings lying on a white background, chin down, looking at the camera — A lilac French Bulldog puppy with tan markings.

Red Flags

Are Lilac and Isabella French Bulldogs Healthy?

Both colors carry two copies of the dilute gene, which is linked to color dilution alopecia (CDA), a hair-loss condition. Not every dilute dog develops it, Laboklin says only a skin biopsy can diagnose it, and we found no published CDA rate for lilac or isabella Frenchies. A cocoa lilac also has a lab finding: reduced platelet granules in a small 2021 study, with no bleeding problems reported by owners. Beyond color, they share every Frenchie risk.

Color dilution alopecia. In CDA, the dilute gene clumps pigment inside the hair shaft and makes hair break easily. The German lab Laboklin lists blue French Bulldogs among the breeds “increasingly affected” and notes that “not all dilute colour dogs develop alopecia.” Thinning is most common in puppies 3 to 12 months old, the first signs may be sparse hair on the ears and tail, and hair loss can spread over the body with age.

Diagnosis needs a skin biopsy, and affected dogs are prone to repeat bacterial skin infections (Laboklin, 2023). In a 2025 German owner survey of 574 French Bulldogs, blue dogs had higher odds of color-mutant alopecia than other colors (odds ratio 2.0), but the difference wasn’t statistically significant, and the published results don’t report a lilac or isabella group (Hinze et al., 2025).

CDA can’t be cured, but Laboklin says it can be improved by controlling secondary infections. Support starts with the skin and coat: fatty acid supplementation “may improve the coat,” though it doesn’t regrow hair, and melatonin may help hair grow in some dogs, usually only while it’s given. Laboklin advises weighing the risks first, so talk it through with your vet. For itchy or inflamed skin from any cause, our French Bulldog allergies guide covers the root-cause approach.

Be wary of any page that gives you a CDA percentage for lilac French Bulldogs. We looked and found none in the research. If your lilac or isabella starts thinning on the ears, tail or body, or gets bumps, scabs or repeat skin infections, see your vet rather than guessing. Our skin, folds and ears guide covers everyday skin care, and our French Bulldog hair loss guide goes deeper on causes.

The cocoa finding. In people, variants in the HPS3 gene cause Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome, which involves bleeding and vision problems (Kiener et al., 2020). UC Davis says these effects “have not been reported in dogs homozygous for the cocoa variant” (UC Davis VGL). A 2021 study of 34 French Bulldogs found that the 10 cocoa dogs showed a significantly lower platelet dense granule signal in a lab test. Owners reported no bleeding problems, but none of the cocoa dogs had undergone surgery (Laukner et al., 2021). The authors say more study is needed to rule out a clinically relevant bleeding disorder.

The authors concluded the variant’s effect is “largely restricted to pigmentation.” That’s reassuring, and it’s a lab finding, not a diagnosis. Still, it’s worth telling your vet that your lilac French Bulldog carries cocoa before any surgery or dental work, and our French Bulldog anesthesia safety guide covers what else to ask. The 2020 authors suggested breeding cocoa dogs only if they show no clinically relevant impairments. For isabella’s classic brown gene, we found no health condition linked to the color itself.

The bigger risks aren’t about color. A lilac French Bulldog still has the breed’s flat face, back and skin folds. Our guides to BOAS, IVDD and common French Bulldog health problems cover what matters most when you choose a puppy.

Our Position

Love the Color, but Buy the Dog

Lilac French Bulldogs and isabellas can be wonderful, healthy companions, and we don’t think their owners should feel judged. What concerns us is a market that prices a coat above breathing, backs and temperament. Choose the breeder who talks about health testing first and color second, and get the genotype in writing.

See Your Vet If Your Lilac or Isabella Has

Thinning hair on the ears, tail or body · bumps, pimples or scabs · red, itchy or smelly skin that could be a secondary infection · any bleeding that seems slow to stop, and always mention a cocoa (co/co) result before surgery or dental work.

How Much Is a Lilac French Bulldog?

Lilac French Bulldog puppies cost more than standard colors at the US breeder we checked. It lists solid lilac French Bulldog pet puppies at $4,000 to $5,500, compared with $2,999 to $4,000 for black and brindle. A kennel’s 2025 stud-fee guide says premium studs, including isabella carriers and studs with rare lilac or merle genetics, can reach $8,000 to $10,000 or more, against $1,500 to $3,000 for most standard studs. These are sellers’ figures, not verified sales, and they reflect demand, not health.

Advertised Lilac Prices vs Standard Colors

Sellers’ published prices, checked October 2026. Pet puppies on limited registration.

Black and brindle$2,999–$4,000
Fawn$3,500–$5,000
Solid lilac, lilac and tan$4,000–$5,500

Bar length shows the top of each range relative to $5,500. Source: Country Club Frenchies pricing, a breeder’s sales page. Full registration adds $2,000.

Stud fees show the same pattern. TomKings Kennel’s stud-fee guide says most standard studs ran “1500 to 3000 USD” in 2025, while premium studs “can reach 8000 to 10,000 USD or more,” and that “isabella carriers and studs with rare lilac or merle genetics” often fall in that premium group. Its own studs run 3,000 to 5,000 USD, with lilac merles at the top of its range (TomKings). Remember that the purchase price is the small number. Budget for pet insurance too, and see our French Bulldog price by color guide for every shade.

How to Confirm a Lilac or Isabella Frenchie with a DNA Test

Ask for a lab report that covers the dilute (D), brown (B) and cocoa (co) loci, plus E for cream. UC Davis offers a French Bulldog coat color panel. An isabella, in breeder usage, should read b/b d/d. A cocoa lilac French Bulldog should read co/co d/d. If the seller only says “lilac,” the report tells you which dog you’re actually buying.

Ask Which Lab Ran the Test Lab

Get a copy of the full report, not a screenshot of a DNA string, and check that the dog’s name and details match the puppy you’re buying. The UC Davis French Bulldog coat color panel is one option.

Check the Three Key Loci Genes

Look for D (dilute), B (classic brown) and co (cocoa). In breeder usage, isabella is b/b d/d and lilac is usually co/co d/d. A dog with both b/b and co/co plus d/d may be sold as “new shade isabella.”

Check E for Creams Cream

If the dog is e/e, the coat hides brown and cocoa. That’s fine for a pet, but it means the color you see isn’t lilac or isabella, whatever the genes underneath say.

Ask About the Parents Too Parents

Both parents’ reports should make the puppy’s genotype possible. If the parents’ reports can’t explain the puppy’s color, that’s a question worth asking the breeder and the lab.

Our French Bulldog DNA test guide compares the labs, and the free Color Genetics Cheat Sheet below decodes every string you’ll see.

Free Download: The Frenchie Color Genetics Cheat Sheet

Every French Bulldog color code on one printable page, from d/d and co/co to e/e and merle. Keep it handy when you read a breeder’s DNA report.

Privacy

Checklist

How to Buy a Lilac French Bulldog Responsibly

Choose a lilac or isabella breeder the way you’d choose any Frenchie breeder: health first. Ask for lab DNA reports for the puppy and both parents, breathing assessments for the parents, proof the pairing wasn’t merle to merle, and a written health contract. Meet the parents, and walk away from anyone who leads with “rare” instead of “healthy.”

Ask For

DNA: Lab reports showing D, B and cocoa results for puppy and parents
Breathing: A breathing assessment for both parents
Papers: Registration and a written health contract

Check

Skin and coat: Look at the parents’ coats for thinning or flaky patches
Merle: For lilac merles, never two merles bred together
Puppy: A vet check before you pay in full

Walk Away If

Pitch: “Rare” or “exotic” comes before health
Proof: A color name with no lab report
Payment: Gift card or wire deposits, or no chance to meet the dog

Shopping for a lilac French Bulldog? Look for breeders who list their health testing. Start with our French Bulldog breeder directory, and read our guide to the questions to ask a French Bulldog breeder. If you’d rather adopt, our adoption guide shows where to look for a Frenchie in rescue. Once your dog is home, a vet from our French Bulldog vet directory or our integrative vet directory can keep an eye on that dilute coat.

What We Don’t Know

The Open Questions

We found no published data on how common lilac or isabella Frenchies are, or how often lilac or isabella Frenchies develop CDA. The one Frenchie survey we found that compared skin problems by color didn’t list lilac or isabella, and its blue-coat finding wasn’t statistically significant. UC Davis says the known dilute variants don’t explain all dilution in the breed, and that cocoa’s interaction with classic brown isn’t understood. The cocoa platelet finding comes from just 10 dogs. “Lilac” and “new shade” still have no agreed definition. We’ll update this page when a lab or journal answers any of these.

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Where the Experts Disagree on Lilac Frenchies

Is the cocoa platelet finding a health risk?Laukner and colleagues found a lower platelet granule signal in 10 cocoa French Bulldogs, with no bleeding problems reported by owners, and concluded the variant’s effect is largely restricted to pigmentation. UC Davis says the bleeding effects seen in people haven’t been reported in cocoa dogs. Our take: low concern, but tell your vet before surgery.
Should lilac be bred at all?The AKC, FCI and UK Royal Kennel Club standards all exclude lilac and isabella, yet the AKC still registers dogs of a disqualifiable color and many breeders sell lilac as a specialty. Our take: a lilac Frenchie can be a healthy pet, but health testing and breathing should drive the choice, not coat color.

Your next step: If you’re shopping, ask for the parents’ DNA reports in writing and read them with the color genetics cheat sheet above. If you already have a lilac or isabella, book a skin check with a vet from our French Bulldog vet directory or our integrative vet directory, and explore the rest of our French Bulldog colors guide.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lilac and Isabella French Bulldogs

What is the difference between a lilac and an isabella French Bulldog?

The brown gene underneath. UC Davis says diluted chocolate is typically called isabella in French Bulldogs, and Frenchie breeders use isabella for classic brown plus dilute (b/b d/d), per Coats and Colors. Many Frenchie breeders use “lilac” for cocoa plus dilute (co/co d/d), while UC Davis notes some breeds use it for diluted chocolate, and one 2020 study used it for any dilute brown. The coats look almost identical, so ask for a DNA report rather than trusting the name.

Is a lilac French Bulldog rare?

We found no registry or lab data on how common lilac or isabella Frenchies are. Cocoa itself isn’t scarce below the surface: in a 2020 study, about 38% of black- or blue-based control Frenchies carried one copy. “Rare” is often a sales word, and the FBDCA warns it can inflate prices.

What is a new shade isabella Frenchie?

A trade name, not a lab term. One color genetics site reports that breeders use “new shade” for a dog with both cocoa and classic brown, and “new shade isabella” for that combination plus dilute, a very light cream-grey brown. We found no lab or kennel club definition, so ask for the full genotype.

Are lilac French Bulldogs AKC registered?

They can be registered, but they can’t compete in conformation. The AKC standard disqualifies all colors other than white, cream and fawn, with patterns like brindle and piebald. The AKC says dogs of a disqualifiable color may still be registered. Registration records parentage. It doesn’t mean the color is recognized, and it isn’t proof of health.

Do lilac French Bulldogs have health problems?

Lilac and isabella dogs carry two copies of the dilute gene, which is linked to color dilution alopecia, a hair-loss condition. Not every dilute dog develops it, and we found no published rate for lilac or isabella Frenchies. Cocoa (co/co) dogs, a group that includes cocoa lilacs, had fewer platelet granules in a small 2021 study, with no bleeding reported. They also share every Frenchie risk, from BOAS to IVDD.

Can two blue French Bulldogs have a lilac puppy?

Yes, if both carry a brown gene. Two blues are both d/d, so every puppy is dilute. If each also carries one copy of classic brown, each puppy has a 25% chance of being b/b, which makes it isabella. If both carry cocoa instead, the same 25% applies to a cocoa lilac.

How much does a lilac French Bulldog cost?

One US breeder lists solid lilac pet puppies at $4,000 to $5,500, about $1,000 to $1,500 above its black and brindle prices. A kennel’s 2025 stud-fee guide says premium studs, including isabella carriers and studs with rare lilac genetics, can reach $8,000 to $10,000 or more. These are sellers’ prices, and higher prices don’t mean better health.

Sources

Genetics Research and Laboratories

UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory. Dilute (D locus) test. Accessed October 2026.
UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory. Brown (B locus) test. Accessed October 2026.
UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory. Cocoa test. Accessed October 2026.
UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory. French Bulldog coat color panel. Accessed October 2026.
UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory. Merle test. Accessed October 2026.
Kiener S, Kehl A, Loechel R, Langbein-Detsch I, Müller E, Bannasch D, Jagannathan V, Leeb T. Novel brown coat color (cocoa) in French Bulldogs results from a nonsense variant in HPS3. Genes. 2020;11(6):636. doi:10.3390/genes11060636
Laukner A, Truchet L, Manukjan G, Schulze H, Langbein-Detsch I, Mueller E, Leeb T, Kehl A. Effects of cocoa genotypes on coat color, platelets and coagulation parameters in French Bulldogs. Genes. 2021;12(7):1092. doi:10.3390/genes12071092
Embark Veterinary. Embark for Breeders Dog DNA Test Includes Cocoa Trait. January 8, 2021; accessed October 2026.
Coats and Colors. Cocoa locus. Accessed October 2026. (Secondary, non-academic source; used for breeder naming only.)

Health

Laboklin. Laboklin Aktuell, dermatology issue, October 2023 (color dilution alopecia).
Hinze MAG, Meyer KOH, Heilmann RM, Müller U. Health status and disease prevalences in French bulldogs in Germany: insights from a survey-based study. Companion Anim Health Genet. 2025;12:9. doi:10.1186/s40575-025-00149-8

Breed Standards and Clubs

American Kennel Club. Official Standard of the French Bulldog. Approved April 10, 2018; effective June 5, 2018.
American Kennel Club. Conformation FAQ. Accessed October 2026.
Fédération Cynologique Internationale. FCI Standard No. 101, French Bulldog. Published August 10, 2023.
The Royal Kennel Club (UK). French Bulldog breed standard. Accessed October 2026.
The Royal Kennel Club. Historic AGM and SGM for The Kennel Club as members vote for royal name change. June 12, 2024.
French Bull Dog Club of America. Color; French Bulldog Fad Colors. Accessed October 2026.

Price Sources (Sellers’ Published Prices, Checked October 2026)

Country Club Frenchies. Pricing. Breeder sales page.
TomKings Kennel. French Bulldog Stud Fees in 2025. Dated November 22, 2025; accessed October 2026.

Prices were checked on sellers’ websites in October 2026 and change often. Links to DNA testing labs are for information; we don’t earn a commission from them. Color names like lilac and new shade are trade terms, and we report how they’re used, not a lab standard. This article is educational and doesn’t replace your vet. If your Frenchie has hair loss or skin changes, see your vet.