Today, Charla Lenarth wonders if she should wear a microphone to participate in French bulldog shows. Lenarth, 56, travels the country searching for the best ribbons for Jezebel, one of his many French bulldogs. And ever since Woofstock, a ’60s-themed competition celebrating “four days of peace, music and dogs,” she’s worried about Jezebel’s safety – and her own. When she and Jezebel showed up in Vallejo, California, for the June 2022 show, the rumor mill had been brewing for weeks with allegations that both mystified and angered Lenarth. Just seven months after campaigning on Jezebel (as dog lovers call showing), she was a newcomer to the elite dog show scene.
Sitting inside the Solano County Fairgrounds, amid dyes, beads, spectators holding peace signs and 1,969 dogs, “these three women came and stood over me,” she recalled recently. She put Jezebel down, who was resting peacefully on her knees, and got up to speak to them. Two of the women were dressed to show their dogs; we were there to watch. “I didn’t like that feeling,” Lenarth said. “A woman said I was an abomination. Another used the F-word and said, “You don’t deserve to be here.” » A woman said, “I will haunt you until you stop.” » »
Lenarth’s crime, in the eyes of these competitors, was owning a “colored” Frenchie. (And yes, the language can seem disturbing — more on that in a moment.) You’ve probably seen the breed walking down the street or in the smooth stream of flat faces on Instagram or TikTok. Known as “a clown disguised as a philosopher,” the French are beloved for their wrinkled faces, alert ears, and city-friendly stature. They have become arm candy for celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon, Martha Stewart, Megan you stud, and Michael Phelps. Lady Gaga’s Frenchies made international headlines when their walker was shot and two dogs were stolen. February 2021. First recognized as a bred by the American Kennel Club in 1898, French bulldogs are the It dog of the moment. This year, according to the group, they surpassed Labrador retrievers, who held the title for 31 years.
Among the most popular Frenchies, however, are blues, which are less blue than light gray, as opposed to those whose fur resembles butterscotch, midnight black, or a marbled mix. More mice than Smurfs. As beloved as they are (and they make up a large portion of the breed), blue French bulldogs are not allowed to participate in shows supported by the AKC, a nonprofit organization, which promotes and sanctions the Westminster Kennel Club annual dog show. Insiders call them “DQ dogs,” shorthand for their disqualified status. Thus, the ongoing “color war” among the upper class of the French bulldog world has transformed into an extraordinary human battlefield.
Fans of the blue French bulldog might even be condemned by simple association. The Woofstock incident, in fact, had nothing to do with Jezebel but with another puppy from Lenarth, who stayed at home that day. When Lenarth got her first French bulldog, she bought him as a pet. She said she had “no interest” in showing dogs and was not aware of any type of scorned dog shade. Like millions of other dog owners, she saw the puppy, fell in love and soon they were together.
Lenarth is far from the only Frenchie owner to encounter hostility. This is common in online forums as well as the thousands of in-person competitions that take place throughout the year and across the country. Although incidents like Gaga’s are rare, the world is rife with controversy, harassment and sometimes outright violence, according to more than two dozen handlers, breeders and owners.
Those who feel the need to emphasize tradition feel differently, as dog shows continue to be a gathering place for passionate fanciers looking to maintain the breed they love.
“We are preservation breeders, which means we breed to a standard,” said Patty Sosa, president of public relations and head of judge education for the French Bull Dog Club of America. “It’s the basis of the backbone of our club.”
The increase in funds and attention to Frenchies has fueled what was a long-dormant debate within a small, specialist community, with now millions of dollars and lives – human and canine – at stake.
A Frenchie can costs anywhere from $2,000 to more than $20,000, depending on lineage, color, health and competition history, which is often discerned by titles won at AKC competitions. “Pink Fluffy” Frenchies, a variant with long whitish hair that gives off a Gremlin-like vibe, the scourge of the American dog scene, reportedly sold for six figures. Global demand, questions about breeding practices, and high prices have spawned the term “greedy.”
On one side of the battle are the “preservationists,” who adhere to official principles. French Bulldog Colors or Color Combinations Accepted by the AKC: brindle (a sinuous swirl of light and dark colors); brindle and white; cream; fawn (lighter tan, sometimes with a darker tint); fawn and white; fawn brindle; white; white and brindle; fawn and white brindle; and white and fawn. These dog colors, and only these can be shown in the myriad of French bulldog shows supported by the AKC and the French Bull Dog Club of America. The FBDCA determines the breed standard used for judging at Westminster, the true Puppy Bowl of dog shows.
Some conservationists say those who simply own – and don’t actively campaign for – unofficial colors of Frenchies are guilty of defiling their beloved breed, like Lenarth. The nonprofit FBDCA’s website features a “NO FAD COLORS” logo with a blue dog with a red line through it.
Illustration by Christophe Buzelli.