French Bulldog Coloring Page

Those oversized bat ears and that endlessly good-natured face are what make the French Bulldog so much fun to color. Keep the short coat smooth with a few long, even strokes, and that friendly, people-loving personality comes right through. This page works well for group recreation at care facilities and day services, and it's just as good for a bit of quiet brain training at home, printing out at a comfortable A4 size, free of charge.

About the French Bulldog

The French Bulldog's story starts, somewhat confusingly, in England. In the mid-1800s, lace workers in Nottingham bred small "toy" bulldogs as companion dogs, quite different from the larger, sturdier bulldogs used for work. When the textile trade declined and many of these workers relocated to France in search of jobs, they brought their little bulldogs with them. In France the breed became a sensation, especially among Parisian society, artists, and shopkeepers who adored its compact size and comical personality. Breeders there favored a distinctive trait, the tall, wide "bat ears" that stand straight up, rather than the folded-over "rose ears" seen on the English bulldog, and that single feature came to define the breed. Ironically, it was so strongly associated with France by the time it caught on back in England and the United States that the name French Bulldog simply stuck, regardless of its English origins.

This is a wonderfully satisfying subject for a coloring page because the French Bulldog is really a portrait of a few big, bold shapes. The two enormous bat ears sit high and wide on the head, and coloring them a shade or two darker than the rest of the face makes them pop right off the page. The face itself is a fun challenge in a different way, with soft wrinkles and folds framing a short, flat muzzle and a pair of large, round, soulful eyes, so short, careful strokes along those fold lines add gentle depth without needing fine detail work. The body is stocky and low to the ground, with a broad chest and short legs, and because the coat is naturally short and smooth, it colors in beautifully with a few long, even, unbroken strokes rather than lots of small dabs, which makes this page a relaxing one to fill in. French Bulldogs come in a whole range of real-life coat colors, brindle, fawn, cream, and white with patches, so there is no single "correct" color choice here; picking a favorite shade is part of the fun.