COCOA

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Our main topic here is testable and non-testable chocolate color in French Bulldogs. This has now been found and is called the Cocoa Variant. The Normal Chocolate is the same test that has always been around for chocolate (brown) for years and is used in many breeds.

For many years there have been visually chocolate FB’s that have tested BB…non chocolate, so there ARE chocolate FB’s that definitely have chocolate hair and a chocolate nose that test BB. We now know these dogs are full Cocoa aka coco. Recently, we have quite a few FB lines that do test Bb or bb, and the dogs in those lines that test bb actually look Chocolate as you can see in the photos included herein.

A lot of people/breeders claim that these lines are mixed with other breeds to have brought the testable b in, even though these dogs are visibly chocolate, which is ironic since these same ones claim they have chocolate FB’s that test BB and also do not look chocolate but rather, black, faded black, or seal with a bronze or other color undertone. Not one of these ones can produce any proof that the testable lines are mixed, while at the same time, many of these Bb or bb dogs have been parentage DNA tested and have been found to be 100% FB. Therefore this claim of mix breeding is 100% unsubstantiated.

From the Geneticist: "The French Bulldog has two ways to be chocolate. One we can test for, but has been historically rare in the FB, and one that has just been discovered, and seems to be the most common way the FB are chocolate. Recently, we are seeing more FB show up with the testable chocolate." 

UPDATE! 2020 There has been a new Brown Variant discovered that can be tested for, which explains the many Chocolate French Bulldogs that have tested BB in the past. It is called the Cocoa Gene.

Testable: bb

Non-Testable (now testable): coco

Pre 2020: The French Bulldog and Chocolate Color

Our main topic here is testable and non-testable chocolate color in French Bulldogs. For the purposes of this article, we will use the term “Normal Chocolate” for the testable, and “Mutated Chocolate” for the non-testable. The Normal Chocolate is the same test that has always been around for chocolate (brown) for years and is used in many breeds. The Mutated chocolate is actually more common in FB, but the gene/mutation/modifier has yet to be found.

For many years there have been visually chocolate FB’s that have tested BB…non chocolate, so there ARE chocolate FB’s that definitely have chocolate hair and a chocolate nose that test BB. This Mutated Chocolate Gene or Modifier for this type chocolate has yet to be discovered and therefore no test is available at this time for those dogs. Recently, we have quite a few FB lines that do test Bb or bb, and the dogs in those lines that test bb actually look Chocolate.

A lot of people/breeders claim that these lines are mixed with other breeds to have brought the testable b in, even though these dogs are visibly chocolate, which is ironic since these same ones claim they have chocolate FB’s that test BB and also do not look chocolate but rather, black, faded black, or seal with a bronze or other color undertone. 

Not one of these ones can produce any proof that the testable lines are mixed, while at the same time, many of these Bb or bb dogs have been parentage DNA tested and have been found to be 100% FB. Therefore this claim of mix breeding is 100% unsubstantiated.

From the Geneticist: "The French Bulldog has two ways to be chocolate. One we can test for, but has been historically rare in the FB, and one that is still unknown, and seems to be the most common way the FB are chocolate. Recently, we are seeing more FB show up with the testable chocolate."

Not unknown any longer! Read on.

Cocoa: A brown coat color resulting in a slightly darker coat than the brown color caused by other variants. This color is seen in French Bulldogs and was previously referred to as non-testable chocolate.

Alleles: 

N: Non-cocoa

co: Cocoa

Results:

NN: does not have the cocoa variant.

N/co:  carries one copy of the Cocoa Variant

co/co: carries 2 copies of Cocoa

PARTIAL EXCERPTS FROM UCDAVIS

There are several known variants that result in the chocolate color in dogs. These known variants do not account for all chocolate in dogs. 

The cocoa variant is a different gene and is therefore not TYRP1. 

In French Bulldogs, a variant associated with a visually distinct chocolate phenotype was identified in the Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome 3 (HPS3) gene. Dogs with the HPS3 gene variant are visibly darker brown than the phenotypes associated with the previously described TYRP1 brown allele (b).

The canine cocoa variant is a single base change in the HPS3 gene. 

The variant associated with the cocoa phenotype is recessive. Thus, two copies must be present for the dog to appear chocolate. 

Data suggest one copy of cocoa (carrier) and one copy of any of the previously described gene variant (carrier) for brown will not result in a brown phenotype. Dogs with two copies of the cocoa variant may be cocoa, however the final phenotype of the dog is dependent on the alleles at other coat color loci. 

At this time the interaction of cocoa and the other brown allele is not understood. Therefore, it is not yet possible to predict the phenotype of a dog with two copies of cocoa (co) and two copies of the TYRP1 brown (b).

At this time, it is also unknown if the cocoa variant is found in other dog breeds.  just been discovered, and seems to be the most common way the FB are chocolate. Recently, we are seeing more FB show up with the testable chocolate."