Early in the pandemic, Roman Wexler and his wife and young daughter were shopping for a puppy. They were initially looking for a schnauzer, but then his daughter discovered an exotic, mystical creature online: a French bulldog with hair that was long and fluffy and coloring that was a mottled pattern, known as merle, in soft pink-tan and blue-gray shades.

“We didn’t even know this option existed,” recalled Wexler, a 52-year-old medi-spa owner who lives on the Upper East Side. “We fell in love.” 

The puppy was the only one available from a breeder based in Ohio. They offered Wexler the dog at a discounted rate of $12,000, as long as he signed paperwork promising not to breed her. 

“We made a deal sight unseen,” he said. “We hadn’t planned to spend that much, but we weren’t going out or taking vacations, so we said, ‘Let’s spend the money on something really good.’ “

French bulldogs have seen a massive rise in popularity in recent years. In 2020, they were the second most popular dog breed in the United States — knocking German shepherds down a notch — and the top dog in New York City, according to the American Kennel Club. The breed standard is a short coat in brindle (a streaky brown that can appear black), cream, white or fawn, with the possibility of white marking. But a rare recessive gene can produce longer-haired “fluffy Frenchies,” sometimes in designer shades like blue-gray, and they’re the hottest of the hot dog — for those who get their paws on one and have tens of thousands of dollars to spare. 

“There has been a steep rise in the demand for fluffy Frenchies,” said Dan Menczel, the customer service manager for TomKings Puppies, a Budapest, Hungary-based breeder whose top market is New York. The company has been offering fluffies — starting at $22,000, compared to $4,000 to $7,000 for its short-haired pup — for five years. Menczel estimated that demand has increased tenfold in the past few years. And there are rumors that they’ve got some celebrity fans.

“The talk circulating the Frenchie world,” said Portland, Oregon-based breeder Allee Powell, “is that Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson are in the market for a fluffy Frenchie.” (Representatives for Kardashian and Davidson did not offer a comment for publication.)

Demand is also being fueled by breeders who want to start offering fluffies themselves, such as Powell’s Fleek Frenchies, which recently started a fluffy breeding program.

“Everyone loves frenchies and ‘fluffy’ things, so this combines the best of both worlds,” added Powell, who is expecting her first litter of fluffies next month.

But some say the new iteration could be bad for the breed. Bulldogs are already notorious for a range of health issues, including breathing complications and hip problems. Trying to produce dogs with a unique coat texture linked to a rare recessive gene could encourage irresponsible breeding and exacerbate health issues.

“Fluffies are the next nightmare,” said Jorge Bendersky, a celebrity groomer who was a judge on ABC’s “Perfect Pooch.” “They are being seen as a novelty, an anomaly, so prices are skyrocketing, and everybody wants one. Instead of just finding these dogs, unscrupulous breeders [could] start mixing them and making fake fluffies by crossing a Frenchie with a Pekingese. Soon, a Kardashian will be walking around with one.”  

Wexler, meanwhile, has no regrets about his posh pet. They named her Nora, and she has become a valuable, playful member of the family. There’s just one problem, he said.

“When we have her out, we get stopped on the street every five minutes.”