Bichon frise

Bichon frise is a small companion dog, cheerful, balanced, temperate. His beautiful, long, curly white cotton-like fur requires careful care. He gave his friendship to simple people and crowned heads – because being a companion has been his calling for hundreds of years. 

Nature

Bichon frise is an extremely sensitive dog. He always wants to be close to a man, he loves to cuddle (when he is alone at home, he puts on the clothes left by the owners to smell them). It requires a gentle approach, which does not mean that it can be allowed everything.

He gets along well with other animals, but let’s make sure that the cat does not hurt him, for example.

The advantage of these little dogs is the ability to take with them almost everywhere. Even in the most exclusive restaurants, the staff will gladly put a bowl of water in front of such a charming guest.

Skills

For thousands of years he was bred as a companion dog and this is his basic function. However, he can not only sit on the couch, but he will also gladly go for a walk, play with a ball or teach tricks. It can cultivate agility.

Bichon frise. Training and education

He is intelligent and eager to learn, but he is also stubborn and can consistently strive to put his own mind.

He is gentle with strangers and usually welcomes guests in a friendly way. There are more timid bichons, and social neglect can cause it to turn into fear. The dog should not be hidden under the shade.

Who is this race for?

It easily adapts to various conditions. It will be a great companion for both the householder and a person who likes long walks. Cheerful by nature, he likes to play very much – he is, therefore, a great companion of older children.

Bichon frise. Advantages and disadvantages

Disadvantages

• can be tiring
• it can be moody
• easy to get dirty
• requires regular care

Advantages

• full of energy
• cheerful
• sensitive
• willing to accompany various activities
• Ii doesn’t molt
• long-lived

Bichon frise. Health

The small size means that in the wet grass it immediately soaks the stomach and the surrounding area, which can lead to colds and stomach problems – always in this situation, it must be carefully dried and warmed.

Constant tear eyes are also a health problem, and ugly yellow tears must be removed with special fluids. Tear tubules clogging is common in this breed. With other problems, there are allergies.

Feeding

Bichon has a tendency to gain weight, which is why his menu should be laid carefully and fairly rigorously observed.

Care

Bichon Frize hardly molts, because he has wool instead of fur, so he may be suitable for allergy sufferers. Before making a decision to buy a dog, however, you should check whether it is allergic.

Bichon is not demanding – except that it should be bathed and cut every 2-3 months. If we want to exhibit our pet, it is best to go with him to an experienced groomer who will give him a typical hairstyle for the show.

History

This white fluffy mascot-looking dog is one of the oldest companion breeds. Like his close cousins ​​- Bolognese, Maltese and Havanese – he is included in the so-called Bichon frise. They are small, shaggy dogs, most often white (the exception is Havanese also found in other colors), originating from the Mediterranean.

Common blood connects them to poodle, barbet and other water dogs, but their ancestors began to be selected centuries ago for small sizes as companion dogs.

These little pooches often accompanied sailors and thanks to them they hit, among others to the Canary Islands, from where in the fourteenth century Italian sailors brought them to the continent. They quickly became the favorites of nobles. In France, they gained popularity during the reign of Francis I (1515-1547), but they enjoyed the greatest popularity during the reign of Henry III (1574-1589).

Ladies wore them on their hands or special trays hung around their necks, scented them and spoiled them to the limit. Little white dogs were also favorites of the Spanish aristocracy – they appear in Goya’s paintings.

After the French Revolution, their aversion to everything bourgeois made them hit the streets, where they had to deal with themselves. Difficult conditions strengthened them. Soon, simple people also appreciated their advantages: charm, intelligence and cheapness in maintenance. All this meant that, like poodles, they often accompanied traveling wandering jugglers and organ grinders.

At the end of World War I, French and Belgian breed lovers decided to start their planned breeding. In 1933, the French cynological association approved the pattern bichon frise (frize). In 1934, bichons were entered in the French pedigree books. The FCI eventually recognized the breed as Franco-Belgian. In 1955, the first Bichons went to the United States, and the Kennel Club (AKC) recognized them in 1971.

The breed is most popular in France, Belgium, Scandinavia and the Czech Republic. It is also liked in Germany, Canada, the United States, Hungary and Slovakia. Its first representatives came to Poland in the late 1990s.

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Bichon Frize – group IX FCI, section 1, reference number 215

• Origin: France / Belgium
• Character: cheerful, bright, lively dog, fun-loving; gentle and kind to people and other animals
• Size: 24-30 cm
• Weight: 4.5-7 kg
• Coat: delicate, soft, forming loose curls, 7-10 cm long
• Color: white
• Lifespan: 18-20 years
• Vulnerability to training: high
• Activity: likes movement and fun, but will also please with a peaceful lifestyle
• Resistance/susceptibility to diseases: very resistant; there are allergies

Interesting facts

Another name for the breed is bichon from Tenerife.