Bichon Frise Have Survived Many Ups And Downs

The Bichon Frise is descended from the Barbet or Water Spaniel, much like his cousin the Caniche and was originally known as a Barbichon, which was later shortened to Bichon. In addition, there are four different categories of the Bichon, which include the Bichon Bolognais, the Bichon Maltais and the Bichon Tenerife as well as the Bichon Havanais, and all of these categories came out of the Mediterranean region. The breed was always bred to be companion dogs and nothing more.

The Bichon Frise was a great (and, still is) companion dog and from its very early days was the companion of its owners, many of whom were sailors and thus were taken on sea voyages overseas and even became bargaining chips while being taken from one continent to another. In fact, the Bichon Frise was well received in Spain and it was the Spanish sailors that introduced him to the Canary Islands in Tenerife.

The Bichon Frise saw its fortunes severely dashed during the nineteenth century and it was banished from the aristocratic confines where it once reigned supreme. It was later seen on the streets where he was a catchpenny for street performers and also organ grinders and he also did his bit in entertaining passersby’s. However, given the Bichon Frise’s ability to learn tricks and perform them well, he did not suffer too much on account of his fall from grace and so he survived until the time when the First World War came to an end.

However, in the 1930s he was bred once more by determined French breeders and that is when it was officially recognized as being the Bichon Frise by the Federation Cynologique International, and later in the fifties he was brought over to the United States where he was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1971 and ever since then, the Bichon Frise has enjoyed some amount of popularity and is the preferred pet of the working class.

The Bichon Frise is a Mediterranean breed and according to the International Canine Federation, he is a French Belgian breed that is today recognized in almost all parts of the world, though at one time he was recognized only in Italy, France and Belgium. However, once he was bred in the United States, this breed gained worldwide recognition and on September 1, 1971 the American Kennel Club officially recognized the Bichon Frise.

Even though the fortunes of the Bichon Frise have undergone a fair share of ups and downs, the breed survived because of its immensely likeable nature and also because of his ability to perform tricks, and after he came to the U.S. he has won over the heart of the working class who find him to be an excellent companion as also a show dog. Thus, the one-time favorite of notable personalities such as Francis I and Henry III has now become darling of the average owner and thus continues to survive even in the modern age.

Mary Stevenson has reared, brought up and cared for toy breeds. There is a lot of Bichon Frise history data available tracing the long history behind the dog, which has seen him change from being a one-time favorite of royals to becoming the best friend of today’s working classes. This article aims to provide you with complete Bichon Frise information regarding the history of the breed.