The Bichon Frise

The Bichon Frise is a breed of dog that has had a long road to reach the point where he is today. Long long ago in a land far far away there was a certain breed of dog named the Barbet or Water Spaniel; now it is said that a lot of curly coated breeds came from this dog; some of them being the Caniche or Poodle, some others are the Bichon breeds such as the Bichon Maltais, the Bichon Bolonais and the Bichon Teneriffe. These can almost be called exotic breeds because all the Bichons above originated in the Mediterranean Sea area.

The Bichon Teneriffe is the ancestor of the Bichon Frise, it is said that the Bichon Teneriffe was a companion to Spanish sailors, he kept them company and in return, they used him as a bargaining tool. With this going on, the Bichon Teneriffe made it all the way to the Canary Islands.

In the 1300's Italian sailors and explorers made their way to the Canary Islands and rediscovered the Bichon Breed, taking a liking to the breed's happy go lucky nature they brought him back home. In Italy the breed quickly got the attention of the rich and famous; from then on, it was la life of luxury for the little Bichons and the most popular grooming style was the Lion cut. It did not take long (around the 1400's) when the French noticed the breed, probably a result of the French invasion of Italy.

The Bichon is now not only in Italy but in France also and he is not just sitting around either, it is said that Francis the First is the person that took this little dog in, a king at that!

Later on, during the rule of King Henry III, the popularity of the Bichon began to grow, why? Because this breed was a favorite with the King and whatever the King likes is a must for the royal court...this dog had it made, even appearing in several paintings by famous artists.

The Bichon started to fall from his position of "best lap dog" around the 1800th century, then very soon after, this dog, that at one time was to be found in the Palace is now living in the streets, doing cheap tricks in the circus and barely getting by.

Along came World War I and do you know what? The Bichon made it through, but not only that the little Bichoon had the attention of professional breeders, breeding programs went up and the Bichon could now enjoy attention of a different kind.

In September, in the year 1971, the Bichon Frise made it into the AKC and since then has become known throughout the whole world as a loving and happy family pet.

The Bichon Frise is a small dog being 9-12 inches at the shoulder and weighing around 7 - 12 pounds. The Bichon Frise is a delightful little dog that loves life and loves his family, this is not a yappy breed, such a trait is highly undesirable and should be avoided if possible. The Bichon Frise is great with children and is good at competitions, although one problem is that this breed is hard to housetrain, something that lovers of the breed don't take into account when looking for a puppy.

If you are looking for a Bichon Frise, never look for a puppy from a backyard breeder or a puppy mill because these animals can have undesirable traits like snapping and so on, a result of the breed's popularity unfortunately. A responsible breeder will be able too provide you with a puppy that has good blood lines, the puppy should have vaccines and proof of veterinary health checks, ask to see the parents of the puppy, ask for proof of health checks on them preformed by a veterinarian.

A responsible breeder will breed his dogs in an effort to reduce health problems that are common in the breed, he will also attempt to bring the breed as close as possible to the official breed standard. One more thing, a responsible breeder will be highly concerned as to where his puppies are going and whether they will have a good home or not.

The Bichon Frise is a great family pet, truly a dog that is for everyone!