Bichon Frisé: Breed Focus

8 Oct

The Bichon Frisé is a small, fluffy dog with a playful personality. “Bichon” is a word that described a group of white dog breeds found originally in the Mediterranean Countries. The word Bichon means white dog and the Bichon breeds are predominantly white except for the Havanese which can be found in a wide variety of colours. The word ‘frisé’ describes the soft corkscrew curls of the coat. Although the breed standard suggests that the coat on the feet and muzzle may be tidied up, the presentation of the Bichon for the show ring has become much more stylised.

Group: Toy

Life Expectancy: 12 - 15 years

Professional Grooming: 4 weekly

Exercise: Up to 30 minutes a day

Health: Skin Disorders, Diabetes, Cushing’s, Patella Luxation, Cruciate Ligament Disease

Brushing: Daily

Breed Standard Traits

Affectionate

Happy

Cheerful

Lively

Feisty

Outgoing

Friendly

Playful

The History of The Bichon Frisé

The Bichon Frisé is thought to have originated from the Mediterranean with references dating back to the 14th Century. Traders adopted these dogs as companions and entertainment on their voyages, known as the Tenerife Terrier, they travelled across the Mediterranean trade channels before making their way to mainland Europe: Bologna, Italy.

The Bichon family consisted of the Bolognese, Havanese, Maltese and the Tenerife Terrier (Tenerife Bichon). During the Italian Renaissance, Frances I King of France began to adopt Italian Culture and brought it back to France. These dogs were noted to have been seen in Royal Courts and traded as gifts with aristocrats / noblemen. Therefore, depending on locale, the breed would have taken on the characteristics of the dogs it was crossed with in that country.

In 1935 France published a magazine listing the Bichon name to describe the Dog of: Tenerife, Havana, Bologna, Baleares, Peru, Holland, and Buffon. In 1959 they then recategorised these Mediterranean dogs into 2 groups: ‘maltese with straight hair’ and ‘bichon of the curly hair’.

Appearance

A Bichon Frisé is a smart looking dog with a high head carriage, its coat is a close plume of white loose curls. Bichons can run 10-22mph.

Colours include; White, Cream or Apricot markings acceptable up until 18 months.

A Bichon Frisé has a powder-puff, corkscrew-curl top coat with a soft, fine undercoat. Hair grows continuously in length and does not shed.

Males: Height 23-30 cm, Weight 6-11 kg

Females: Height 23-30 cm, Weight 6-11 kg

Grooming Requirements

It is recommended you brush your Bichon Frisé daily with a slicker/pin brush to remove excess coat and detangle the hairs, followed up with a fine comb that reaches down to the skin to ensure matts cannot form. The dog will benefit from a full professional groom every 4 weeks which involves bathing, brushing out / matt removal and an all over trim / style.