History of the Bichon Frise

Bichon Frise dogs are very popular with dog lovers because of their small stature, curly white coat and playful nature. They make excellent lap dogs and companions and have shown themselves to be very loyal. The Bichon does not shed but because its fur is curly, it needs daily attention in the form of brushing. Otherwise the hair becomes matted and the dog becomes unhappy. This breed of dog has a long and interesting past, having been a popular breed with the Spanish more than 800 years ago.

  1. Ancestry

    • The Bichon Frise ancestry goes back to the all-round working dog, the Barbet. From the Barbet breed came the Caniche line and the Barbichon breed. The Barbichon line split into six Bichon-related breeds: the Bichon Bolognese, the Coton de Tulear, the Bichon Havanese, the Lowchen, the Maltese and the Bichon Tenerife. The Bichon Frise is descended from the Bichon Tenerife line.

    Origins

    • Although the past of the Bichon is a little obscure, it does contain references to Spanish sailors who brought small white dogs with them when they first traveled to the Canary Islands. On the island of Tenerife, the Spaniards introduced the Barbichon to the locals, who were quite taken by them and began to breed them for themselves. Later in the 1300s, Italian sailors visited the island of Tenerife and rediscovered these small, white canines.

    Bichons In Europe

    • The Italians brought the Bichons back to Europe, where they quickly gained in popularity with the Italian nobles and the French, during the French Renaissance and the reign of Henry III. Enthusiasm for the breed went up, with Spanish artists using Bichons in their work and Napoleon III enjoying these dogs as well.

    Common Dogs

    • Then the popularity of Bichons tapered off until the late 1800s, when they went from royal court dogs to working class dogs (or common dogs). No longer were these curly white dogs found with nobles and royalty alone. They were seen in the town streets, performing tricks in sideshows and living with the average person.

    Bichons In America

    • In 1933, the name Bichon Frise was adopted for this breed by the International Canine Federation. The word frise means "soft curly hair" and was aptly added to Bichon, which was adapted from Barbichon. The notoriety of this breed continued to increase. In 1934, it was added to the stud book in the French Kennel Club. It wasn't until 1956, however, that the first Bichon Frise was born in America. In 1972, they were admitted to the stud book of the American Kennel Club.