Bichon Frise Dog Breed

Please consider adopting a dog, cat or any other pet from a reliable rescue organization.  Anyone can click and search for the animal of their choosing.  I mention only two of the hundreds of websites for you to be able to contact to welcome a pet into your heart and home. “RED” stands for rescue every dog and can be contacted by clicking:  http://www.rescueeverydog.org  another is  http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com  I wish to thank The American Kennel Club and wikipedia for assisting me to be able to bring this summary of the Bichon Frise to you.

 Purebred Bichon Frise Photo is courtesy wikipedia.com

With an almost make believe look, the Bichon Frise originated in Spain/Belgium and France.  Translated into English, this canine means curly lap dog.  Other names are Bichon a poil frise and Bichon Tenerife.   The breed is recognized by show judges as a pure breed even though they descended from the Water Spaniel.  During the 16th century, the Bichon was the dog of choice in the French Royal Courts. The look of this dog became an interest to painters and then to circus performers and at fairs doing tricks and prancing too.

 Not only are these dogs cuddly looking, they are a non shedding breed which endears them to families with children having allergies to pet dander.  That is a winning combo for allergens and a child wanting a pet dog.

Weight ranges from 10 to 19 pounds and stands 9 to 15 inches tall.  This is considered a little dog, yet slightly larger than the Maltese breed.

Grooming is a daily event  with brushing to prevent matting of the  curly outer-coat and a silk- like undercoat.  Bathing and trimming are needed frequently to remove loose hair.  Color of the Bichon Frise is predominantly white with some beige, apricot or cream about the head and body.

The prominent, black nose and dark round eyes create an inner part for the  picture frame that are made with the tuffs about the head.  A sturdy body is accented with a gaily carried plumed tail.  The ears are nestled in the fur like mane distribution about the head.

Temperament for this dog breed is just as happy as the look suggests. They are wonderful companions being  in a non sporting  group dog category.  As this dog moves, it has a trot free view which seems effortless and very determined.  Gentle mannered, playful, loving and sensitive all explain this dog very well.  There is a great bond between other animals and children.  Pet owners will have an intelligent and astute student for obedience training lessons if begun in puppy hood.  You can expect to have your Bichon Frise for 12 to 13 years, however records prove one living for 16.5 years and another at 20 years old.

Two sister Bichon Frise dogs.  Photo is courtesy wikipedia

Along with playfulness on land, these dogs are great retrievers in the water and like boating as well.

This might be the breed to not select the runt of the litter if you have that choice.  In history of health record keeping, underweight Bichons tend to have a negative reaction to food high in protein which create a liver shunt in the animal.  When detected early, corrective surgery can be performed with good success.