The name, in French, means curly white lap dog. Other names for this hypoallergenic dog are Bichon a poil frise and Bichon Tenerife.
The Bichon Frise is a descendent of the Barbet or Water Spaniel and was originally called a Barbichon. This name was later shortened to Bichon. There are four categories of Bichon: the Bichon Tenerife, the Bichon Havanese, the Bichon Malteise and the Bichon Bolognaise. All originated in the Mediterranean area.
These happy, lively little dogs, which are friendly and outgoing, love being the centre of attention and becoming a member of their human family.
The dark, alert eyes are full of expression. The nose is black, soft and shiny. The white, soft, corkscrew hair, over a silky undercoat, needs daily grooming to remain in tip-top condition. A small amount of the coat around the ears, snout, paws and parts of the body (not more than 10 percent of the body in total area) may have a buff, apricot or cream hue.
Height is 9 to 12 inches (23-30 cm) and weight 7 to 20 pounds (3-10 Kg). Puppy's noses are pink, but gradually turn black as they grow older. They also have cream or pink markings under their white coat, but these markings should be dark by the time the dog reaches 18 months of age. The legs and head are in proportion to the size of the body. The tail and ears are not docked or cropped. These dogs are of medium to high intelligence.
Because they require a lot of brushing, clipping and bathing, dead hair and dander is constantly being removed. As a result, these dogs make good pets for people who usually have allergic reactions to other dogs. It must be remembered, however, that individual dogs may have more or less allergens than the breed average.
The Bichon Frise is sensitive, gentle mannered, affectionate and playful. It usually gets along well with children and other pets.
The average lifespan of the Bichon is 12 to 13 years, although individual dogs may live for a longer or shorter period. These dogs are prone to cancer, autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA), immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP) and liver shunts.
My Mom and Dad had a Bichon Frise named “Brandy” when they lived in Regina. She was a sweet little puppy, happy and active. However, as she got a little older, she began to limp and often walked on three legs, refusing to put any weight on her left hind leg. A trip to the veterinarian revealed that she had hip dysplasia. As a courtesy to the breeder, Mom phoned her and let her know that one of the parents was passing a hip dysplasia problem on to some, or all, of the pups. The breeder said, “You bought her, so it's your problem now,” and slammed down the phone. Obviously this breeder was not a good one and was only in it to make money, not to ensure that her stock was of good quality.
“Brandy” was operated on and had the ball removed from the top of her left rear femur. It changed her whole personality. Even after she was completely healed and had undergone rehabilitation so she could use her leg again, she became quiet, sad, slow moving and sullen. When she was about 8 ½ years old, she showed signs of chewing problems, so Mom and Dad took her to the Veterinarian. She examined “Brandy” and advised that she had cancer of the mouth and jaw. When Mom asked how long she had, the veterinarian replied, “she will let you know.” Several months later, she stopped eating. A few days after that, she came up to Mom and laid her head in Mom's lap and whined and closed her eyes. It was time! Mom and Dad took her to the veterinarian where she was put to sleep.
Friends of the family have a Bichon, “Charlie,” who is very outgoing and friendly and much loved by his “Mom and Dad.” So, if you would like to have a friendly white dog that loves attention, you may want to consider a Bichon Frise as your next dog. Just remember, they need a lot of maintenance to keep them looking good.
Until next time,
Teia
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