The Bichon Frise
The Bichon Frisé
Origins
The Bichon Frisé (french name for “curly lap dog”), also named Bichon à poil frisé or Bichon Tenerife, has its origins, apparently, in the ancient times of 500-300 B.C. This breed was firstly named Barbichon. The breed was located in the Mediterranean area and was later divided in four breed categories: the Bichon Bolognaise, the Bichon Malteise, the Bichon Tenerife and the Bichon Havanese. Later on, this breed was seen as working bot dog in the Spanish fleet, as water retrievers. They are mainly featured as circus dogs, due to their high learning abilities.
Appearance
The Bichon Frise belongs to the small dog breeds category, weighting about 6-8 kg, with a height of 24-30 cm and 8-12 cm at the withers. The body fur, colored in white with some markings of apricot or cream, has a consistent curly outercoat and silky undercoat. The body structure is sturdy and compact; the feet and head are proportional to the body size; the tail and ears are naturally displayed. The eyes are round and expressive, a little covered by the eyebrow mask.
Grooming
The Bichon Frise is an excellent dog-show star. This breed doesn’t shed much, so it is a good candidate for allergic people. They require frequent grooming, meaning daily brushing to prevent hair tangling, a bit of clipping in the ear and foot pads areas. Another good thing to do is to clip the dog’s nails, which grow in a quite fast rate, and keep the eye areas clean of any types of tear staining causes.
Health Facts
The Bichon Frise has a lifespan of about 10-12 years. They can be affected by many health problems, varying from cancer, hmatologic problems (regarding the blood and system immunity), liver shunts (an alimentation complication, with symptoms like underweight, negative reaction to high protein foods; this can lead to liver failure if not detected in time). Other possible health problems can be: seizures, AIHA (autoimmune hemolytic anemia), ITP (immune-mediated thrombocytopenia). Upon observing strange health symptom, you should contact the nearest veterinary for advice and treatment.
Temperament and Lifestyle
The Bichon Frise is very affectionate with all the people who surround him. They are patient but sometimes stubborn, enjoying the interaction with other people and pets. They love to greet you with excitement and joy; they are real croud lovers and entertainers. They love running and playing around. They can be quite noisy, making highly pitched bark sounds, but they are overall sociable and bundles of enthusiasm for both you and your family.
More articles on this:
- The Bedlington Terrier
- The Shih Tzu
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- The Maltese Dog
- The Australian Terrier
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