A Brief History of the Bichon Frise
... or ... "How surviving in the wild was never an issue."
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Long ago ... |
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It is thought that the early ancestors of our modern day Bichon
Frise were a small, playful, frequently white breed of dog, living
throughout the Mediterranean area as early as 600 to 300 BC.
It is also thought that, in time, these little lap warmers
were crossed with a spaniel type water dog known as the Barbet.
This crossing resulted in dogs who retained their friendly
disposition and diminutive size, but gained in substance and
sturdiness of bone.
Several small breeds descended from
these dogs, including the Caniche, or Poodle, the Maltese and the
Barbichon. They all have certain similarities because of their
common ancestry, nevertheless, long ago each became
it's own separate breed.
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Affectionate and lively, ... |
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... the Barbichon group
of dogs traveled across much of the known world, probably as the companions of Spanish
sailors who may have used them as barter or gifts. In time this
distribution resulted in the development
of several recognizably distinct breeds, among them the Bichon
Bolognese in Spain, the Bichon Havanese in Cuba, and the Bichon
Tenerife on the island of
Tenerife, a part of a group we know now as The Canary
Islands.
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By the 1300's, ... |
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... Italy, a bustling center of trade and commerce, entered a
period of exploration. Most likely we have Italian
sailors to thank for returning the Bichon Tenerife to the European
continent, where they quickly captured the fancy of Italian nobility
and the thriving merchant class.
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In the late 1400's ... |
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... France invaded Italy and the cultures mixed, the French
becoming enamored by all things Italian. Italian artists
and scholars moved north to reside in the French courts and, no
doubt, brought their beloved white companions with them.
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During the 1500's ... |
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... the popularity of the
Bichon in France grew. During the reigns of Francis I (1515-1547) and Henry
III (1574-1589) and during the 350 years that followed, these charming little
white companions continued to exist as a court "staple". It is
interesting to note that during this time the French verb "bichonner" was created, meaning
"to make beautiful, to pamper".
We find evidence of this in the works of many artists
of the time who frequently included a small
curly-coated lap dog or a Bichon-like figure in their portraits.
Some of these include the famed Italian artist, Titian (1490-1576), the
first President of the Royal Academy of England, Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792), and the Spanish artist, Francisco Goya (1746-1828).
The
Bichon
Frise in Art
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By the late 1800s, however, ... |
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... after the reign of Napoleon III
(1808-1873), the Bichon, pet of royalty, appears to have lost favor in
France. Our lively, affectionate, once pampered and
celebrated Bichon found himself relegated to a life on the streets where
his merry temperament and sturdy constitution served him well as he
danced on street corners for peddlers and demonstrated a charming
ability to learn and perform entertaining
tricks for the circus. |
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It was more than a hundred years
later, ... |
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... following World War I, that a few fanciers
again recognized the potential of
these small white dogs and began establishing their lines through
controlled breeding programs. On March 5, 1933 the Societe Central Canine
de France adopted an official standard for the breed, as written
by Madam Abadie
of Steren Vor Kennels.
At that time a confusing situation came to
light. The breed was known by, not one, but two names; the Tenerife and the Bichon.
The President of the International Canine Federation, Mme. Nizt de Lemma's, proposed a name that would describe the physical characteristics of the dog.
The name Bichon Frise, which can be translated to "curly lap dog" was born and
the breed was
admitted to the official registry of the French Kennel Club approximately
nineteen
months later on October 18, 1934.
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After that ... |
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For more information on the history of
the Bichon Frise as well as it's introduction to the United States and the
formation of the Bichon Club of America go to:
Bichon Frise Club of America
Richard
Beauchamp Article
American Kennel
Club
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