COUNTRY: France/Belgium
Fourteenth-century sailors succumbed to the charms of the Bichon Frise, bringing the little furry dog back to France from the shores of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic off the coast of Spain. The Bichon from Tenerife has been recorded for nearly as long as the Maltese. The two breeds are closely related, with the Bichon Frise a bit larger. The island was certainly on the Phoenician trade route, and the dogs may have been brought there as items of barter. In Europe, his happy ways soon gained him friends in high places, and he enjoyed 400 years of living among kings and the aristocracy.
In the 1800s, their ride on the crest waned, and the royal whim turned to other dogs. The Tenerife Dog became a dog of the streets, a pet of the commoner. The little Bichon Frise did not remain unemployed long, however. The Bichon Frise winsome ways and agility soon gave him new employment as an organ grinder's dog or as a circus performer.
Again, it was servicemen who were entranced by the Bichon Frise’s soft, fluffy appeal. When they took specimens home from France after WWI, French breeders finally began taking the battle dogs seriously and, in 1934, they obtained French Kennel Club recognition. They received the nod by the AKC to enter the Miscellaneous Class in 1971, and Canada followed suit in 1975.
Bichon a Poll Frise literally means Bichon of the curly coat. The Bichon Frise is distinctive among the bichons, since it is the only one that is double-coated. His coat tends to puff out all over, rather than hang down like his single-coated cousins.
The Bichon Frise is a comparative newcomer to AKC recognition, but is quickly becoming a source to be reckoned with in the show ring. Their sparkling white, poufy jackets and their gait, with a suggestion of a barely contained bounce, make them an attractive show contender.