Bichon fries

Newborn puppies are all white, with pink noses and short coats, but their noses gradually turn black and their coats grow long and fluffy after up to 2 years. After 8 months, the coat develops a double layer, which tends to form hair balls.

These dogs are said to have been discovered by 14^th-century Italian sailors on Tenerife in the Canary Island, off the northwest coast of Africa, from which they were brought back to Europe. In France in the 1500s, these dogs were downsized and became popular accessories among French and Italian noblewomen, who perfumed them and decorated them with ribbons, calling them “white lappers,” (Their name is a shortened translation, from French, of “curly-haired lapdog.”)

Other dogs in the Mediterranean based bichon (French, “lapdog”) group, which is closely related to the poodle, are the Maltese and the less well-known Bolonais and Havanais, all of which are said be partly descended from the barbet and the water spaniel.

Perhaps because of their lapdog legacy, dogs of this cheerful breed interact well with people. One owner says, “They have a natural genius for fawning.” They are ideal indoor dogs, as they don’t bark unnecessarily, have almost no canine odor, and lose little hair.

The bichon fries became popular worldwide after a unique coat-trimming style, created a few decades ago in the United States, was adopted, giving it the appearance of carrying cotton candy on its head.

Frequent care is require to maintain the bichon frise’s elegant coat.

Origin: France
Size: (male) Height 10-12 inches; weight 7-11 pounds
(female) same
Coat: Long, curly, and silky; undercoat is soft. Colors include white, cream, and apricot; slight gray on ears and body is permissible.