Notes of the Bichon Frise
Notes on the Bichon Frisé
Protagonist of the Ring and the Sofa
‘’ On March 5, 1933, the official standard of the breed, as written by Madam Abadie of Steren Vor Kennels, was adopted by the Societe Central Canine de France. As the breed was known by two names, Tenerife and Bichon, the President of the International Canine Federation, Mme. Nizet de Lemma’s, proposed a name based on the characteristics that the dogs presented and the name Bichon a Poil Frise (Bichon with the curly coat) was adopted. The anglicized version is Bichon Frise (curly lap dog). On October 18, 1934, the Bichon was admitted to the official registry of the French Kennel Club.’’
The Bichon Frise can easily be confused at first glance with similar dogs such as it’s cousins the Bolognese, the Havanese and the Maltese, the Coton de Tulear and the Miniature Poodle which are also comparable in size. The roots of the breed are noted in the first line of the History section of the FCI standard- Italy, home of the Maltese and Bolognese. The ancestors of all of these breeds were traded throughout the Mediterranean basin and carried from the main ports to central Europe. Small white companion dogs were highly prized by women over the centuries. There were at least two practical reasons for women to want a lapdog before modern times. Firstly, it was believed that lapdogs ‘drew off’ the fleas, so keeping a finely combed little dog would help relieve the owner of this annoying pest, and secondly, within the noble family circle, dogs were associated with personal loyalty, an indispensable virtue for a woman. While Hounds were primarily manly dogs, the lapdog was also known as ‘lady’s dog’, and generally eschewed by men.
The standard makes free use of the term ‘breed’ which is misleading. A brief search online will produce paintings claimed in turn by the clubs of Maltese, Bolognese, Coton de Tulear and Havanese as proof of the ancient origin of their breed, and in fact if you play our little quiz game, (page x) you may find that, solely based on phenotype, it is nearly impossible to distinguish any dog as a Bichon Frisé before the third decade of the 20th century. Fortunately, the value and position of any breed today is not necessarily linked with ancient origins, and the Bichon is among the most striking little dogs to grace the show ring, and a much sought-after family companion. As Bo Bengtson writes, ‘’Usually, it takes a few decades for a newly approved breed to become established before individual dogs start winning really big. A notable exception is the Bichon Frisé…Within a few years the Bichon was a frequent Best in Show contender, climaxing with Top Dog and Best in Show at Westminster in 2001. In the United Kingdom, in an even shorter time, Bichons have done even better, winning Top Dog three times – in 1990, 1999, and 2004. ’’
The first thing that stands out reading the FCI standard of the Bichon Frisé is that the original language of the standard is French, therefore reading it in English is necessarily a translation, in fact this breed has it’s development in two countries, France and Belgium. It is grouped in the FCI among the companion/toy breeds, and in the AKC in the non-sporting group.
Under the heading General Appearance, we find the coat texture described as ‘very loose, white, corkscrew-curled hair’. This is similar for the lay person to the Bolognese (pure white fluffy), and Poodle (Frizzy, curly, corded) and the Coton (dense, profuse, slightly wavy).
‘’Head carried proud’’ indicates a sufficient length of neck to bring the entire headpiece above the topline creating a distinctly two tiered effect of head and body. Pigmentation is important in creating the ‘’lively and expressive’’ appearance of the eyes which are later described as forming an equilateral triangle with the nose. The tail is ‘’gracefully curved over the back’’.
This is a rectangular breed with length of leg equal to depth of chest, a very workmanlike conformation, efficient at the trot. Often, the companion breeds are seen as dogs without a function, the antithesis of a Pointer. Yet as the Bichon reminds us, solid construction can go hand in hand with the important function of companionship. Thus, as breeders and judges we must carefully consider construction, tone, teeth, eyelids, and muzzle length, then attempt to draw a balance with other distinctive breed traits of the Bichon and all breeds of companion dogs.
Cali-Col’s Scalywag was shown to win in the 1970’s in a coat with natural texture in the ears and tail, and the Kennel review cover of the 75th anniversary edition featured Ch Chaminade Syncopation with a domed head shape but otherwise a wavy/curly coat. By the 1990’s the coat was subject to more intensive grooming, and the prominent UK handler Michael Coad presented Ch PaRay’s I Told You So in a completely round headpiece vaguely reminiscent of today’s West Highland head finish. By 2018 the well known handler Bill McFaddon showed the Bichon Gr Ch Belle Creek’s All I Care About is Love (Flynn) to top honors at Westminster in a teased and posted coat with an oval head shape which is usually seen in rings today. While such fashions can easily be construed as impediments to the evaluation of coat texture, the same must be then said of many breeds, notably the Poodle which had at the beginning been presented in a corded coat, and the Pandora’s box of style versus natural explodes.
