Bichon Frise

The Bichon Frise is a small, white, lovable dog. They make great pets and companions in almost any home. The bichon is hypo-allergenic, meaning that it does not shed and its dander should not affect most allergenic people. I will start to talk about the bichon’s early history and how they were originally bred. It is suspected that the Bichon Frise has been a part of the Earth’s history for somewhere around two thousand years. Recordings of Pliny the Elder tell of the presence of these little white dogs being carried by merchants, nobleman, and sea traders. Phoenician traders were known to carry them as goods to be traded or sold. The Bichon is recorded as being introduced to the French court by King Francois, who reined from 1494 to 1547. After some time it was popularized by King Henri III, also of the French, who reined from 1575-1589. It is recorded in several accounts that King Henri III and his court often carried preferential white dogs in boxes around their necks, larger pockets, and even inside garment sleeves.
The bichon lived a very undemanding, comfortable life in the top of the European society for the next two to three hundred years. Soon after that they became street dogs. Bichons were next recorded helping circus acts and organ grinds entertain the crowds. The bichon suffered a long difficult time in this manner until it, as it has continued to rise in popularity, has become one of the worlds leading companion dogs at this time. The bichon’s expansion is thought to have been influenced by Spitz-like dogs. It has also been suggested that the bichon could have descended from breeding with the Spanish Water Dog. Small, white dogs like the bichon have been recorded as coming with the renaissance, helped along by the wars that took place during that period of time. “Frank Sabella, a handler who later became a respected AKC (American Kennel Club) judge, made a presentation to the BFCA (Bichon Frise Club of America) on how to groom the Bichon into