The Bichon Frise: A Mediterranean Breed

The Bichon Frise: A Mediterranean Breed

Mary Stevenson

The Bichon Frise has always been famous and was commonly known as the Bichon Tenerife that originated many thousands of years down the ages, especially from the region around the Mediterranean Sea. In fact, the history of the Bichon Frise shows that it is descended by cross breeding the Barbets or Water Spaniels with little white dogs. Furthermore, the different categories of the Bichon Frise each owe their name to place from where it developed such as the Bichon Tenerife that came from the Canary Island of Tenerife.

The Bichon Frise was a great (and, still is) companion dog and from its very early days was the companion of its owners, many of whom were sailors and thus were taken on sea voyages overseas and even became bargaining chips while being taken from one continent to another. In fact, the Bichon Frise was well received in Spain and it was the Spanish sailors that introduced him to the Canary Islands in Tenerife.

The Bichon Frise saw its fortunes severely dashed during the nineteenth century and it was banished from the aristocratic confines where it once reigned supreme. It was later seen on the streets where he was a catchpenny for street performers and also organ grinders and he also did his bit in entertaining passersby's.

However, given the Bichon Frise's ability to learn tricks and perform them well, he did not suffer too much on account of his fall from grace and so he survived until the time when the First World War came to an end.

The history behind the Bichon Frise is both interesting and intriguing, which saw him being elevated to the favored pet of nobility and royalty until later becoming a street dog following the end of the reign of Napoleon III. In the late nineteenth century he had to become a commoner.

Interest in the Bichon Frise was once again renewed after World War I, and it was bred under strict control, and on March 5, 1933 the official Bichon Frise Standard was adopted by Societe Centrale Canine of France.

The first Bichon Frise to be whelped in the United States was sired by Eddie White de Steren Ver in the year 1956 and a few years later some other breeders acquired the Bichon Frise and this was the beginning of the Bichon Frise in the United States.

He is also seen in road shows as a canine clown dog and he is capable of performing very interesting tricks as well as routines that keep him much in demand all over the world. Bred to be a companion dog, this breed makes a great family pet.