Bichon Frise: Non-Sporting Category

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.

It was only in the sixteenth century that the Bichon Frise appeared in France where its popularity rose and fell depending on who was pulling the reigns of power in France, though notables such as Francis I, Henry III and Napoleon III were largely instrumental in making the Bichon Frise very popular. In fact, many portraits from this time featured the Bichon Frise along with royals, which lent to their fame and enhanced their stature.
The Bichon Frise, from the time of the Renaissance was called the Bichon Tenerife, which obviously alludes to its origins from the Canary Islands. But its early masters, the Spanish sailors of the early fourteenth century, affectionately named it the Bichon Tenerife. It later became a pet most favored by both Italian and Spanish nobility and only in the reign of Francis I during the sixteenth century, did the Bichon Frise become established in French royal courts and its popularity peaked under the reign of Henry III of France towards the latter part of the sixteenth century.

Also, the famous Spanish painter named Francisco de Goya painted the minute Bichon Frise in the portrait he made of the Duchess of Alba that led to the continuing popularity and fame of the breed. In fact, the Bichon Frise was the subject of other paintings as well, and one such painting was even to become a postage stamp in Yemen. And, in the nineteenth century, under Napoleon III’s reign, the Bichon Frise came to enter the French royal court as well.
The Bichon Frise is a Mediterranean breed and according to the International Canine Federation, he is a French Belgian breed that is today recognized in almost all parts of the world, though at one time he was recognized only in Italy, France and Belgium. However, once he was bred in the United States, this breed gained worldwide recognition and on September 1, 1971 the American Kennel Club officially recognized the Bichon Frise.

Even though the fortunes of the Bichon Frise have undergone a fair share of ups and downs, the breed survived because of its immensely likeable nature and also because of his ability to perform tricks, and after he came to the U.S. he has won over the heart of the working class who find him to be an excellent companion as also a show dog. Thus, the one-time favorite of notable personalities such as Francis I and Henry III has now become darling of the average owner and thus continues to survive even in the modern age.

To learn more about the history behind the Bichon Frise requires sifting through every available bit of information that will help you understand how this toy breed has survived many ups and downs in his life. For those who want to learn about the history behind the breed, this article provides all the necessary Bichon Frise information on the subject.