INTRODUCTION

The Bolognese Bichon has its roots in the Italian city of Bologna, from which it derives its name. Prized by Italian nobility and later by royal courts throughout Europe, the Bolognese has been depicted in numerous Renaissance works of art, demonstrating its status as one of the most coveted companion dogs for centuries. Unlike other members of the Bichon family, the Bolognese has kept a lower profile, which has contributed to its exclusivity and distinction.

THE ORIGIN OF THE BOLOGNESE BICHON

The breed was recognised in 1989 by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale as number 196 in group IX Companion Dogs section 1.1 Bichons d'Italie.

Its origins date back to Roman times and its ancestors are cited by Aristotle (384-322 B.C.). Under the denomination of ‘canes melitenses’, they became the most appreciated gift in the 11th-12th centuries by the European courts. It is said that Cosimo de Medici sent eight puppies to Belgium to be given to a notable in Brussels. This is a clear example of the value that was still given to this precious animal at that time.

It was also a breed much loved by the rest of the European courts of the 15th and 16th century because of its calm and affectionate character. Philip II, King of Spain between 1556 and 1598, after having received two of them as a gift from the Duke d'Este, in a letter he shows his gratitude by saying ‘they are the most majestic gift that can be given to an emperor’.

These funny little dogs are represented in some of Titian's paintings, in Goya's portrait of The Duchess of Alba in white and in works by Pieter Brueghel. It is dated that they were the favourite breed of Czarina Catherine the Great of Russia and other personalities such as Madame de Pompadour.

THE BICHON BOLOGNESE STANDARD

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Small in size, robust and compact, covered with a pure white coat, long and fluffy.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS : Body square, length of body equal to height at withers. Length of head should be 1/3 of the height at withers. Depth of chest almost half the height at withers.

HEAD: Medium length. The width, measured at the level of the zygomatic arches is equal to its length.

CRANIAL REGION:

SKULL: Slightly ovoid (egg-shaped) in sagittal direction and rather convex sides; rather flat on top. The protrusions of the frontal bones are well developed. The longitudinal axes of the skull and muzzle are parallel; the frontal furrow is only slightly accentuated, as is the occipital protuberance. The length of the skull is slightly longer than the muzzle.

STOP: Rather accentuated.

FACIAL REGION:

TRUFFLE: Set on the same line as the upper line of the muzzle: seen in profile the front part is vertical. Large and should always be black.

HOCICO: Its length is equal to 2/5 of the length of the head; the upper line of the muzzle is straight and the sides are parallel so that the front part of the muzzle is almost square. The lower orbital region is well chiselled.

LIPS: The upper lips are only slightly developed in depth, they do not cover the lower lips and the lower profile of the muzzle is determined by the lower jaw.

JAWS / TEETH: Jaws normally developed, with perfectly adapted upper and lower arch. White teeth evenly aligned, with strong and complete dentition. Articulation of incisors as scissor bite; pincer bite tolerated.

EYES: Set almost frontally; slightly larger than normal size. Eyelid opening round; eyeball not prominent; white of eye not visible. The rims of the eyelids should be black and the iris of a dark ochre colour.

EARS: Set on high, long and pendant, but rather stiff at the base, so that the upper part of the outer ear is set off from the skull, thus giving the impression that the head is larger than it really is.

NECK: Without dewlap: Its length is equal to the length of the head.

BODY: The dog should have a square build, the length of the body, measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of the ischium is equal to the height at the withers.

UPPER LINE: The straight profile of the back and the slightly convex loin merge harmoniously into the line of the croup.

CROSS: Only slightly prominent above the topline. Top of shoulder blades well spaced.

BACK: Straight.

LOIN: Short, strong, slightly convex.

Croup: Very broad and only slightly sloping.

CHEST: Broad, reaching to the level of the elbows, with well sprung ribs, the height reaching almost half the height at the withers. The point of the sternum is only slightly prominent.

BOTTOM LINE AND BELLY : Following the profile of the sternum, it rises slightly towards the belly.

TAIL: Set on in line with the croup, carried curved over the back.

LIMBS :

FOREQUARTERS:

GENERAL APPEARANCE: The forelegs are perfectly straight and parallel in relation to the median plane of the body.

Shoulders: The length of the shoulder blades is equal to ¼ of the height at the withers; in relation to the horizontal they are oblique and close to vertical in relation to the median plane of the body.

ARM: Well attached to the body, of a length almost equal to that of the shoulder, but less sloping.

ELBOW: In a plane parallel to the median plane of the body.

FOREARM: The length is equal to the length of the upper arm, following a perfect vertical line.

Pastern: Seen from the front, continues the vertical line of the forearm. Seen from the side, slightly sloping.

HANDS: Oval in shape, with well cushioned dark pads and very hard black nails.

HIND LIMBS:

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Seen from behind the hindquarters should follow from the point of the ischium to the ground in a perfectly vertical line, limbs parallel to each other.

Upper thigh: The length is equal to 1/3 of the height at the withers. The slope from top to bottom and back to front is perfectly parallel to the median plane of the body.

KNEE: Firm, not too angulated.

LEG: Longer than the thigh.

Hock: The tibio-tarsal angle is not too tight.

METATARSE: The distance from the point of the hock to the ground is a little less than one third of the height at the withers.

FEET: Same characteristics as above, but less oval.

GAIT / MOVEMENT: Free, energetic, with a noble and distinguished head carriage.

SKIN: Tight, firmly attached to all parts of the body. Third eyelid strictly pigmented black.

COAT

HAIR: Long all over the body, from head to tail, from topline to feet. Shorter over the muzzle. It forms long tufts which have the same texture all over the body, rather flowing, not falling flat and tight, never showing cords.

COLOUR: Pure white, very slight shades of ivory do not disqualify.

SIZE AND WEIGHT:

HEIGHT AT WITHERS:

Males: 27 - 30 cm.

Females: 25 - 28 cm.

WEIGHT: 2.5 - 4 kg.

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

• Strabismus
  
  

SERIOUS FAULTS:

• Accentuated convergence or divergence of the upper longitudinal axes.
• Convex muzzle (Roman nose).
• Prognathism.
• Size in males less than 25 cm and more than 33 cm and in females less than 22 cm or more than 32 cm.
  
  

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:

• Aggressiveness or extreme shyness.
• Any dog showing clear signs of physical or behavioural abnormalities.
• Depigmentation of nose.
• Nose of any colour other than black.
• Prognathism - greatly exaggerated with visible teeth forming a deformed muzzle.
• Bilateral depigmentation of the eyelids.
• Gaze eyes.
• Absence of tail.
• Shortened tail either natural or artificial.
• Any colour other than white.
• Patches and spots.
  
  

N.B.:

• Male dogs should have two apparently normal appearing testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs of typical breed conformation should be used for breeding.
  
  

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT: Very calm, usually not very active. Courageous, docile, very attached to his master and his environment.

THE HEALTH OF THE BICHON BOLOGNESE

Like all breeds and crossbreeds, the Bichon Bolognese is prone to some hereditary diseases which are easily avoidable by carrying out the appropriate health tests before mating.

• Patellar luxation: We speak of patellar luxation in dogs when the patella, a small bone located in front of the knee joint and which needs to be correctly positioned for the correct functioning of the animal's limb, comes out of its place, the trochlea, causing pain and functional weakness in the dog.
  Among the dislocations, medial dislocation is the most frequent. It occurs in 80% of cases, while lateral luxation only occurs in 20%. Between 30% and 50% of cases are bilateral and more frequent in females than in males, especially in small breeds and toys.
  Lateral luxations can occur in small adult breeds and in puppies of large and giant breeds.
  It is a pathology characterised by a misalignment of the limb, deformations occur during the development of the animal, which cause the patella to move out of place. It may be due to a congenital disease or, in some cases, caused by trauma.
  Dogs suffering from this congenital condition should not be used in breeding as it is passed down through the generations.
  Generally, dogs with patellar luxation due to trauma are associated with a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee.
  
  

• HIP DYSPLASIA (HKD): Canine hip dysplasia (CDD) is a problem that dogs begin to have as they grow older and causes instability or lack of adjustment (laxity) in the hip joint. This laxity in the hip joint is responsible for possible clinical signs (symptoms) of hip pain and limb dysfunction and also progressive changes in the joint. The hip joint is an enarthrosis, i.e. it consists of a ball and cup-shaped element; the continuous abnormal movement of the femoral head (the ball) deforms the acetabulum (the cup). The long-term response to this joint laxity is progressive loss of cartilage, scar tissue formation around the joint, and the development of osteophytes (bony protrusions) around the ball and cup.
  The cause of CDD is multifactorial, but hereditary factors (genetics) are the biggest single risk factor. Rapid weight gain and growth from overfeeding can complicate the development of CDD. Hip dysplasia occurs primarily in large breeds of dogs.
  
  

• CATARACTS: Cataracts occur when the inner lens of the eye (the crystalline lens) loses transparency. It is a process that occurs naturally with age, although in some breeds it occurs more frequently than in others, and can have several causes:
  
  -Aging
  -Hereditary disorders (congenital cataract).
  -Blows, wounds or trauma to the eye
  -Inflammatory processes of the eye
  -Other pathologies, mainly diabetes (diabetic cataract) -Other pathologies, mainly diabetes (diabetic cataract)
  
  

• PRA [Progressive Retinal Atrophy]: In the retina there are two types of photoreceptor neurons: rods (located more in the periphery of the retina) and cones (located closer to the centre). These photoreceptors gradually deteriorate so that the retina is no longer able to capture light and, as it is unable to send information to the brain, the animal gradually stops seeing. On many occasions, it is difficult to detect and the owner does not realise until the disease is very advanced.
  It is a hereditary disease that affects both eyes equally, some breeds are more predisposed than others but it can affect any breed and animal.
  
  

These diseases are preventable with the health tests that are developed in ethical breeding, no serious breeder breeds with sick animals or does not test for these diseases, something that is totally ignored in animals coming from macrobreeding or private breeding (the neighbour's dog with the neighbour's dog, because they ‘look alike’, without taking anything else into account).

As far as food is concerned, it is best to opt for good quality feed with quality animal fats that help to care for the skin and coat, such as fish or Angus beef, which will contribute to the good condition of the heart.

THE BICHON BOLOGNESE'S HAIRDRESSING

The Bichon Bolognese's coat requires constant care by its owner and fortnightly or monthly visits to the hairdresser's. In this way we will avoid the appearance of knots (especially in areas of conflict such as the ears, legs or tail); knots are more dangerous than it seems, they are not merely aesthetic but choke and strangle the skin causing dermatitis (dry and seborrhoeic), itching, wounds and even, in the worst cases in which they make a ‘loop’, necrosis (the most affected areas being the tips of the ears, the toes or the tail).

The tools you should have for brushing your Maltese will be a soft, long-toothed brush and a good quality, extra-long-toothed butter comb; do not opt for tools from the ‘All-in-100’ shops and let your dog's breeder or trusted groomer advise you.

For daily brushing, use a two-phase spray or a dry moisturising spray to lightly dampen the coat before brushing (this will prevent the hair from breaking); pay special attention to the back area, tail, behind the ears and paws, which are the most problematic areas due to continuous rubbing. Likewise, you should avoid leaving the collar, harness or clothing at home during the winter; after use, brush the coat to avoid excessive knots which, in many cases, end in shaving when spring arrives.

Once you have finished brushing your Bichon Bolognese from the roots to the tips, you will comb it with a metal-tooth comb to locate any hidden knots.

Brushing is extremely important from the moment the puppy arrives home, so that when he is an adult the groomer's job will be easier, our dog will be more beautiful and healthy, and his experience during the process will be much more pleasant.

As far as bathing is concerned, if the owner does not have the knowledge and tools to do it, he should avoid doing it. Many owners insist on doing it at home to avoid having to spend money at the hairdresser's for their dog, and it is very easy to leave knots without removing them (which get tighter with water), not drying the dog properly and leaving it wet and prone to developing fungus or doing things that the hairdresser then has to fix (for example, counting the hair and then leaving it very short in order to even it out).

The Bichon Bolognese needs fortnightly or monthly baths, with good quality products and high moisturising power, which enhance the white colour of its coat and help it to maintain its beautiful characteristics; which are spoilt if it does not receive the appropriate care, such as losing volume and quantity, feeling rough to the touch or curling (the latter occurs in those dogs that are continuously shaved).

CONCLUSION

The Bolognese bichon is a small dog of Italian origin which became very famous in the 11th and 12th centuries among the Medici and other families of patrons. It has always been associated with kings, including the Spanish Philip II. Elegant and friendly, he is also serious, affectionate and an excellent companion.