Breed Priorities – The Bichon Frise

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248 – September 2019

By Nikki Riggsbee

The Bichon Frise is one member of the Bichon family of dogs that also includes the Bolognese, Coton de Tulear, Havanese, Mal-tese, Löwchen, and Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka. All are small and friendly, with long hair that mostly doesn’t shed, drop ears, short muzzles, and with tails carried over their backs when moving. The Bichon Frise is unique in the family with the curly coat.
We put together a list of 26 Bichon Frise experts to invite to take a survey on their breed’s priorities, although some of their emails bounced. Fourteen people agreed to participate, and nine completed surveys were returned. The group averaged 35½ years in the breed. Those who judge have been doing so for nearly twelve years on average, and several have judged their national and other Bichon specialties.
As with some other breeds, finding Bichon Frise photos with the dogs in full profile to outline for the survey was a challenge. This breed’s national was near me this year, so I attended and took several suitable photos for this project. I’m still looking for full profile photos of Affenpinschers, Maltese, and Yorkshire Terriers. Hope someone reading this can help.

Bichon Frise Virtues

The survey included a list of Bichon Frise virtues taken from their breed standard for the experts to prioritize. Here is the list in sequence by their average ranks, with one being the most important.

1. Cheerful attitude
2. Plumed tail carried jauntily over the back
3. Body one-quarter longer than height at withers
4. Eyes round, black or dark brown, set to look directly forward
5. Balanced head is three-parts muzzle to five-parts skull
6. Movement at a trot free, precise, effortless
7. Arched neck long and carried proudly
8. Compact and of medium bone throughout

Click here to read the complete article
248 – September 2019

Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=172461

Posted by AnthonyA on Dec 27 2020. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.