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Even the greatest experts admit that the history of the Bichon Frise, as it can be read in many specialised papers, is, at most, a mixture of good intensions, facts, fiction, deductions and stories.
The precise data are very scarce and the majority of the aveilable information has not been thoroughly verified. Still, the specialists agreed that such small fluffy dogs, frequently with white coat, existed even before Christ. Many theories, based on their origin and evolution, have been produced. Some historians say that this dog is the direct ancestor of the Maltese and is descending from a Spitz like dog, spred in the entire Mediterranian area.
On the other hand, an European specialist stated that the populations from the southern Europe bread small dogs, a dwarf breed that resulted from crossing of a miniature Spaniel and a miniature Poodle with Cayenne dogs. He considered that the Bichon resulted from this breed, and it is originating in Italy.
The dificulties to identify the origin of the this breeds result from the fact that these small floffy dogs, often white, had no other duty than beeing companion dogs, loved by the entire family.
As populations migrated frequently from one area to another, the ancestors of pet dogs are spread on a large area, keepin the small size beeing the only criterion considered when breeding. As a result, a large diversity of companion breeds was obtained.
From many hunderds of years, it could be seen that the the generic name of Bichon designated the following breeds:
- the Tenerife dog (Bichon Frise)
- the Bologne dog (Bichon Bolognez)
- the matleze dog (Bichon Maltez)
Closer to our times, a parizian magazine from the 30? mentioned the existence of 4 categories of the Bichon: Maltese, Bolognese, Havanese and the Bichon from Tenerife (Frise).
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