of Giovanni Melegari

The origin of the race is ancient: the Bichon has had a special place in the heart of checkerses of the Rinascimento; vezzeggiato in all the courts of Europe it has been, at the same time, also the proletarian dog of the jugglers and the saltimbanchi, given its facility to learn and to execute exercises. Nobilities, dolcezza, joy and adaptability are the characteristics of the Bichon, qualities that have emphasized its history.

As breeder I think that the patrimony more important than this race, to safeguard, he is just the character and the attitude to carry out those jobs that the selection has operated in the course of its history: company and game.

It comes to me to place a question, than it does not want to be constructive controversy but: Which official instruments we have in order to select these attitudes at best? Unfortunately, nearly nobody; the canine exposures give way to us to select holding of eye the morphology and the aesthetic presentation of the dog.
Officially the Bichon has been recognized like French canine race, in 1933. In 1960 the protection of the standard came extended also to Belgium. Standard the ICF in vigor is N°61616; 215/11.05.1998, IX Group, Section 1, Bichon and analogous. In Italy the race is protected from our Club.

The Bichon to poil frisé sure more is diffused in the other countries of the world that in Italy, and ovunque comes toelettato (except in France, where timidly the cape comes ritoccato and only in the past few years). The reasons of the insufficient spread of the Bichon in Italy are senz'altro to attribute to the fact that we have a national race much similar one, from Bologna one, and that the greater part of passed judges Italian ENCI in always has found the Concorde with those French in prohibiting the grooming of the Bichon to fine espositi to you, accrediting nearly of fact the two razze. Today, thanks to the efforts of some breeders and the A.P.T. (Association Professionals Groomer ), the things are changed: some grooming subjects of remarkable pregio and have been able to acquire the Italian Championship, and the greater part of judges ENCI is declared by now favorable to the grooming of the Bichon. It remains, unfortunately, still some resistance from part of little judges all rounder of old guideline cinofilo. For other it is emblematic to notice as many of these judges who participate to the exposures outside of the national territory reward and signal dogs of toelettati Bichon race!

First to introduce the grooming Bichon they were the Americans in years `70: the head previewed a shape to bell and to the neck it came given overhong little. Subsequently, in years `80, a rounded off head was preferred more, the orecchie made a tutt' with the skull and the longer hair let, from the garrese until the cupola of the head, in order to evidence the neck. In the past few years the Bichon has caught up greater popolarità thanks to some spot television and, above all, thanks to the BIS of Westminster 2001 gained from a wonderful Bichon American. (Paray breeding)

The points that characterize the grooming of a Bichon can therefore reassume: round head, here where the top of the tartufo represents the center of the imaginary circle; neck evidenced from one criniera that it leave from the garrese approximately (the Bichon must have fierce portamento and a long neck evidences it); front limbs in perpendicularly and very swell; posterior limbs with obvious angles-shot much (will be had nearly to seat). The dog, put in rests on the table, must give the idea that it pushes with the posterior limbs. In spite of the standard it says that the dog must ideally turn out enrolled in a rectangle, will have to be tried of contrarne the length, working on the hair of the inguine and the front legs in order to shorten and to collect the log. It will be shortened also, nearly to skin, the front zone under the neck. It is much easy one to simplify the lines of the grooming exposition and to execute, holding present the points exposed over, one grooming housewife: a blade from tosatrice to 16 is used milimeter for the front legs, while for the posterior ones the use of the scissors for the angolature is demanded also; at last milimeter or 11 serves blades from 9 milimeter for the log, made exception for the criniera; the head comes only rounded off to scissor.

Two different points of view of interpretation and selection of the race exist: the first one mainly tries the quadrature of the log, the push of posterior and the length of the neck (as it happens in the USA, many Anglo-Saxon countries and those Scandinavians), the other privileges the small ransom, with log much rectangular and therefore difficultly with slanciato neck and posterior push of (France and various other European countries).

Like always in cinofilia, the esasperazione of some aspects is from avoiding; as it has been said to the last conference on the Bichon to Poil Frisé, tenutosi to Los Angeles, the characteristics to privilege are the just balance of the proportions. Also for the Bichon to Poil Frisé it exists, like for many others razze, the dualismo between fashion, understanding like taste of the time, and the official Standard, that it comes calmly disregarded, even if, is right to say it, this last one turns out never vague how much. Personally creed that the standards do not have to be considers you like written on the stone, but it interprets to you with a sure freedom, and above all that they must evolversi, adapting itself to the times.

On the other hand also the esasperazione, to which we assist often abroad (Bichon that seems Tramps for the type of hair, the movement, the lengthened snout and the eye not perfectly round) is from censurare.