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Bichon Frisé
A Bichon Frisé (French, literally meaning curly lap dog) is a small breed of dog of the Bichon type. They are popular pets, similar in appearance to, but larger than, the Maltese. They are a non-shedding breed that requires daily grooming.
The Bichon Frisé is a small but sturdy dog that weighs approx. 4-7 kg / 10-18 lbs and stands 23-30 cm/9-12in at the withers. It has a black nose and dark round eyes and its white fur consists of a curly outercoat and a silky undercoat. A small amount of buff or cream color may be seen around its ears, snout, paws or on its body, but normally these colors should not exceed 10% of its body. The head and legs are proportionate in size to the body, and ears and tail are natural (not docked or cropped). Often the coat is trimmed to make the fur seem of even length.
The AKC refers to the Bichon Frisé as "merry" and "cheerful", and the breed standard calls for a dog that is "gentle mannered, sensitive, playful and affectionate". Bred to be companion dogs, the Bichon Frisé tends to get along well with both children and other animals. Bichon Frisés are very obedient if training is started early and continued consistently.
Bichon Frisé often appear on lists of dogs that do not shed (moult), but this is misleading. Every hair in the dog coat grows from a hair follicle, which has a cycle of growing, then dying and being replaced by another follicle. When the follicle dies, the hair is shed. The length of time of the growing and shedding cycle varies by breed, age, and by whether the dog is an inside or outside dog. "There is no such thing as a nonshedding breed." The grooming required to maintain the Bichon Frisé's coat helps remove loose hair, and the curl in the coat helps prevent dead hair and dander from escaping into the environment, as with the poodle's coat. The frequent trimming, brushing, and bathing required to keep the Bichon looking its best removes hair and dander and controls the other potent allergen, saliva.
Bichon Frisé in (combined) UK and USA/Canada surveys had an average life span of about 12-13 years.
Some of the content on this page was originally published on Wikipedia
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