Bichon Frise

A Bichon Frise (/ˈbiːʃɒn ˈfriːz/ or /ˈbiːʃɒn frɪˈzeɪ/; French: [biʃɔ̃ fʁize], meaning curly lap dog), is a small breed of dog of the Bichon type. The Bichon Frise is a member of the Non-Sporting Group of dog breeds in the US, and a member of the Toy Dog group in the UK.

Etymology and history

The Bichon Frise descended from the Barbet or Water Spaniel and the Standard Poodle. The word bichon comes from Middle French bichon ("small long-haired dog"), a diminutive of Old French biche ("bitch, female dog"), from Old English bicce ("bitch, female dog"), related to Old Norse bikkja ("female dog") and German Betze ("female dog"). Some speculate the origin of bichon to be the result of the apheresis, or shortening, of the word barbichon ("small poodle"), a derivative of barbiche ("shaggy dog"); however, this is unlikely, if not impossible, since the word bichon (attested 1588) is older than barbichon (attested 1694). While "Bichon Frise" is derived from the French "Bichon à poil frisé" meaning "curly lap dog," the preferred English spelling does not include accents and is written simply, "Bichon frise."