The Bichon Frise is descended from the Barbet or Water Spaniel, much like his cousin the Caniche and was originally known as a Barbichon, which was later shortened to Bichon. In addition, there are four different categories of the Bichon, which include the Bichon Bolognais, the Bichon Maltais and the Bichon Tenerife as well as the Bichon Havanais, and all of these categories came out of the Mediterranean region. The breed was always bred to be companion dogs and nothing more.

The Bichon Frise was a great (and, still is) companion dog and from its very early days was the companion of its owners, many of whom were sailors and thus were taken on sea voyages overseas and even became bargaining chips while being taken from one continent to another. In fact, the Bichon Frise was well received in Spain and it was the Spanish sailors that introduced him to the Canary Islands in Tenerife.
The Bichon Frise, from the time of the Renaissance was called the Bichon Tenerife, which obviously alludes to its origins from the Canary Islands. But its early masters, the Spanish sailors of the early fourteenth century, affectionately named it the Bichon Tenerife. It later became a pet most favored by both Italian and Spanish nobility and only in the reign of Francis I during the sixteenth century, did the Bichon Frise become established in French royal courts and its popularity peaked under the reign of Henry III of France towards the latter part of the sixteenth century.

Also, the famous Spanish painter named Francisco de Goya painted the minute Bichon Frise in the portrait he made of the Duchess of Alba that led to the continuing popularity and fame of the breed. In fact, the Bichon Frise was the subject of other paintings as well, and one such painting was even to become a postage stamp in Yemen. And, in the nineteenth century, under Napoleon III’s reign, the Bichon Frise came to enter the French royal court as well.
The history behind the Bichon Frise is both interesting and intriguing, which saw him being elevated to the favored pet of nobility and royalty until later becoming a street dog following the end of the reign of Napoleon III. In the late nineteenth century he had to become a commoner. Interest in the Bichon Frise was once again renewed after World War I, and it was bred under strict control, and on March 5, 1933 the official Bichon Frise Standard was adopted by Societe Centrale Canine of France.

The first Bichon Frise to be whelped in the United States was sired by Eddie White de Steren Ver in the year 1956 and a few years later some other breeders acquired the Bichon Frise and this was the beginning of the Bichon Frise in the United States. And, in October 1972, the Bichon Frise entered into the American Kennel Club Stud Book as a non-sporting group, which is the brief history of this breed in the U.S.

The history behind the Bichon Frise goes back to ancient times, and so there is a lot to learn about how it has survived the many ups and downs over the years. If you are looking for the history of this breed, you need to read this article that provides pertinent Bichon Frise information on the subject.

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