Bolognese
The Bolognese [boloɲˈɲese] is a small breed of dog of the Bichon type, originating in Italy. The name refers to the northern Italian city of Bologna. It is part of the Toy dog group and is considered a companion dog.
Appearance
The Bolognese is a small, white, compact dog with a distinctive white single coat. It is of small size, stocky and compact. It is of square build and well-muscled. The head is of medium length. The skull is slightly ovoid. The muzzle is large, black and almost square. It has a developed jaw and the upper lips don’t cover the bottom lips. Its lips are black. It has white, strong and evenly aligned teeth. Its eyes are well developed, open and round. The rims of the eyelids are black and the iris is a dark ochre color. The ears are set high and are long and hanging but rigid at the base. The tail is carried curved over the back.
The Bolognese's height varies 10.5 to 12 inches for a male and 10-11 inches for a female.[ The weight varies between 6 to 14 lbs.
Do they shed ?
Often appears on lists of dogs that allegedly do not shed (moult). However, such lists are misleading. Think of human hair, it grows, it dies, and it alls out. So does the hair on the Bolognese.
Do they require grooming ?
YES. Frequent brushing and bathing, required to keep the Bolognese looking its best, reduces the amount of loose fur in the environment.
Are they good with children?
Can be active and bouncy as a puppy. But as with any pet, children must be taught to treat them gently. In turn the puppy must be taught to be gentle with children. They are good with children.
Appearance
The Bolognese is a small, white, compact dog with a distinctive white single coat. It is of small size, stocky and compact. It is of square build and well-muscled. The head is of medium length. The skull is slightly ovoid. The muzzle is large, black and almost square. It has a developed jaw and the upper lips don’t cover the bottom lips. Its lips are black. It has white, strong and evenly aligned teeth. Its eyes are well developed, open and round. The rims of the eyelids are black and the iris is a dark ochre color. The ears are set high and are long and hanging but rigid at the base. The tail is carried curved over the back.
The Bolognese's height varies 10.5 to 12 inches for a male and 10-11 inches for a female.[ The weight varies between 6 to 14 lbs.
Do they shed ?
Often appears on lists of dogs that allegedly do not shed (moult). However, such lists are misleading. Think of human hair, it grows, it dies, and it alls out. So does the hair on the Bolognese.
Do they require grooming ?
YES. Frequent brushing and bathing, required to keep the Bolognese looking its best, reduces the amount of loose fur in the environment.
Are they good with children?
Can be active and bouncy as a puppy. But as with any pet, children must be taught to treat them gently. In turn the puppy must be taught to be gentle with children. They are good with children.
Can a they live outside?
Probably, but with Bolognese it is advisable not to. They are very much a family orientated, inside dog breed and enjoy human contact and life style. The sole purpose is that of a companion and house pet. Coat The distinctive single coat (i.e. no undercoat) falls in loose open ringlets/flocks all over the body, with shorter hair on the face. The hair's texture is woolly, as opposed to silky, and is never trimmed or clipped. The hair sheds very little, but requires regular combing to prevent matting. The Bolognese often appears on lists of dogs that allegedly do not shed (moult). However, such lists are 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 age and other factors. "There is no such thing as a non-shedding breed." The coat requires daily brushings with monthly grooming recommended. Grooming must also include regular bathing, eye and ear hygiene and teeth cleaning. Temperament |
Trademark traits of the Bolognese include: playful, easygoing, earnest, willing, intelligent and loyal. They are very serious and generally not very high energy. They are normally more reserved and shy than the Bichon Frise.
The Bolognese is very responsive to obedience training. They are highly intelligent, quick to learn and are easy to train but can be very stubborn when they don’t get their way.
The Bolognese genuinely enjoy companionship of people and forms a close relationship with his owner.They are true companions and thrive on their owner’s attention. They have been known to follow their owners wherever they go. They are friendly with strangers but need to get accustomed to people at a young age. They can be reserved with strangers at first but the response of the owners to the new person greatly influences their behavior towards the individual. Because of this, they are generally friendly towards strangers after the initial meeting. Bolognese are true watchdogs. They are not incessant barkers but are true watchdogs. They take notice of anything unusual and faithfully notify their owners. Bolognese get along well with other dogs but are happy to be the only dog in the family. They are non-aggressive by nature.
Bolognese can be prone to small dog syndrome, human induced behaviors where the dog believes he is pack leader to humans. This can cause behavior programs including separation anxiety and timidity.They do not do well when left alone for long period of time. They may howl mournfully when the owner is busy and cannot pay attention to him.
The Bolognese is very responsive to obedience training. They are highly intelligent, quick to learn and are easy to train but can be very stubborn when they don’t get their way.
The Bolognese genuinely enjoy companionship of people and forms a close relationship with his owner.They are true companions and thrive on their owner’s attention. They have been known to follow their owners wherever they go. They are friendly with strangers but need to get accustomed to people at a young age. They can be reserved with strangers at first but the response of the owners to the new person greatly influences their behavior towards the individual. Because of this, they are generally friendly towards strangers after the initial meeting. Bolognese are true watchdogs. They are not incessant barkers but are true watchdogs. They take notice of anything unusual and faithfully notify their owners. Bolognese get along well with other dogs but are happy to be the only dog in the family. They are non-aggressive by nature.
Bolognese can be prone to small dog syndrome, human induced behaviors where the dog believes he is pack leader to humans. This can cause behavior programs including separation anxiety and timidity.They do not do well when left alone for long period of time. They may howl mournfully when the owner is busy and cannot pay attention to him.
Training
The Bolognese is highly intelligent and easy to train with positive reinforcement, as he is rarely in need of scolding. He is neither headstrong like a Dachshund nor obstinate like Shih Tzu. Once he has been taught to remain at home alone, he is content to stay at home for three or four hours at a time. Because agility trials are quite challenging for the Bolognese, the owner should never demand too much of his dog or force him to continue with something he does not enjoy. Dogs are never trained for agility before one year of age. 1 History The Bolognese was developed centuries ago in Bologna Italy and it is written that they were already valued in Italy as early as the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Because of its beauty, grace and charm it became a favourite of the nobility during the Renaissance. King Umberto of Italy/Savoyen gave a beautiful little Bolognese to Princess Jose of Belgium on her birthday. Also, in 1668 Cosimo de Medici sent eight Bolognese by royal courier and asked his friend Colonel Alamanni in Belgium that these be given as gifts to several of the wealthy and influential families of Brussels. As time passed and the nobility as such passed also, the Bolognese became an almost extinct breed. However, a few breeders in Europe and especially one man in Italy, Gian Franco Giannelli, who loved the breed, have restored it to its present day popularity. The breed was brought into England by Liz Stannard in 1990 and first shown that year in Imported Register classes. In 2001 the breed was able to be shown at all shows with their own classes and they were at Crufts for the first time in 2002. |