Bichon Frise
The Bichon Frise is a non-sporting breed from Canary Islands, Spain, Belgium, France, standing 9–11 in at the withers, weighing 7–11 lb. Recorded lifespan is 12–15 yrs.
- Breed group
- Non-Sporting
- Origin
- Canary Islands, Spain, Belgium, France
- Height
- 9–11 in
- Weight
- 7–11 lb
- Lifespan
- 12–15 yrs
Among the 500 breeds here with recorded measurements, the Bichon Frise is taller than 3% of the measured breeds, heavier than 3%, one of 22 in the Non-Sporting group.
Living with the Bichon Frise
Two breed references score every breed they cover from 1 to 5 on the things an owner lives with day to day. These are the Bichon Frise’s, with what a 1 and a 5 mean on each row.
- Affection with family
- 5 of 51 independent · 5 devoted
- Good with young children
- 4 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Good with other dogs
- 4 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Openness to strangers
- 5 of 51 reserved · 5 everyone is a friend
- Watchdog / protective nature
- 2 of 51 unbothered · 5 vigilant
- Energy
- 4 of 51 couch potato · 5 busy all day
- Exercise needs
- 3 of 51 a short walk · 5 a job to do
- Playfulness
- 4 of 51 only when invited · 5 non-stop
- Barking
- 2 of 51 only to alert · 5 very vocal
- Shedding
- 2 of 51 barely · 5 constantly
- Drooling
- 1 of 51 a dry mouth · 5 keep a towel
- Tolerates being alone
- 1 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates hot weather
- 4 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates cold weather
- 3 of 51 poorly · 5 well
Rated 1 to 5 by the American Kennel Club and DogTime, averaged where both rate the same thing, and read from their breed pages in 2022. Nobody at Woof & Beyond has met this breed — these are the publishers’ judgments, not ours.Bichon Frise on AKCBichon Frise on DogTime
Breeds that look like the Bichon Frise
A neural network trained to tell breeds apart by sight read all 510 photographs in this reference, and these are the 6 it placed closest to the Bichon Frise.
Height 0–38 in
- Bichon Frise9–11 in
- Bolognese11–12 in
- Coton de Tulear10–12 in
- Maltese8–10 in
- Romanian Mioritic Shepherd27–29 in
- Old English Sheepdog22–24 in
- Bearded Collie21–22 in
Weight 0–220 lb
- Bichon Frise7–11 lb
- Bolognese6–9 lb
- Coton de Tulear9–13 lb
- Maltese3–8 lb
- Romanian Mioritic Shepherd100–130 lb
- Old English Sheepdog65 lb
- Bearded Collie40–60 lb
Lifespan 0–20 yrs
- Bichon Frise12–15 yrs
- Bolognese12–15 yrs
- Coton de Tulear15–19 yrs
- Maltese12–15 yrs
- Romanian Mioritic Shepherd12–14 yrs
- Old English Sheepdog10–12 yrs
- Bearded Collie12–14 yrs
Nothing here was grouped by hand. The ranking is an opinion about appearance, not about ancestry, which is why it sometimes puts together breeds no kennel club would — and why it is worth looking at the photographs rather than taking the order on trust.
Guides that mention the Bichon Frise
Every guide on this site whose text actually discusses this breed.