Talk:Bichon Frisé

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My vet calls them bitchin' frizzies, I guess that isn't a good alternative title though. :) --Eean 18:44, 28 Oct 2004 (UTC)

But fun to say. :-) Elf | Talk 16:07, 29 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Contents 1 Country of origin 2 Temperament 3 March 2006 cleanup (inappropriate tone) 4 Greyhound facts 5 Plagiarism 6 Small clean-up

[edit] Country of origin

Looking at the breed standards, some of which have history, there certainly some disagreement about whether they first came to Italy or to France (the New Zealand site says France, but in the paragraph of history it says Italy). Regardless, they came from the Canary Islands, which I guess would put their country of origin as Spain? Though maybe 'country of origin' is some sort of dog breed jargon. --Eean 19:00, 28 Oct 2004 (UTC)

The origin of older breeds is often in question because there's usually no really good definitive documentation. If there are reliable sources for multiple origins, it's good to try to described that in an encyclopedic manner in the article (even simply as "some sources cite the breed's origin as Fooland, while others suggest that it was Barland..." with maybe references noted on the talk page or, if there's some clearly defined set of groups who disagree, that could be noted in the article, such as "breeders of pink Bichons tend to cite the breed's origin as Fooland, while Bichons used as sled dogs (sic) are generally accepted as originating in Barland..." ). In any event, if you have good info, feel free to edit and we won't slap you down and stomp you into the mud. Much. Elf | Talk 16:07, 29 Oct 2004 (UTC)

I guess the problem I'm having is the same sources that put a country like France as the origin of the breed will say they were found on the Canary Islands. Does your country need a breeders club to be able to be listed as an origin of a breed? Next time I'm in the library I'll look up some books on the ole bichons. --Eean 07:08, 31 Oct 2004 (UTC)

That's why I try to look in multiple sources if I can find or get them and try to summarize or identify what appears to be the most-likely secenario from the info available. A breed club has nothing to do with the dog's origin in most cases (although for very recent breeds, if one person or group is developing a breed, they might be the first breeder's club). After your email, I did go back to the books that I have to confirm the "mediterranean" origin info. Elf | Talk 17:03, 31 Oct 2004 (UTC)

The articles state that bichons don't suffer from various white dog diseases...however they can contract anemia

Bichons are the cutest, most lovable dogs on the planet. They love to nest and chew on soft toys.

It's generally held that Bichons were brought from the Canary Islands by Spanish sailors and used as barter. From there they spread throughout Europe and gained particular favor with the French aristocracy in the 1400's. King Henry III is said to have carried his Bichons with him where ever he went. Either in specially made baskets that hung around his neck, or in pockets sewn into his coats. www.combsinfo.com

[edit] Temperament

I do not like the Temperament section too much. It just seems so obviously written by a fan/owner of this breed. Something like "definitely has a mind of its own" is something every dog-owner would say about his pet and does not sound objective to me. If not replaced by something with an objective comparison to other breeds, I would rather see that section deleted.

It's also very POV and case-specific. I agree with your statement that it should be removed, I'm just not brave enough to do it because I know very little about the subject and some of it may be salvageable. I'm not holding out too much hope, mind. Bobo. 21:25, 7 March 2006 (UTC)

Hard to say how much to edit out or redit. Some quotes:

• Fogle, Bruce (2000). The New Encyclopedia of the Dog. Doring Kindersley (DK). ISBN 0-7894-6130-7.

"Adaptable, happy, bold, lively..." "the ultimate companion dog, (and) game and hardy" "vivacious and affectionate breed".

• Cunliffe, Juliette (2004). The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds. Parragon Publishing. ISBN 0-75258-276-3.

"Happy, lively,...friendly and outgoing and likes to be the center of attention".

• Hart, Benjamin L., Hart, Lynette A. (1988). The Perfect Puppy. Freeman. ISBN 0-7167-1829-4.

This book rates dogs on comparative scales from 1 to 10; it rates BFs as 10 on ease of housebreaking and 7 on ease of obedience training, which seems to contradict some of what's in article; 9 on demand for affection, 7 on excitability and general activity level, and about in the middle on destructiveness and playfulness.

Elf | Talk 21:58, 7 March 2006 (UTC)

I am almost certain that I have read that the Bichon Frisé used to be known as "Tenerife", due to the fact that it originates from Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands. I shall look into this matter and see what sources I can find. Also, it should be noted that my Buster is the cutest of all Bichon Frisés ;) --TheFinalFraek 09:48, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] March 2006 cleanup (inappropriate tone)

I felt that this article used inappropriate tone for an encyclopædia. Sentences as an example of this:

• "Bichons are intelligent little dogs and demonstrate an inquisitive personality"
• "They also seem to be quite stubborn so be prepared for a lot of patience whilst dealing with a Bichon!"

Sean Hayford O'Leary 05:21, 29 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Greyhound facts

Greyhounds aren't listed as hypoallergenic. I think if one wants to give examples of hypoallergenic breeds, then choose breeds which are actually listed as such on wiki (the list is on the hypoallergenic dog breeds article). --Pharaoh Hound 19:45, 16 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Plagiarism

A large amount of the article seems to be ripped from http://doggiewoggie.com/dog-breeds/bichon-frise/. Spencerk 04:47, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

Nope, look at the bottom of that page, they took it from Wikipedia... "Source: Wikipedia under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License." :) EEPROM Eagle 06:41, 22 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Small clean-up

A few parts of inappropriate tone are still in this article. For example: "They can be seriously (almost worshipfully) devoted to their masters". I've changed this sentence so that it is more appropriate in tone. I've also removed the size comparison to cats, and simply left it at "small". Pharaoh Hound 22:11, 1 July 2006 (UTC)