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Bolognese. pets4homes.co.uk

History

The origin of the Bolognese is confused with that of the Maltese, because their distant ancestors are the same little dogs mentioned in Latin by Aristotle (384–322 B.C.) under the denomination of canes melitenses. Bolognese, already known in the Roman era, appears most especially among the very appreciated gifts, which were made during a whole era by the people of power of that world. Cosimo de Medici (1389–1464) brought no less than eight to Brussels as gifts to as many Belgian noblemen. Philipe II, King of Spain 1556–1598, after having received two as a gift from the Duke d’Este, thanked him in writing saying, ”These little dogs are the most royal gifts one can give to an emperor”. Bolognese are represented in paintings by Titian, Pierre Breughel called le Vieux and Goya. 1.

General appearance

Small size, stocky and compact, covered with a pure white coat, long and fluffy, the Bolognese have a free, energetic gait, with a noble and distinguished head carriage.

Their coat is long all over the body, from head to tail, from the top line to the feet. It is shorter on the muzzle. Forms long flocks that have the same texture all over the body, rather off-standing coat, thus not falling flat and tight, never shows fringes.

Height at the withers: Males: 27 – 30 cm. Females: 25 – 28 cm.

Weight: 2.5 – 4 kg. 1.

Temperament & Suitability

Very serene, generally not very active. Eventful but calm, and very faithful to his master and his entourage. 1.

They can be shy towards strangers, but warm up quickly if they are properly socialised. Prone to separation anxiety, the Bolognese does not do well alone for long periods of time. They would be ill-suited for people with a 9-5 workday. 2.

They would make great apartment dogs, provided they would still have a moderate exercise schedule. As a calm, easy going dog, they would do well as companions for retirees and seniors. Options for exercise could include play time in the backyard, preferably fenced, or taken for walks. Indoor entertainment, like hide-and-seek, chasing a ball rolled along the floor, or teaching them new tricks are excellent low-key activities for the low-energy, but playful, Bolognese.2.

The Bolognese has an all-white coat that is soft and fluffy like the texture of cotton. He is also “non-shedding,” so low to mild allergy sufferers should not be greatly affected. Bolognese coats are unshaped and untrimmed except for around their eyes for sanitary reasons. Regular grooming is needed if the Bolognese is kept in its full coat. For easier maintenance, many people are satisfied with keeping their Bolo in a shorter coat of about one inch, leaving the untrimmed “mop head” around the face. 2.

Beyond regular grooming, the occasional bath will keep your Bolognese clean and looking his best. Nails should be trimmed occasionally with a nail clipper to avoid overgrowth, splitting and cracking. Ears should be checked regularly to avoid a build up of wax and debris, which can result in an infection. Teeth should be brushed regularly. 2.

Health

The majority of Bolognese are healthy dogs, and a responsible breeder will screen breeding stock for health conditions such as luxating patellas (compared to “trick knee” in humans) and eye anomalies. Good breeders utilise health screening and genetic testing to reduce the likelihood of disease in their puppies. 2.

References

1. FCI Standard No 196
Translation: Mrs. Peggy Davis. Revised by Renée Sporre-Willes. Official language (EN).
Origin: Italy.
Date of Publication of the Official Valid Standard: 13.11.2015.
Utilization: Companion dog.
FCI-Classification: Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs.
Section 1 Bichons and related breeds.
Without working trial.

2. American Kennel Club

Image: pets4homes.co.uk

In Conclusion

Now you know a little about the Bolognese you may think that this is the dog for you. Before you make a decision, please make contact with the breed club or your State controlling body for purebred dogs. They will be able to give you information about available puppies and also suggest dog shows where you can see the breed and speak to breeders. In this way you will gain a better perspective of the Bolognese, and its needs and whether this breed would suit your lifestyle.

Official breed standard as recognized by Dogs NSW (Last Updated: 25 Sep 2020)

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Breed Standard - Bolognese

A breed standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament, and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function with soundness essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be mindful of features which could be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed.

General Appearance

Small size, stocky and compact, covered with a pure white coat, long and fluffy.IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: Square built, the length of the body being equal to the height at the withers. Length of headreaching 1/3 of the height at the withers. Depth of chest almost half of the height at the withers.

Temperament

Very serene, generally not very active. Eventful but calm very faithful to his master and his entourage.

Physical Standards

Head and Skull Medium long. The width, measured at the level of the zygomatic arches is the same as the length.CRANIAL REGION:Skull: Slightly ovoid in shape (egg-shaped) in the sagittal direction and has rather convex sides; rather flat in its upper part. The protuberances of the frontal bones are well developed. The longitudinal axes of the skull and muzzle are parallel; the frontal furrow is only slightly accentuated, as is also the occipital protuberance. The length of the skull is slightly more than that of the muzzle.Stop: Rather accentuated.FACIAL REGION:Nose: Set on the same line as the topline of the muzzle: seen in profile the front is vertical. Large and must be black.Muzzle: Its length is equal to 2/5 of the length of the head; the topline of the muzzle is straight and the sides of the muzzle are parallel, so that the forepart of the muzzle is almost square. The lower orbital region is well chiselled.Lips: Upper lips being only slightly developed in depth, they do not cover the bottom lips, and the lower profile of the muzzle isdetermined by the lower jaw.
Eyes Set on an almost frontal plane; size slightly superior to normal.Eyelid opening is round; the eyeball must not be prominent; the white of the eye is not visible. The rims of the eyelids must be black, and the iris of a dark ochre colour.
Ears High set, they are long and hanging, but rather rigid at their base, so that the upper part of the external ear is detached from theskull, giving thus the impression of the head being larger than it really is.
Mouth Jaws/Teeth: Jaws normally developed, with top and bottom arches perfectly adapted. Teeth white evenly aligned, with strong andcomplete dentition. Articulation of incisors as scissor bite; pincer bite tolerated.
Neck Without dewlap: its length is equal to the length of the head.
Forequarters General appearance: Forearms are perfectly straight and parallel in relation to the median plane of the body.Shoulder: The length of the shoulder blades is equal to 1/4 of the height of the withers; in relation to the horizontal, they are slanting and are near the vertical in relation to the median plane of the body.Upper arm: Well joined to the body, of an almost equal length to that of the shoulder, but less slanting.Elbows: They are on a parallel plane to the median plane of the body.Forearm: The length is equal to that of the upper arm; follows a perfect vertical direction.Metacarpus (Pastern): Seen from the front they continue the vertical line of the forearm. Seen in profile the pastern is slightly slanting.
Hindquarters General appearance: Viewed from behind, the hind legs must follow from the point of the buttock bone to the ground in a perfectly vertical line - legs are parallel to each other.Thigh: Length is equal to 1/3 of the height at the withers. Slanting from top to bottom and back to front and perfectly parallel to the median plane of the body.Stifle (Knee): Firm, not very angled.Lower thigh: Longer than the thigh.Hock joint: The tibio-tarsal angle is not very closed.Metatarsus (Rear pastern): The distance from the point of the hock to the ground is slightly less than a third of the height at the withers.
Feet Forefeet: Oval shaped, with well cushioned dark pads and very hard black nails.Hind feet: Same characteristics as the forefeet, but less oval.
Tail Set in the line of the croup, carried curved over the back.
Gait/Movement Free, energetic, with a noble and distinguished head carriage.
Coat Skin: Taut and tightly fitted to the body all over, the third eyelids strictly pigmented black.Hair: Long all over the body, from head to tail, from the top line to the feet. It is shorter on the muzzle. Forms long flocks that have the same texture all over the body, rather off-standing coat thus not falling flat and tight, never shows fringes.
Colour Colour: Pure white, very slight shades of ivory are not disqualifying.
Size Height at the withers:Males: 27 – 30 cm.Females: 25 – 28 cm.Weight: 2.5 – 4 kg.

Faults

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should beregarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.· Strabismus (Squinting).SEVERE FAULTS:· Accentuated convergence or divergence of the upper longitudinal axes.· Convex muzzle (Roman nose).· Undershot.· Size in males under 25 cm and over 33 cm and size in females under 22 cm or over 32 cm.DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:· Aggressive or overly shy dogs.· Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.· Depigmentation of the nose.· Nose of any other colour than black.· Undershot - very exaggerated with teeth showing and mal-shaped muzzle.· Bilateral depigmentation of the eyelids.· Wall-eyed.· Tail less.· Shortened tail whether natural or artificial.· Any other colour than white.· Patches and flecks.

· Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.· Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

History

The origin of the Bolognese is confused with that of the Maltese, because their distant ancestors are the same little dogs mentioned in Latin by Aristotle (384–322 B.C.) under the denomination of canes melitenses. Bolognese, already known in the Roman era appears most especially among the very appreciated gifts, which were made during a whole era by the people of power of that world. Cosimo de Medici (1389–1464) brought no less than eight to Brussels as gifts to as many Belgian noblemen. Philipe II, king of Spain 1556–1598, after having received two as a gift from the Duke d’Este, thanked him in writing saying, ”These little dogs are the most royal gifts one can give to an emperor”. Bolognese are represented in paintings by Titian, Pierre Breughel called le Vieux and Goya.

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