Bolognese Puppies Blog

When you hear the word “Bolognese,” usually Italian food comes into mind. Would you believe that this term also refers to a rare breed of toy dogs? Makes you think how much you know! Here are some interesting facts of the Bolognese dog for your mind, similar to a good helping of a plate of Bolognese pasta.

The Bolognese is one of few true Italian breed of dogs, originating in Bologna, Italy. They were often used as gifts to Italian, French, and Belgian royalty during the 16th century. One instance of this would be when Cosimo of the Medici family presented the dogs as gifts to a duke of Milan increasing the breed’s popularity.

1. The Bolognese was popular during the Renaissance and is featured in many paintings of the said era. An example of which would be a rough draft of the Mona Lisa where she was shown with a small Bolognese dog.

2. The Greek philosopher, Aristotle was fond of the breed and mentioned it numerous times in his works. This made people believe that the Bolognese have been around since 300 B.C.

3. Many female royal figures in Europe owned Bolognese dogs because they were easy to carry, weighing around 4–12 pounds.  Such royalty were Madame Pompadour and Czarina Catherine the Great of Russia. The Empress of Austria, Maria Therese even preserved her dogs after their deaths and are on display in the Natural History Museum in Vienna, Austria today.

4. Numerous people mistake the Bolognese for the Maltese or Bichon Frise. This is understandable because all three look similar and belong to the Bichon family. The feature that distinguishes the Bolognese would be their coat, which has a wooly texture rather than a silky one.

5. At one point in time, the Bolognese almost was extinct because of the decline of European aristocracy and the World Wars. In an effort to save the breed, Italian and Belgian breeders performed rigorous breeding.

The Bolognese is one the ancient Bichon dog breeds. It first became popular in the Mediterranean area and had been always an expensive, precious dog.

The development of the breed goes back to the era of the Roman Empire, and throughout its history, the Bolognese was always a popular dog in the royal courts and the ruling class. This little dog was considered as one of the most appreciated gifts in during the Middle Ages. It had always been a popular breed of the nobility: in the era of Renaissance, such families were breeding them, as the Gonzaga or the Medici. After the industrial revolution, due to the changes in the society, the popularity of Bolognese started to decline until the early 1970’s, when some breeders in Belgium and Italy took effort to restore the popularity of this exceptional breed. The first Bolognese Bichons were brought to North America in 1986. Nowadays, breed is recognized by FCI and all important kennel clubs.