The "expensive" in a small package

Under the term "Bichons" is a group of dogs with short or very long hair, which, already in the time of classical antiquity, were known in all the countries of the Mediterranean as dogs that accompanied the wives of nobles and lords. Their soft coat can be sometimes smooth, sometimes wavy (or split), and sometimes curly (or shaggy).

Depending on the type (nature) and the shape of the coat, these dogs are divided into six different breeds:

Bichon Maltese – Bichon Maltese
The Bichon of Havana – Bichon havanais
The Bichon of Bologna – Bichon bolognais
Bichon frisi, also called Bichon tineriffe
Bichon petit Chien-Lion – Bichon petit Chien-Lion
The Coton de Tulear
The homeland of Bichons is, without any doubt, the Mediterranean Area, but exactly that is not clear. The separation into different tribes came relatively late and was done by the French. Since their origin is common, we can consider the story of the Bichon Maltese as representative for all other breeds.

A common feature of all these breeds is their relatively small body size. The height of the withers may not exceed 30 cm. The body shape is more or less square and the coat is soft and mostly white in color.

They have a relatively wide and slightly inflated skull and the stop is sometimes more and sometimes less pronounced, depending on the breed. The nose is always black, and so are the lips. Dentures are required to be perfect, covered by a rich coat and hanging down the sides of the head. The tail is also high and these dogs either rest it on the upper part of the back or hold it turned in the shape of a ring.

The origin of the Bichon Maltese

Starting from the name one would have to conclude that the place of origin of this breed is Malta. But this is by no means certain. The Greek Callimachus (230 BC) mentions a Dwarf Dog on the island of Melitaeus, today's Meleda, off the Dalmatian coast in the Adriatic. But we must mention that Malta used to be called Melita. Pliny (AD 23-79) frequently mentions in his writings the dogs of the island of Melita and says of them that they were no larger than the size of a squirrel, a size of course too small for dogs, so that this element is considered like a big exaggeration. According to Pliny these dogs were considered suitable for the treatment of colic pain. He said that if you put them on the stomach that hurts, they would draw the pain to them and often they would even die after that. Strabo (68-20 BC) again mentioned Malta as the place of origin of these dogs.

The question of where this dog got its name is still unclear. With his right Dr. Reichenbach (1836) highlights the different opinions on the origin of the Bichon Maltese and says: In recent times there have been various controversies, as to whether the homeland of these small dogs, so famous in ancient times, was Malta or Meleda, but only the categorical testimony of Strabo (Strabo) records this honor in the island of Malta...