Dog breed · Italy
The Bolognese is an Italian breed of small dog of Bichon type. It falls in the toy dog group and is commonly kept as a companion dog. The name derives from that of the city of Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna.
Characteristics: The coat is either pure white or pale ivory in various shades. The distinctive single coat (i.e., no undercoat) falls in loose open ringlets/flocks all over the body, with shorter hair on the face. The texture is woolly, as opposed to silky, and is never trimmed or clipped unless kept as pets.
Characteristics: The coat is either pure white or pale ivory in various shades. The distinctive single coat (i.e., no undercoat) falls in loose open ringlets/flocks all over the body, with shorter hair on the face. The texture is woolly, as opposed to silky, and is never trimmed or clipped unless kept as pets.
Health: A study in the United Kingdom in 2024 found a median longevity of 14.9 years for the breed with a sample size of 32, compared to an average of about 12.5 for all dogs.
History: The Bolognese belongs to the Bichon group of breeds, which also includes the Bichon Frisé, the Maltese, the Löwchen, the Havanese and the Coton de Tuléar.
The origins and ancestry of the Bolognese are unknown.
Similar dogs may be seen in tapestry work produced by Flemish craftsmen dating as far back as the seventeenth century. The Venetian painter Titian painted the Duke Federico Gonzaga with such a dog. Others are seen in paintings by Goya, Gosse and Watteau. Among those who owned dogs of this type are Catherine the Great of Russia, Madame de Pompadour and Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.
